Border Regiment - regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion 1908-1914

This article will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Border Regiment between 1908 and 1914. As I have written before, the Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to militia battalions which, for the most part they replaced. My 2009 article on the Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908 may be helpful here.

As far as the Border Regiment was concerned, it was one of the regiments which lost a militia battalion with the creation of the Special Reserve in 1908. Up until that time it had recruited for the 3rd and 4th militia battalions. However, from 1908 it was just the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion which replaced both militia battalions. Men who were still serving with these miltiia battalions in 1908 were invited to join the new 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion.

Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. They were men who had completed a period of training alongside career soldiers at the regimental depot but they then went back to their homes, turning out annually for drills and camp. Men of the Militia and the Special Reserve signed up for six years' service and knew, in the event of war, that they would be called upon to fill gaps in the regular battalions. A glance at most 1914 Star rolls will show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.

The lowest 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion number I have is 2585 for Thomas Walker who joined the newly formd battalion on the 12th July 1908. His number though, dates to the time when he had joined the 3rd (Militia) Battalion on the 8th June 1899. In common with many newly forming special reserve and extra reserve battalions, the 3rd Border Regiment just continued with the same numberv series that had been used for the 3rd miltiia battalion and old militiamen now joining the new special reserve simply brough their old militia numbers with them.

Here then, are some numbers for the 3rd Border Regiment.

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, Border Regiment

2585 joined on 12th July 1908 (but the number dates to 1899)

3987 joined on 14th January 1909

4222 joined on 18th November 1910

4309 joined on 29th May 1911

4434 joined on 3rd January 1912

4887 joined on 4th October 1913

5022 joined on the 31st March 1914

5135 joined on 17th August 1914

5477 joined on the 3rd September 1914

6463 joined on the 19th October 1914

The regimental number series was unique to the 3rd Miltia/Special Reserve Battalion but care needs to be exercised when determining if a man's number belongs to this series or to the series that was issued from the regimental depot to men joining as career soldiers. For example, looking at the sequence above, it can be seen that the number 6000 would have been issued to a 3rd Bn man between September and October 1914. However, the same number would have been issued to a career soldier in the first quarter of 1899 and there were plenty of men who had enlisted as early as this who would still be liable to fight for King and Country in August 1914. See my article on regimental numbering in the 1st & 2nd Battalions of the Border Regiment.

And if all of this is still confusing, have a read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index.

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To search for Border Regiment photos, check my British Army Ancestors website. 

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) - Regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions 1908-1914

Having concentrated a lot in recent months on various Territorial Force battalions, I'm going to look at regimental numbering in Special Reserve and Extra Reserve battalions. As I have written before, the Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve were the natural heirs to militia battalions which, for the most part they replaced. My 2009 article on the Creation of the Special Reserve in 1908 may be helpful here.

As far as the Scottish Rifles was concerned, its new 3rd (Special Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) replaced the 3rd and 4th Militia Battalions and the new battalions just continued with the same regimental numbering systems that had been used by their militia predecessors.

Remember, the men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. They were men who had completed a period of training alongside career soldiers at the regimental depot but they then went back to their homes, turning out annually for drills and camp. Men of the Special Reserve signed up for six years' service and knew, in the event of war, that they would be called upon to fill gaps in the regular battalions. A glance at most 1914 Star rolls will show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve men who served alongside career soldiers. Sometimes their numbers are prefixed by the number of their battalion - typically a 3/ or 4/ in most line infantry regiments - but just as often there will be no prefix.

My summary below shows enlistment into the 3rd (Special Reserve) and 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). All of these men would have lived locally, within the recruiting area for the Cameronians. 

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, Scottish Rifles

3/6298 joined on 9th August 1908. This man had already been serving with the 3rd Militia Bn with this number.

3/6965 joined on 27th April 1909

3/7207 joined on 25th January 1910

3/7339 joined on 19th June 1911

3/7439 joined on 1st February 1912

3/7639 joined on 3rd December 1913

3/7753 joined on 11th August 1914

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Scottish Rifles

6510 joined on 9th August 1908

6740 joined on 14th February 1909

6979 joined on 12th April 1910

7052 joined on 16th October 1911

7077 joined on 10th January 1912

7094 joined on 6th March 1913

7234 joined on 17th February 1914

7453 joined on 11th August 1914

You can see from the sequences above that there was very little difference between the 3rd and 4th Battalions in terms of when numbers were issued. By the 11th August 1914 the 3rd Battalion had has 7753 men through its books, whilst the 4th Battalion had recruited precisely 300 fewer men. But the regimental number sequences were unique to both battalions and it is important to understand this.

Practically, this means that when looking at medal rolls and trying to work out enlistment dates, if your man had the number 7000 he could have been a 3rd Battalion man who joined between April 1909 and January 1910 or a 4th Battalion man who had joined between April 1910 and October 1911. On the other hand, he could have been a career soldier who had joined between February 1900 and May 1901. (See my post on the 1st & 2nd Battalions, Scottish Rifles).

And if all of this is still confusing, have a read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index.

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To search for Scottish Rifles photos, check my British Army Ancestors website. The image shows men of the 1st Cameronians at Portsmouth in 1894 and is reproduced by courtesy of the Cameronians Museum.

Highland Light Infantry - 9th (Glasgow Highland) Bn - 1908-1914

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 9th (Glasgow Highland) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry between 1908 and 1914.

The 9th Battalion, which had previously existed at the 5th (Glasgow Highland) Volunteer Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, was formed on the 1st April 1908. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 30 officers and 696 men. At the annual camp in 1908, 344 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 286 officers and men attended for 15 days. Private J Chisholm of D Company was the best shot of the battalion. 

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 31 officers and 1000 other ranks, a steady increase on the previous year, and in line with increases in other HLI Territorial Force Battalions. At the annual camp in 1909 438 officers and men attended for 8 days whilst 477 officers and men attended for 15 days. Serjeant J W Mathieson of A Company was the best shot of the battalion. Camp for 1910 was scheduled for Stirling from the 16th July.

The battalion was headquartered at 81 Greendyke Street, Glasgow and used the Drill Hall at Glasgow Green. There was a shooting range at Patterton, five miles from HQ. It too formed part of the Highland Light Infantry Brigade in the Lowland Division. 

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 9th (Glasgow Highland) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry.

457 joined on the 9th April 1908
815 joined on the 15th March 1909
1207 joined on the 23rd February 1910
1295 joined on the 16th January 1911
1457 joined on the 12th February 1912
1746 joined on the 7th April 1913
1949 joined on the 28th January 1914
2205 joined on the 6th August 1914

Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1568 he would have joined the battalion between February 1912 and April 1913.

The image that I have used for this post shows officers and men of the Highlnad Light Infantry on Laffans Plain. To search for photos of your Highland Light Infantry ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.

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Highland Light Infantry - 7th (Blythswood) Bn - 1908-1914

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 7th (Blythswood) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry between 1908 and 1914.

The 7th Battalion, which had previously existed at the 3rd (Blythswood) Volunteer Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, was formed on the 1st April 1908. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 29 officers and 571 men. At the annual camp in 1908, 20 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 460 officers and men attended for 15 days. Serjeant J Humphreys was the best shot of the battalion. 

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 31 officers and 928 other ranks, a significant increase on the previous year, and in line with increases in the 5th and 6th Battalions. At the annual camp at Gailes in 1909 257 officers and men attended for 8 days whilst 572 officers and men attended for 15 days. Private Doctor of E Company was the best shot of the battalion. Camp for 1910 was scheduled for Stirling from the 16th July.

The battalion was headquartered at 69 Main Street, Bridgeton and had drill halls at its HQ and another at Glasgow Green. There was a shooting range at Dechmont, Cambuslang, seven miles by road from HQ, or five miles by rail. Like the 5th & 6th Battalions, the 7th Battalion’s eight companies drew men from the city of Glasgow. It too formed part of the Highland Light Infantry Brigade in the Lowland Division. 

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 7th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry.

29 joined on the 28th May 1908
637 joined on the 2nd March 1909
1201 joined on the 28th February 1910
1311 joined on the 20th February 1911
1391 joined on the 9th February 1912
1625 joined on the 18th April 1913
1714 joined on the 26th February 1914
2125 joined on the 7th August 1914

Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1234 he would have joined the battalion between February 1910 and February 1911.

The image that I have used for this post shows officers of the 3/7th Highland Light Infantry photographed in 1915. The photograph was published in The Tatler on the 15th December that year. To search for photos of your Highland Light Infantry ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.

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Highland Light Infantry - 6th (City of Glasgow) Bn - 1908-1914

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 6th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry between 1908 and 1914. 

The 6th Battalion, which had previously existed at the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, was formed on the 1st April 1908. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 23 officers and 562 men. At the annual camp in 1908, 135 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 366 officers and men attended for 15 days. Lance-Serjeant E Patience was the best shot of the battalion. 

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 21 officers and 974 men, a good increase on the previous year. At the annual camp in 1909 377 officers and men attended for 8 days whilst 553 officers and men attended for 15 days. Camp for 1910 was scheduled for Stirling from the 16th July.

The battalion was headquartered at 172 Yorkhill Street, Glasgow and had drill halls at its HQ and another at Westend Park. There was a shooting range at Dechmont, Cambuslang, nine miles from HQ. Like the 5th Battalion, the battalion’s eight companies drew men from the city of Glasgow. It too formed part of the Highland Light Infantry Brigade in the Lowland Division. 

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry.

425 joined on the 19th August 1908
603 joined on the 13th April 1909
1168 joined on the 3rd June 1910
1210 joined on the 2nd May 1911
1318 joined on the 6th May 1912
1469 joined on the 11th February 1913
1656 joined on the 27th January 1914
1839 joined on the 5th August 1914

Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1600 he would have joined the battalion between February 1913 and January 1914. 

The image that I have used for this post shows men of the Highland Light Infantry in camp. To search for photos of your Highland Light Infantry ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website. 

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Highland Light Infantry - 5th (City of Glasgow) Bn - 1908-1914

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 5th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry between 1908 and 1914. 

The 5th Battalion, which had previously existed at the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, was formed on the 1st April 1908. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 20 officers and 397 men. At the annual camp in 1908, 109 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 265 officers and men attended for 15 days. 

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 28 officers and 949 men, a significant increase on the previous year. At the annual camp 166 officers and men attended for 8 days whilst 701 officers and men attended for 15 days. Camp for 1910 was scheduled for Stirling from the 16th July.

The battalion was headquartered at 24 Hill Street, Garnethill, Glasgow and its eight companies drew men from the city of Glasgow. The battalion formed part of the Highland Light Infantry Brigade in the Lowland Division. 

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 5th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry.

53 joined on the 3rd April 1908
432 joined on the 1st February 1909
1083 joined on the 11th March 1910
1187 joined on the 25th January 1911
1340 joined on the 8th May 1912
1377 joined on the 3rd February 1913
1591 joined on the 15th March 1914
1637 joined on the 4th August 1914

Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and August 1914. For example if your man's number was 1200 he would have joined the battalion between January 1911 and May 1912. 

The image that I have borrowed for this post shows pipers of the Highland Light Infantry ‘in the park on the march’. To search for photos of your Highland Light Infantry ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.

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