The 5th Battalion was a Territorial Force unit which was formed on the 1st April 1908 and, prior to this, had been the 1st Volunteer Battalion, the King's Liverpool Regiment. In 1908, as The Territorial Year Book for 1909 records, the battalion strength comprised 26 officers and 599 men. 237 men attended camp at Peel, on the Isle of Man in 1908 for 8 days and 250 attended for 15 days. Best shot of the unit was Sergeant C Smith.
The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength of the battalion in 1909 stood at 33 officers and 1016 men; a significant increase on the previous year. At the annual camp that year, 925 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 650 officers and men attended for 15 days. Best shot of the unit was Sergeant J Marwood.
The battalion was headquartered at 65 St Anne Street, Liverpool and recruited in Liverpool and the surrounding district. Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the the 5th (Rifle) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment).
200 joined on the 1st April 1908
640 joined on the 2nd February 1909
1164 joined on the 5th January 1910
1328 joined on the 29th March 1911
1386 joined on the 10th January 1912
1548 joined on the 29th January 1913
1820 joined on the 4th March 1914
1954 joined on the 4th August 1914
The battalion appears to have recruited well from 1909 and with the outbreak of war in August 1914, a reserve battalion was formed in September 1914. The original 5th Battalion now became the 1/5th Battalion and the new reserve battalion became the 2/5th Battalion. A 3/5th Battalion would be formed in May 1915.
Use the regimental numbers above to estimate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example, if your man had the number 1345 he would have joined this battalion at some time between 29th March 1911 and 10th January 1912.
Remember. I research soldiers!
To search for photos of your King's (Liverpool Regiment) ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.
4 comments:
Hi Paul
My grandfather, Joseph McCabe, transferred from the 1st Highland Light Infantry (12339) to the MFP (18332) in Mesopotamia.
From your article on MFP series his number looks too high to have joined prior to the armistice....
P/15426 joined on 8th February 1918
P/15839 joined on 18th July 1918
Any idea what might be going on here? Have you seen numbers this high for WWI records? Verbal family history says he transferred in the last year of the war. Could it be that the MIC transcribed a '/' for a '1'? Seems unlikely as there is already a p/8332 for another man in the MMP (but I think they share the same series).
Any thoughts much appreciated.
K
Re P/18332 MFP. I wouldn't be unduly perplexed by this. There are plenty of records for men serving in the MFP with numbers beginning P/183.. and it would be possible to work out when this number was issued which, without delving further, must date to the second half of 1918 or later.
Hello Paul, a few more numbers for the database, in case you haven't got them:
1484/200133 Sgt A E Harwood MM, attested 5th KLR 2 May 1912
1725/200235 Sgt George Wilson MM, attested 5th KLR 7 May 1913
2550/200653 Sgt Joseph Higham MM, attested 5th KLR 2 Sept 1914
2728/200760 Pte George Alexander Webb MM, attested 5th KLR 8 Sept 1914
3793/201427 L/Cpl Charles Randles MM, attested [3/]5th KLR 27 May 1915
AHJ, many thanks for these. Paul
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