Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) - 8th Battalion (TF) - 1908-1914

The 8th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was formed on the 1st April 1908 and prior to this had been the 4th Volunteer Battalion, Scottish Rifles. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 25 officers and 584 men. Sergeant J Miller was the best shot of the unit. 112 men attended camp in 1908 for 8 days, 33 men attended for between 9 and 14 days, and an impressive total of 408 men attended for 15 days.

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength had increased to 25 officers and 938 men and at the annual camp in 1909, 223 officers and men had attended for eight days whilst 655 officers and men had attended for 15 days. Private W J Clark of A Company was the best shot of the unit. Camp in 1910 was scheduled from the 16th July at Denny.

The battalion was headquartered at 149 Cathedral Street, Glasgow and, in common with the 5th and 7th Battalions was administered by the City of Glasgow County Association, drawing all of its recruits from Glasgow. It also formed part of the Scottish Rifle Brigade in the Lowland Division.

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the the 8th Battalion (TF), The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The battalion did not start a new regimental number series from 1 on the 1st April 1908, but rather continued with the number series that had been in use for the 4th Volunteer Battalion. There is a wealth of surviving service records for men of this battalion who joined in April 1908, many of these numbers in the 4000s and lower. These are all men who joined from the 4th VB, bringing their old VB numbers with them.

7366 (formerly 4th VB) joined on the 6th April 1908
8145 joined on the 13th February 1909

8604 joined on the 31st January 1910

8733 joined on the 13th March 1911
8852 joined on the 22nd April 1912
9157 joined on the 27th February 1914

9403 joined on the 5th August 1914

9638 joined on the 29th September 1914

By December 1914 the battalion reached number 9999 and started a new number series from 1.

Use the regimental numbers above to estimate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and September 1914. For example if your man's number was 9500 he would have joined the battalion between  August and September 1914. 

The photo shows a regular soldier of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) when he was stationed in India.

1st and 2nd Battalions, Cameronian, Scottish Rifles

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion

5th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

6th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

7th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

 

Battalion history, With the 8th Scottish Rifles 1914-1919, available from Naval & Military Press.

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To search for photos of your Scottish Rifles ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.

West Yorkshire Regiment - 8th (Leeds Rifles) Bn (TF)

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 8th Battalion (Leeds Rifles), The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) between 1908 and 1914. 

Both the 7th and the 8th Battalions, formed in April 1908, were derived from the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment and both were headquartered at Carlton Barracks, Leeds; both drawing their men from Leeds. At the time when Britain went to war with Germany in August 1914, both battalions formed part of the 1st West Riding Infantry Brigade in the West Riding Division. 

Both the 7th and the 8th Battalions operated independent regimental number series and the numbers and dates below are taken from surviving service and pension records of men who signed up with the 8th Battalion: 

274 joined on the 21st May 1908 

560 joined on the 20th January 1909

1053 joined on the 3rd January 1910 

1200 joined on the 9th January 1911 

1255 joined on the 24th January 1912 

1519 joined on the 28th April 1913 

1769 joined on the 11th June 1914 

1930 joined on the 7th August 1914 

A reserve or ‘second-line’ battalion was formed at Leeds on the 14th September 1914, the original 8th Battalion now becoming the 1/8th Battalion and the new reserve battalion becoming the 2/8th Battalion. Although the battalion had been formed to take in men surplus to establishment and then to provide drafts for the 1/8th Battalion, the 2/8th eventually served overseas in its own right from January 1917, serving alongside the 2/7th. Meanwhile, a 3/7th Battalion had been formed at Leeds in March 1915 but never served overseas.  All three battalions - the 1/7th, 2/7th, 3/7th - issued numbers from the same regimental number series and from 1917 reissued numbers to serving soldiers and to new recruits from a new numbers' series which began at 305001 and extended to 330000. 

Use the regimental numbers above, which were issued sequentially, to estimate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and August 1914. 

I have borrowed the photo on this post from the Leaves from a Leeds Album blog. It shows Arthur Shoesmith, formerly of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, who later served with the 8th Battalion (regimental number 12) and ended the war as a company sergeant major.

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To search for photos of your West Yorkshire Regiment ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.

Sherwood Foresters - 8th Bn (TF)

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 8th (Territorial Force) Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment) between 1908 and 1914. The 7th and the 8th Battalions of this regiment were administered by the Nottinghamshire County Association whereas the 5th and 6th Battalions were administered by the Derbyshire County Association.

Until the 1st April 1908, the 8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters had been the 4th Nottinghamshire. By August 1914 it was headquartered at Newark, its eight companies drawing men from the following areas: 

A Company: Retford, with a drill station at Ollerton

B Company: Newark

C Company: Sutton-in-Ashfield

D Company: Mansfield

E Company: Carlton, with drill stations at Burton Joyce and Bingham

F Company: Arnold, with drill stations at Basford, Eastwood, Daybrook and Hucknall

G Company: Worksop, with a drill station at Shireoaks

H Company: Southwell with drill stations at Calverton and Farnsfield

By August 1914 the battalion formed part of the Notts & Derby Infantry Brigade in the North Midland Division. 

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the the 8th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters.

301 joined on the 1st April 1908 

952 joined on the 22nd August 1910 

1091 joined on the 25th March 1911 

1417 joined on the 19th March 1912 

1822 joined on the 19th May 1913 

1970 joined on the 17th March 1914 

2088 joined on the 9th August 1914 

A reserve or ‘second-line’ battalion was formed at Newark on the 11th September 1914, the original 8th Battalion now becoming the 1/8th Battalion and the new reserve battalion becoming the 2/8th Battalion. A 3/8th Battalion would be formed at Newark on the 26th February 1915. The 2/8th Battalion would serve overseas from February 1917 but the 3/8th never did so, becoming the 8th Reserve Battalion in April 1916 and ultimately being absorbed by the 7th Reserve Battalion. 

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 1500 and lived in Mansfield, he would have joined in 1912 and probably served with D Company which was the Mansfield company. 

The photo I have used on this post shows officers of the 8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters and was published in The Tatler on the 13th January 1915.

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To search for photos of your Sherwood Foresters ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.

Middlesex Regiment - 8th Bn (TF)

In this post I will be looking at regimental numbering in the 8th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment between 1908 and 1914. Use the information below to estimate when your ancestor joined this particular battalion. Note that all Territorial Force battalions had their own unique number series (and for that matter, some operated more than one number series). The Middlesex Regiment had four regular battalions, one special reserve battalion, one extra reserve battalion and four Territorial Force battalions. So if your ancestor served in the 7th Battalion, 9th Battalion or 10th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, you'll need to follow those links instead. Check the site index for a list of all regimental number sequences published to date.

The 8th Middlesex Regiment was headquartered at 202a Hanworth Road, Hounslow and its eight companies drew men from the following locations:

A Company: Twickenham; B Company: Brentford; C Company: Hounslow; D Company: Southall; E Company: Uxbridge; F Company: Ealing; G Company: Hampton; H Company: Staines. The battalion was part of the Middlesex Infantry Brigade in the Home Counties Division.

Here are some sample regimental numbers for the 8th Middlesex Regiment. These were issued sequentially, beginning at No 1 on the 1st April 1908. The vast majority of early recruits would have been men who were serving with the 2nd Volunteer Battalion.

320 joined on the 4th April 1908
693 joined on the 22nd February 1909
1089 joined on the 28th February 1910
1203 joined on the 11th January 1911
1698 joined on the 20th May 1912
2042 joined on the 1st May 1913
2356 joined on the 11th March 1914
2536 joined on the 1st September 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 1200 and came from Staines, he probably joined in January 1911 and would have probably served in H Company which was the Staines company. 

The photo on this post shows officers of the 8th Battalion and was originally published in The Tatler on the 8th February 1916.

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To search for photos of your Middlesex Regiment ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.

Durham Light Infantry - 8th Bn (TF)

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 8th (Territorial Force) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry between 1908 and 1914. Use the information below to estimate when your ancestor joined this particular battalion. Note that all Territorial Force battalions had their own unique number series (and for that matter, some operated more than one number series). So if your ancestor served in the 6th Battalion or the 7th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, you'll need to follow those links instead. Check the site index for a list of all number sequences published to date.

The 8th Durham Light Infantry was headquartered at Gilesgate, Durham and its eight companies drew men from the following locations:

A Company: Gilesgate, with drill stations at Sherburn Hill, Brandoin and Sacriston; B Company: Gilesgate; C Company: Chester-le-Street; D Company: Birtley; E Company: Beamish with a drill station at Burnhope; F Company: Stanley; G Company: Houghton-le-Spring, with drill stations at Pittington and Washington; H Company: Hamsteels, with drill stations at Langley Park & Sleetburn. The battalion was part of the Durham Light Infantry Brigade in the Northumbrian Division.

Here are some sample regimental numbers for the 8th Durham Light Infantry. These were issued sequentially, beginning at No 1 on the 1st April 1908. The vast majority of early recruits would have been men who were serving with the 4th Volunteer Battalion.

49 joined on the 1st April 1908
984 joined on the 17th March 1909
1341 joined on the 24th February 1910
1615 joined on the 27th January 1911
1815 joined on the 2nd April 1912
2018 joined on the 24th February 1913
2449 joined on the 24th March 1914
2611 joined on the 4th September 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 1500 and came from Pittington, he would have joined in 1912 and would have probably served in G Company. 

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To search for photos of your Durham Light Infantry ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.