Royal Warwickshire Regiment - 8th Bn (TF)

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 8th (TF) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment between 1908 and 1914. 

The 8th Battalion was an entirely new Territorial Force unit, formed in 1908. It had no Volunteer Force battalion predecessor. In that year, as The Territorial Year Book for 1909 records, the 8th Battalion strength comprised 21 officers and 715 men. 630 men trained at camp that year for eight days, whilst 375 trained for 15 days. Sergeant E Robins, was the best shot of the battalion that year.

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength of the 8th Battalion had risen to 25 officers and 970 men. At Brockenhurst camp that year, 362 men trained for eight days, and 584 trained for 15 days. Drummer Taylor of C Company was the best shot of the battalion in 1909.

The battalion was headquartered at Aston Manor, Birmingham, and with the exception of B Company (which recruited men from Saltley), A to H Companies all drew their men from Birmingham. ''D' Company, according to the Illustrated News in 1909, stood for 'Dunlop' Company as it was, in 1909 at least, composed exclusively of the employees of the Dunlop Tyre and Rubber companies. Pre 1914-1918 the battalion formed part of the Warwickshire Infantry Brigade in the South Midland Division. 

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the the 8th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment:

177 joined on the 22nd April 1908
964 joined on the 17th May 1909
1179 joined on the 3rd February 1910
1305 joined on the 16th March 1911
1482 joined on the 9th May 1912
1709 joined on the 16th January 1913
2196 joined on the 16th April 1914
2302 joined on the 6th August 1914 

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 1000 and came from Saltley, he would have joined between May 1909 and February 1910 and would have almost certainly have served with B Company. 

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