Naming the 1st York & Lancs

Here's an interesting diversion to while away a few hours on a snowy Friday afternoon. The photograph above was published in The Navy & Army Illustrated on the 15th April 1899. The article read:

"By the recent sad death of a recruit of the Scots Guards, who died while on parade at Windsor... much attention has been directed to the question as to whether, by the enlistment of "specials", men of deteriorated physique, are not unlikely to be accepted as recruits. That, however, the standard is on the whole high is shown by the accompanying group, who are not picked men, but simply the last joined draft of recruits that came to the 1st Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment as recently as February 21 last. With but one exception, these men had been then only twelve weeks in the Service.."

Given that there is so much information contained within that short paragraph I thought it might be possible to identify some of the men and so set about finding out.

There are 31 men in the photograph and a look through surviving service records shows that the majority of the men with the regimental numbers 5247 to 5275 joined the 1st Battalion from the regimental depot on the 22nd (not the 21st) February 1899. These men had originally joined the regiment between the 3rd October and the 5th November 1898 which means that the longest serving recruit when this photo was published would have been with the regiment for close to six and a half months.

The majority of British infantry of the line regiments had two battalions, one serving at home and one serving overseas. When the new recruit had successfully gone through his paces at the regimental depot, he was posted to the home battalion. These postings happened eight times a year and all men posted as part of a detachment were enrolled in the same company of the home battalion to continue their training. With eight companies per battalion, this system ensured that new recruits were evenly spread throughout the battalion and that each company could expect a fresh intake of new recruits each year. 

Postings from the regimental depot to the home battalion were supposed to take place on specific dates and the 21st February was one of those dates, albeit the date on the men's service records below is the 22nd February; a Wednesday.

The majority of the men who appear in the photo above are listed below. Most enlisted for 7&5 (seven years with the colours and five years on the reserve), but there are also men who enlisted for 3&9, and two boys who enlisted for 12 years' service with no reserve obligation. The men had differing careers, many going on to serve in the Boer War, and some in the First World War. At least three men died during 1914-1918 and at least two men served 21 years. My research into these men has been basic and ends here. My mission has been to provide names for the faces and I think I've done that. If anyone is able to positively match up a name to a particular face, that would be the icing on the cake.  Anyway, here are the names, and I've included men in this list who joined the 1st Battalion before and after the 22nd February 1899.

5240 William Else

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 28th Sep 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 1st Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 8th Jan 1899

5241 Edward Longhorn

Enlisted for 12 years, long service. Attested as a boy on the 16th September 1898 and joined the regiment on the 19th September 1898.

5242 F Clarke

5243 Walter Sargeant.

From Essex. Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 24th Sep 1898. Transfer date to 1st Bn not noted. Later a Section D Reservist and DoW at 4th London General Hospital on 3rd June 1915.

5244 Alfred Butcher

From Essex. Enlisted for 7&5. Posted to 1st Battalion on the 22nd November 1899.

5246 Patrick Keys

Enlisted for 3&9.  Attested 28tth Sep 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 2nd Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 8th Jan 1899.

5247 William Moore

Enlisted for 3&9.  Attested 3rd Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 5th Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899.  Discharged medically unfit, date unknown.

5248 Frederick Ellis

5249 Henry R Davies

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 6th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 8th Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899.

5250 B Jackson. Served during the Boer War.

5251 T Gowland. Served during the Boer War.

5252 John Watson

Enlisted for 12 years, long service. Attested as a boy on the 3rd October 1898 and joined the depot at Pontefract on the 7th October 1898.

5253 Frederick Pickles

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 10th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 11th Oct 1898. Discharged on payment of £10 on 31st Dec 1898.

5254 Roger Sanson. Attested 8th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 11th Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899.  Served 20 years and 193 days earning campaign medals for the Boer war and First World War.

5255 Tom Barker

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 13th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 14th Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899. Served a total of 21 years and 31 days, earning medals for the Boer War and First World War.

5256 Sandford Winter

Enlisted for 3&9. Attested 14th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 16th Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899. Discharged 13th Oct 1910.

5257 William Cawson

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 14th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 16th Oct 1898. Died of wounds in England on 15th May 1915.

5258 William Layte

Originally enlisted with Norfolk Regt on the 3rd December 1895. Transferred to Y&L on 30th September 1898. Discharged medically unfit on the 7th January 1902.

5259 Charles Beecroft

Enlisted for 3&9. Attested 10th Oct 1898, joined at York on the 10th Oct 1898. Date of posting to 1st Battalion unknown.

5260 Frederick Stevens.

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 10th Oct 1898, joined at York on the 10th Oct 1898. Date of posting to 1st Battalion unknown.

5261 Ernest Abbott

Attested 17th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 18th Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899. Served Boer War and later 2nd Bn in India fro

m 28th Mar 1902 until 9th Nov 1906. To army reserve on 13th Nov 1906. Discharged 16th Oct 1910.

5262 E Jenkinson

5263 William Hickey

Attested 17th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 18th Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899. Served Boer War and later 1st Bn in UK until 6th Nov 1902 when transferred to the army reserve.  Later enlisted as a Section D Reservist and still on the reserve when Britain went to war in August 1914.

5263 Unidentified

5264 John Ramsbottom

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 19th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 19th Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 8th April 1899. Served in the Boer war. To 2nd Battalion on the 28th March 1902. Granted first good conduct badge on the 5th May 1902. To 1st Battalion on the 20th Nov 1902. Later re-engaged to complete 21 years with the colours. Missing 8th May 1915 and later presumed to have been KiA on this date. Commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, aged 37.

5265 Ernest Smith

Enlisted for 3&9.  Attested 19th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 21st Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd February 1899. Discharged 1st October 1909. Served during the Boer War.

5266 Patrick Regan

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 20th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 21st Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd February 1899.

5267 William Walters

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 20th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 21st Oct 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd February 1899. Discharged 19th October 1910. Served during the Boer War.

5268 John Slinn

5269 Unidentified

5270 Unidentified

5271 Unidentified

5272 James Mitchell Wiseman

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 29th Oct 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 1st Nov 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899. Discharged 27th October 1910. Served during the Boer War.

5273 Edward Dickenson

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 2nd Nov 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 3rd Nov 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899.

5275 Thomas Stocks

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 4th Nov 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 5th Nov 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 22nd Feb 1899.

5276 Joseph Cousins

Enlisted for 3&9. Attested 9th Nov 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 10th Nov 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 8th April 1899.

5277 Richard Turner.

Enlisted for 3&9. Attested 8th Nov 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 10th Nov 1898. Discharged 14th November 1898 having made a "mis-statement as to age".

5278 Fred Thwaites

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 7th Nov 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 10th Nov 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 8th April 1899.

5280 George Coe

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 11th Nov 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 13th Nov 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 8th April 1899. Later enlisted as a Section D Reservist (15th March 1911) and still on the reserve when Britain went to war in August 1914.

5289 Herbert Buckley

Enlisted for 7&5. Attested 24th Nov 1898, to depot at Pontefract on the 25th Nov 1898. To 1st Battalion on the 24th May 1899.

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Royal Welsh Fusiliers - Boer War memorial - St Giles, Wrexham

 

I was in Wrexham not so long ago, and took the opportunity to stop by at St Giles Church. I'm glad I did so as there is a wealth of memorials to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers (the old 23rd Foot) inside. Typically, in churches these days, many of the memorials are now half hidden or obscured, but there is a rather splendid memorial to those men who died during the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 and the China campaign of 1900. In fact it is so good that I borrowed a step-ladder in order to photograph it head on rather than at an oblique angle. A very helpful church warden steadied the ladder for me at the bottom.

Where possible I have added the men's regimental numbers to their names and I will come to the numbering later.

1st Battalion

5515 Private P J Abbott
3949 Private W G Albach
3420 Private J Alsop
2802 Private A Andrews
3138 Private W Aston
5499 Private E L Averall
3663 Private T H Ballard
1104 Private S Barnes
5743 Private F Barnett
6152 Private F Bates
5687 Private C Baynham
5528 Private R Birkett
4149 Private G Brien
5814 Private E Broad
5543 Private A Burgess
6272 Private J T Cain
4070 Lance Corporal T J Chidley
3628 Private H Cliff
4200 Sergeant T J Cockram
4312 Private W Cowlard
2349 Private G Cox
2831 Private William Croucher
2527 Private A Davies
2753 Private J Davies
5980 Private J Davies
5767 Private S A T Davies
5696 Private T Davies
2901 Private W Davis
6274 Private A Dawes
4624 Private J Dixon
3652 Private W H Dodd
3331 Private J Edwards
5847 Drummer P Edwards
5834 Private E Evans
5787 Private E S Evans
2862 Corporal J Evans
3796 Private P Fallon
Second Lieutenant J C Farmer
5429 Private R Fitzpatrick
2957 Lance Corporal H M Garrett
5332 Private M Gelshon
6446 Private J Glover
862 Private J J Godfrey
6330 Private T W Gooding
2657 Sergeant J W Graham
6055 Private J Green
2898 Sergeant J H Hatton
5979 Private W G Hawkins
6140 Private A Highfield
6270 Private A C Hinks
5484 Private G Horne
5213 Corporal J Hosey
3313 Private M Huggins
5631 Private G Hughes
3355 Private J Hussey
5892 Private W J Jacobs
3455 Private D James
2402 Private C Jenkins
5527 Private W Jephcote
3611 Private C Jones
1232 Private G Jones
Private G L Jones
3288 Private J Jones
3826 Private R Jones
5910 Private W Jones
5349 Private W Jones
Private W Jones
2518 Private R G Joyce
971 Private S Leadbetter
5384 Private F Ledbrook
2625 Private J Lloyd
5646 Private J J Lloyd
6015 Private J Lockett
 Captain Richard Gordon Beresford Lovett
5220 Private A Lucas
2850 Lance Corporal F Maurice
3344 Lance Corporal P Miller
3387 Private G Morgan
5843 Private T J Morgan
3049 Lance Corporal A J Morris
6473 Private E L Morris
2778 Private W A Morris
821 Private F W Mott
5827 Private M Murphy
2361 Private B Murray
5900 Private J Parry
5830 Private C Payne
2316 Private W Perry
5721 Private S Pike
5953 Private J Plant
Private E J Pooltan
6495 Private H Purslow
4790 Sergeant J Rawle
1028 Private A Riley
2728 Private E Roberts
2600 Private P Roberts
5707 Private R J Roberts
Lieutenant G E S Salt
4104 Private W Saunders
6121 Private W Savage
1994 Private J Scott
5821 Private J Shipley
5463 Private C Smith
3050 Private G H Smith
2507 Private J Smith
2632 Private J Smith
Private J J S Smith
5403 Private W C Smith
3096 Private J Starkey
Lieutenant F A Stebbing
5764 Private T Stevens
4243 Private G Stroud
3539 Corporal B Sullivan
2987 Private P Thomas
5729 Private T Thomas
3824 Private W Thomas
5360 Private J J Thompson
5295 Private A Thomson
Lt-Col C C H Thorold
5156 Lance Corporal E Underwood
5854 Private E Vipond
5621 Private A Whiteside
5746 Private G Wilkinson
5751 Private L Williams
5584 Private O Williams
5538 Private W Williams
3145 Private W Williams
Second Lieutenant J R Williams-Ellis

2nd Battalion

It was the 2nd Battalion which took part in the operations in China and all of these men died there.

Private J Barker
Private J Bartram
Private A Burgoyne
Private J Cook
Private J Corben
Private W Crew
Private T Davies
Private H Dunbar
Private A Fisher
Private R Griffith
Sergeant G Hammerton
Private T Hanlon
Private C Heaton
Private W W Huddleston
Corporal B Hughes
Private T C Hughes
Private J Jones
Private P Jones
Private R Jones
Private R Jones
Colour Sergeant R Kirby
Private M Mansfield
Private G Martin
Private T Morgan
Private J Newberry
Private H Paddon
Private C Porter
Private J Porter
Private F Power
Private J Robinson
Private H W Scott
Private J Sheppard
Private W Smith
Private W Sweeney
Private J Thomas
Private J Thomas
Private J Thomlinson
Private W Wilkinson
Private C Wogan

These men all served with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion in South Africa

Lieutenant R W Bate
1379 Private N Cummings
2883 Private H Davies
1806 Company Quartermaster
Sergeant W Denton Private J Dunbar
2269 Private W Edwards
2084 Private J Foley
Private E L Jones
2750 Private W Jones
1760 Private M Kelly
Private G Reilly
1296 Private T Roberts
2223 Private L Rowlands
2344 Private C Thomas
2051 Private D O Watkins
Private E Williams
2096 Private W Williams

These men all served with the 4th (Militia) Battalion in South Africa

1787 Private W Evans
1812 Private J Gelder
Private J I Jones
2554 Private W Kelly
2823 Private T Mailen
1621 Private J Nolan
Private F Taylor
Private H Thomas
Private W H Williams

These men all served with the 1st Volunteer Service Company in South Africa

7376 Private H Brocklehurst
7384 Private A Holt
7464 Private J H Jones
7400 Private A Rogers
7402 Private G Stokes
7590 Private L A Wright

These men all served with the 2nd Volunteer Service Company in South Africa

7357 Private S Bailey
7496 Corporal P W Evans
7341 Private J Gallier
7471 Private T Jones
7554 Private T Lloyd
7373 Private H Parry
7347 Private N Roberts
7331 Private H Wynne

These men all served with the 3rd Volunteer Service Company in South Africa

7302 Private H Deverell
7417 Sergeant C Jones
 Private J Lewis
7522 Private H Roberts

Note the very obvious higher digit numbers for those men who served with the Volunteer Service Companies. I explained the reason behind this on another post all about Volunteer Service Companies in the Boer War. For the other men, the regulars in the 1st and 2nd Battalions all drew their numbers from a single number series. There are some very long-serving men listed here whose numbers date back to the early 1880s. The 3rd and 4th Battalions each had a separate numbering series. and again, the difference between these number series and the series issued to the men of the regular battalions and the VSCs is very evident. I have to say, that it is also entirely coincidental.

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons - Boer War transfers

Here's an interesting little diversion. When the Army Reserve was called out in 1899 in response to the crisis in South Africa, the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons were under strength. Other Corps of Dragoons regiments however, appear to have had men to spare. The result? Some men recalled from the 1st (Royal) Dragoons, 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) and 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards, were transferred into the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons upon their recall. Furthermore, there was nothing ad hoc about it. An examination of the regimental numbers shows that this was a well-planned out exercise.

6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons men with numbers in the range 5001 to 5178 are almost all recalled reservists. I say "almost all" because, just to make things awkward, 5004 certainly enlisted in April 1903. However, for the most part, all of these men were specially numbered out of sequence in late 1899 and early 1900. Their entries on the QSA and KSA medal rolls stand out like sore thumbs, and furthermore, there is a pre-planned and logical method in this re-numbering. There are some anomalies, to be sure - note, for instance that Karl and Roughan are oddities in the first, and otherwise alphabetical listing, below. Such is the British Army: exceptions to most rules.

The list which follows is taken from the QSA roll to the 6th Dragoons. Those men with annotated comments after their names have surviving papers in WO 97.

Numbers 5001 to 5052 were issued to men who had formerly served with the 1st Dragoons:

5001 Private Walter James Agland. Formerly 3130 1st Dns
5002 Private Harry Leonard Ashton. Formerly 3213 1st Dns
5003 Private W Baldwin
5005 Private W Cheeseman
5006 Corporal H Karl. QSA roll notes "deceased"
5006 Private T Creswell
5007 Private Harry Christensen. Formerly 3079 1st Dns
5008 Private J Campbell
5009 Private W Clarke
5010 Private J Capel
5011 Private Oswald Stephen Roughan. Also 10057 Royal Artillery
5012 Private C Dundrow
5013 Private P Devine
5015 Private T Dixon
5017 Private W Edmunds
5018 Private George William Evans. Formerly 3328 1st Dns (formerly 3371 3rd DG)
5019 Private W Edwards
5020 Private Charles Henry Edsall. Formerly 3040 1st Dns
5021 Private C E Evans
5023 Private George Freebury. Formerly 3142 1st Dns
5024 Private G Fenton
5025 Private R Fenwick
5026 Private Frederick Garrard. Formerly 3298 1st Dns
5027 Corporal G Groombridge
5028 Private G Gorett
5029 Private James Grattage. Formerly 3155 1st Dns
5030 Corporal Charles Grattage
5031 Private A Geal
5032 Private Luke Graham. Formerly 3121 1st Dns
5033 Private J Garlick
5034 Private P Glen
5035 Private Albert Edward Horne. Formerly 3300 1st Dns
5036 Sergeant D Hartland
5037 Corporal W Smith
5038 Private T H Smith
5039 Private William Alfred Stacey. Formerly 3135 1st Dns
5040 Private James Sweeney. Formerly 3137 1st Dns
5041 Private A Spratley
5042 Private A Shead
5043 Private T Williams
5044 Private Samuel Wagland. Formerly 3139 1st Dns
5045 Sergeant Charles Robert Sidney Milnes. Formerly 3222 1st Dns
5046 Private J Mustart
5047 Corporal Shoeing Smith Henry Taylor Parmenter. Formerly 3233 1st Dns
5048 Private Ernest Henry Herbert Jackson. Formerly 3234 1st Dns
5049 Private J Lawrence
5050 Private James King. Formerly 3138 1st Dns
5051 Private W Leedham
5052 Private Henry King. Formerly 3033 1st Dns

Numbers 5053 to 5063 were issued to former 2nd Dragoons men:

5053 Private Arthur Johnson. Formerly 3090 2nd Dns
5054 Corporal Albert Jenner. Formerly 3161 2nd Dns
5055 Private J Mathews
5057 Private J Kaberry
5058 Private C Brown
5059 Private Peter Dick. Formerly 3048 2nd Dns
5060 Private J Dalziel
5061 Private J Chapman
5062 Private George Louis Holder. Formerly 3135 2nd Dns
5063 Corporal Robert Raphael Birnie. Formerly 3031 2nd Dns

Numbers 5064 to at least 5156 were issued to former 4th Dragoon Guards men:

5064 Private Alfred Andrew. Formerly 3891 4th DG
5065 Sergeant Abberthue George Alliston. Formerly 3801 4th DG
5066 Private M Butler
5067 Private Albert Edward Broughton. Formerly 3823 4th DG
5068 Private William Bogle. Formerly 3785 4th DG
5069 Private H Beardswood
5070 Private J Manning
5070 Private W Jeffries QSA roll notes "deceased"
5071 Private Charles Curry. Formerly 3979 4th DG
5072 Private W W Felstead
5073 Lance-Corporal William Coleman. Formerly 3884 4th DG
5074 Private Thomas Crouch. Formerly 3848 4th DG
5075 Private Harry Clarke. Formerly 3849 4th DG
5076 Corporal George Cheek. Formerly 3852 4th DG
5077 Private William Alexander Carson. Formerly 3864 4th DG
5078 Corporal William Needs. Formerly 3832 4th DG
5079 Private J Carmichael
5081 Private C Day
5082 Private R W Epps
5083 Corporal E Ellison
5084 Private A Eager
5085 Private C Foster
5086 Corporal Fred Flowers. Formerly 3887 4th DG
5086 Private John Fortune. Formerly 3813 4th DG
5087 Private E H Osborne
5089 Private Albert Gunn. Formerly 3781 4th DG
5090 Private P Gardener
5091 Corporal C Hawkesworth
5092 Private J Hanvil
5093 Private A Hamill
5094 Private F O Jefferies. Formerly 3877 4th DG
5095 Private E Jeater
5096 Private William Lyons. Formerly 3899 4th DG
5097 Private H Love
5098 Private E Murphy
5099 Lance-Corporal J McClintock
5100 Private J Reilly
5101 Private Charles Stanley George Ralph. Formerly 3857 4th DG
5102 Sgt Farrier T Starsmeare
5103 Private C Mitchell
5104 Private Edward Lawlor. Formerly 3866 4th DG
5105 Corporal E Perrin
5105 Private J Mitchell
5106 Private Arthur McCartney
5107 Private James Thomas O'Hare. Formerly 3755 4th DG
5108 Private T Byrne
5109 Private J Smith
5110 Private A Page
5111 Corporal T Smith
5112 Private F H Smith
5113 Private M Tustin
5114 Private Justin Lawrence William White. Formerly 3812 4th DG
5115 Shoeing-Smith George Edwin Peacock. Formerly 3587 4th DG
5116 Private J Polden
5117 Corporal E J Russell
5117 Private S Padgham
5118 Private C W Robinson
5119 Private Frederick Smith. Formerly 3476 4th DG
5120 Private S Spong
5121 Private E Tatam
5122 Private W Watkins
5123 Private C E Perry
5124 Private S Stott
5125 Corporal George James Spanswick. Formerly 3565 4th DG
5126 Private W E Wedlock
5126 Private John Shevlin Formerly. 3635 4th DG
5126 Private John Thompson. Formerly 3998 4th DG
5129 Private T Quinlan
5130 Private Charles Osborn. Formerly 3689 4th DG
5131 Private Thomas Paisley. Formerly 3634 4th DG
5132 Private John Quinn. Formerly 3771 4th DG
5133 Private E Reed
5134 Private W J Shaw
5135 Private W Slavin
5136 Private H Smith. (3696 Herbert Smith, formerly 4th DG is either 5136 or 5137)
5137 Private H Smith
5138 Private J Stevens
5139 Private F G Stinchcombe
5139 Lance-Sergeant Andrew Quinn. Formerly 3369 4th DG
5140 Private Ernest Taylor. Formerly 3350 4th DG
5141 Private Albert Turner. Formerly 3541 4th DG
5142 Private Harry Unsworth. Formerly 3185 4th DG
5143 Corporal William Horace Ward. Formerly 3504 4th DG
5144 Private J Wickins
5145 Private Harry Windebank. Formerly 3558 4th DG
5146 Private M Whittle
5147 Private M Saunders
5148 Private Thomas Ward. Formerly 3532 4th DG
5149 Private John Williams. Formerly 3503 4th DG
5151 Private Herbert Charles Turley. Formerly 3816 4th DG
5152 Private Malcolm Rainey. Formerly 3669 4th DG
5153 Private Henry Smith. Formerly 3787 4th DG
5154 Private Frank Price. Formerly 3472 4th DG
5156 Lance-Corporal Alfred Edward Trinder. Formerly 3902 4th DG

Numbers 5157 (possibly) to 5178 were issued to former 4th Dragoon Guards men who had completed their time on Section B Army Reserve and had re-enlisted for Section D Army Reserve. This is entirely right and proper as the regulations stated that Section D men were to be recalled after Section B men.

5157 Private A Thompson
5160 Private J Willoughby
5161 Private C C Smith
5162 Private J Clemo
5163 Private Patrick Doyle. Formerly 3185 4th DG, Section D Reservist
5164 Lance-Corporal Robert Ives. Formerly 3270 4th DG, Section D Reservist
5165 Private Henry Rose. Formerly 3313 4th DG, Section D Reservist
5166 Private W Ritchie
5167 Private T Buckley
5170 Private Harry Haimer. Formerly 3169 4th DG, Section D Reservist
5178 Private T Wilson

Another interesting to point to note is that on none of the surviving papers that I came across are the men's new 6th Dragoons numbers written. It is clearly stated that they were recalled from the Army Reserve, but the new regimental number has not over-written their former regimental number.

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3rd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment - Boer War casualties

I photographed this memorial in St Mary's Church, Stafford a couple of months back. It's towards the back of the church in what seems, sadly, to have become a general dumping ground for cleaning products, stacks of chairs, fold-up tables and other bits and pieces.
 

The plaque records the names (and numbers) of men serving with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion who lost their lives in "South Africa or at Sea" between 1900 and 1902. Details as follows:

3240 Private J Critchlow
6015 Lance-Corporal H Coomer
5199 Private A Dabbs
2206 Private J Finn
3229 Private J Finney
5027 Private J Keenan
1726 Private E Kidd
4163 Private T Latham
5932 Private E Rayner
9792 Private G Robson
393 Private P Rodgers
5790 Private A Salt
1621 Private G Smith
5462 J E Thomas
3659 Drummer G Williams

If  nothing else, the memorial is a graphic illustration of the toll taken on the British Army by disease rather than Boer shot and shell.

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Naval & Military Press - Save 20% on ALL titles

OK, fill your boots. Here's the bi-annual Naval & Military Press sale: 20% off ALL stock for orders placed by 6pm on Monday 21st January 2013.  Click on the image above to go straight to the Naval & Military Press website.

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South Wales Borderers 1881-1914 - 1st and 2nd Battalions

The information contained this post has been compiled as a result of looking at service records in WO 97, WO 363 and WO 364. All of these series, joy of joys, are now online via subscription or pay per view. Clicking on the links will take you to these pay-sites. My online correspondent, Greenwich Pensioner (GP), has also contributed data for 1907-1908 and I am grateful to him for his research.

There are over 28,000 South Wales Borderers pensionand service records (for this regiment - and its antecedents) in various War Office series held at the National Archives. Clicking on the link will take you to the results on Findmypast but you will need a subscription or Pay-Per-View credits to actually view the records. Some of these records can also be viewed on-line on Ancestry although Findmypast has by far the most comprehensive service record collection.

Use the regimental numbers and dates on which these were issued, below, to determine parameters for when your own South Wales Borderers' ancestor would have joined up. Note though that these numbers are only for regular enlistments. Special Reserve and Territorial Force battalions operated completely separate regimental number sequences.

The South Wales Borderers was formed on the 1st July 1881 from the 24th (the 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot.

The newly formed regiment was established as the county regiment for Brecknockshire, Cardiganshire, Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnor and started numbering from 1 in 1881.

12 joined on 12th August 1881
263 joined on 29th June 1882
732 joined on 26th June 1883
985 joined on 8th January 1884
1433 joined on 7th April 1885
1725 joined on 21st January 1886
2169 joined on 5th April 1887
2355 joined on 16th February 1888
2621 joined on 26th April 1889
3237 joined on 28th April 1890
3598 joined on 13th January 1891
3910 joined on 22nd January 1892
4150 joined on 13th March 1893
4520 joined on 10th January 1894
4851 joined on 10th January 1895
5188 joined on 25th January 1896
5551 joined on 12th January 1897
5894 joined on 18th March 1898
6076 joined on 13th January 1899
6623 joined on 9th March 1900

The South Wales Borderers raised two complete volunteer service companies during the South African War and one volunteer service section comprising one officer and 31 men. Numbers were allocated as follows:

1st VSC: numbers within the ranges 6720 to 6738 and 7502 to 7612
2nd VSC: numbers within the range 7613 to 7727
3rd VSC: numbers 7731 to 7761

The 1st VSC departed home locations on 29th January 1900 and by May that year had joined the 2nd Battalion at Osfontein in South Africa. The 2nd VSC was mobilized at Brecon on the 15th February and arrived at Cape Town on the 16th April 1901.

6977 joined on 1st April 1901
7257 joined on 16th April 1902

7358 Thomas William Boon oined on 6th August 1902
7848 John Potter Booty oined on 29th December 1902
7868 joined on 8th January 1903

8313 Frederick Davies joined on 29th December 1903
8341 joined on 28th January 1904

8634 James Williams joined on 28th December 1904
8841 joined on 31st July 1905

9003 Albert Edward Webber joined on 30th December 1905
9246 joined on the 3rd July 1906

9488 Godfrey Charles Tomkins joined on 31st December1906

1907-1908

By 1905, the 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers was in Karachi and a number of drafts from the UK were sent to Karachi during the time frame 1907-8 (about 450 men in all). When it was time for the 1st to come back to the UK, and for the 2nd Battalion to deploy overseas to South Africa (Pretoria), around 250 men were transferred to the 2nd so that the new overseas battalion was well up to strength.

The majority of the following numbers and names from 1907 and 1908 are reproduced here thanks to research undertaken by GP.

9495 Thomas Thomas joined on 8th January 1907

9510 joined on 29th January 1907
9579 Alfred Walker joined on 11th July 1907
9605 Ernest Charles Andrew joined on 24th August 1907
9607 Morgan Hopkins joined on 21st August 1907
9610 Harry Jenkins joined on 26th August 1907
9613 Albert William Powell joined on 22nd August 1907
9614 John Carlton joined on 29th August 1907
9616 Noah Francis joined on 30th August 1907
9617 William Gabb joined on 29th August 1907
9621 William Gough joined on 4th September 1907
9624 Walter Nash joined on 2nd September 1907
9630 Bedwin Robert Watson joined on 3rd September 1907
9637 David Williams joined on 3rd September 1907
9641 Arthur Ernest Peacock joined on 5th September 1907
9642 William Storer joined on 5th September 1907
9643 Joseph Humphries joined on 6th September 1907
9644 Osborn James Hales joined on 4th September 1907
9645 Will F Manning joined on 4th September 1907
9648 Alfred Smith joined on 5th September 1907
9656 James Camplin joined on 7th September 1907
9664 William Pope joined on 9th September 1907
9669 Eugene McCarthy joined on 11th September 1907
9679 Alfred E Box joined on 11th September 1907
9680 Henry George Spencer joined on 12th September 1907
9683 Sidney Ernest Collins joined on 12th September 1907
9686 William Joseph Powell joined on 12th September 1907
9690 George Warner joined on 16th September 1907
9696 William Suggett joined on 16th September 1907
9700 Isaac Rees Evans joined on 18th September 1907
9704 Peter Blake joined on 19th September 1907
9715 Evan John Davies joined on 23rd September 1907
9720 Eric Leslie Bowyer joined on 23rd September 1907
9726 Edgar William Wall joined on 23rd September 1907
9729 Nathan John Goat joined on 24th September 1907
9739 Alfred Ernest Mayhew joined on 12th October 1907
9745 Alfred Gibbons joined on 19th October 1907
9746 Thomas Davies joined on 21st October 1907
9750 John Hudson joined on 22nd October 1907
9752 Francis John Court joined on 24th October 1907
9758 Joseph Jennings joined on 5th November 1907
9769 Thomas Jones joined on 22nd November 1907
9785 John Dillon joined on 30th December 1907

9789 Michael Reed joined on 31st December 1907
9790 Robert Carver joined on 4th January 1908
9791 William Ludwick joined on 4th January 1908
9805 Ernest Cruise joined on 17th January 1908
9818 Fred Round joined on 16th January 1908
9861 Ernest Reuben Loveridge joined on 29th April 1908
9908 Gerbert Cockeran joined on 20th July 1908
10226 James Joyce joined on 18th December 1908
10238 joined on 15th January 1909

10296 Arthur Richard Hall joined on 13th December 1909
10492 joined on the 12th August 1910

10586 Ernest Jones joined on 2nd January 1911
10648 joined on the 6th July 1911

10723 William David Price joined on 29th December 1911
10818 joined on 28th May 1912

10966 Charles Edward Powell joined on 11th December 1912
11041 joined on 5th May 1913

11103 Timothy Burke joined on 24th November 1913
11109 Cecil Jones joined on 14th January 1914
11115 joined on 5th February 1914

11213 Edward Timbury joined on 27th July 1914
11218 Hector Clapton joined on 7th August 1914

The First World War

When Britain went to war in August 1914 an attempt appears to have been made to differentiate between those men who were enlisting for war-time service only and those men who were enlisting during war-time, but under regular terms of enlistment.

By August 1914, The South Wales Borderers had three separate number series running: one for the two regular battalions, one for the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and one for the Territorial Brecknockshire Battalion. Quite a simple differentiation on the face of it, but the South Wales Borderers numbering is far from straightforward from August 1914 onwards.

Numbers prefixed with the number 3/ start appearing on attestation papers of men who were joining up for a career in the army. The 3/ appears to be a red herring, a way of differentiating perhaps, between war-time only enlistments and regular enlistments. However, the same prefix also appears – as it might be expected to do - on some 3rd Battalion numbers. Thus, for example 3/11283 joined up for seven years with the colours and three years on the reserve on the 2nd September 1914. However, the same number had already been issued to a man joining the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion in March 1913.

At the same time, some men who were joining up for war-time service only were issued with numbers from the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, even though their papers are clearly not those of Special Reservists but rather men signing up for active service for three years or duration.

In summary, and ignoring the 3/ prefix, it looks as though numbers up until around 12300 were held back for men who wanted to join the SWB as career soldiers whilst numbers higher than this were issued to war-time only recruits.

Recruitment rates 1881-1911

Between 1st July 1881 and 25th February 1891, The South Wales Borderers recruited 3,598 men, a good average of 375 men each year. Of the sixty-nine infantry regiments recruiting at this time, The South Wales Borderers was the seventeenth most successful infantry recruiter.

Recruitment in the 1890s dipped for the regiment and by April 1901 it was issuing number 6977 to its latest career soldier, an average recruitment rate of 330 men per annum and put the regiment in thirty-eighth place out of the sixty-nine infantry regiments recruiting at the time.

Recruitment in the regiment picked up in the first decade of the twentieth century and by July 1911 the regiment had issued number 10648 to its latest recruit; an above-average recruitment rate for the 1900s of 358 men.

1st Battalion stations 1881-1914

1881 Colchester
1883 Kilkenny
1885 Curragh
1887 Dublin
1889 Aldershot
1893 Egypt
1895 Gibraltar
1897 Chakratta
1903 Dalhousie
1905 Karachi
1909 Quetta
1910 Chatham
1913 Bordon
1914 France and Flanders (from August)

2nd Battalion stations 1881-1914

1881 Sheffield
1883 Mullingar (India)
1888 Cork
1891 Devonport
1892 Secunderabad
1897 Bellary
1899 Ahmednagar
1901 Subathu
1904 Quetta
1906 South Africa
1908 (Sep) - 1910 (Jan) Pembroke Dock
1910 (Jan) - 1912 (Oct) Pretoria
1912 (Oct) - 1914 (Sept) Tientsin, China

1914 Tsingtao / Hong Kong
1915 (Jan) UK

The photo on this blog is an anachronism and shows men of the 24th Regiment of Foot in 1879.  Image taken from Historik Orders.

I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.

Further reading:

The South Wales Borderers, 24th Foot 1689-1937

Historical records of the 24th Regiment (South Wales Borderers)

History of the South Wales Borderers 1914-1918

Dorsetshire Regiment 1881-1914 - 1st and 2nd Battalions

The Dorsetshire Regiment was formed on 1st July 1881; the 1st Battalion from the 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot, and the 2nd Battalion from the 54th (West Norfolk) Regiment of Foot.

There are over 28,000 Dorsetshire Regiment pension and service records (for this regiment - and its antecedents) in various War Office series held at the National Archives. Clicking on the link will take you to the results on Findmypast but you will need a subscription or Pay-Per-View credits to actually view the records. Some of these records can also be viewed on-line on Ancestry although Findmypast has by far the most comprehensive service record collection.

Use the regimental numbers and dates on which these were issued, below, to determine parameters for when your own Dorsetshire Regiment ancestor would have joined up. Note though that these numbers are only for regular enlistments. Special Reserve and Territorial Force battalions operated completely separate regimental number sequences.

The newly formed regiment was established as the county regiment for Dorsetshire and started numbering from 1 in 1881.

6 joined on 5th July 1881
262 joined on 6th February 1882
465 joined on 2nd March 1883
1089 joined on 13th June 1884
1555 joined on 11th April 1885
2306 joined on 28th December 1886
2320 joined on 10th January 1887
2681 joined on 1st June 1888
2792 joined on 7th January 1889
2998 joined on 13th January 1890
3162 joined on 6th January 1891
3446 joined on 13th June 1892
3693 joined on 22nd March 1893
4310 joined on 5th March 1894
4607 joined on 7th January 1895
4805 joined on 16th January 1896
5350 joined on 26th March 1897
5645 joined on 18th January 1898
5872 joined on 5th April 1899
6114 joined on 27th February 1900

The Dorsetshire Regiment fielded one volunteer service company during the South African War. It did not leave “… an interval of a clear thousand between the last number received by an ordinary recruit… and the first Volunteer number” but carried straight on from where regular numbering left off. Numbers 6020 to 6101 were all 1st VSC men who joined in January 1900, so too were the drafts numbered 7108 to 7126 who joined in 1901.  The 1st VSC sailed for South Africa aboard the SS Devon on 29th March 1900.

6367 joined on 9th September 1901
6422 joined on 17th January 1902
6674 joined on 4th March 1903
7142 joined on 11th February 1904
7533 joined on 25th January 1905
7990 joined on 18th July 1906
8280 joined on 30th January 1907
8440 joined on 3rd January 1908
8657 joined on 2nd January 1909
8915 joined on 5th April 1910
9094 joined on 27th February 1911
9318 joined on 17th January 1912
9500 joined on 6th January 1913
9784 joined on 9th June 1914
9828 joined on 5th August 1914

The First World War

When Britain went to war in August 1914, men joining the new service battalions were issued with numbers from the same series in use by the two regular battalions.

Recruitment rates 1881-1911

Between 1st July 1881 and 21st March 1891, The Dorsetshire Regiment recruited 3,162 men, a below average rate of 330 soldiers a year and one which placed the regiment in the fortieth position out of sixty-nine infantry recruiting regiments. Nevertheless, it was to be the regiment’s most successful recruiting period.

Recruitment in the 1890s tailed off considerably, the regiment adding just over 3,205 men between January 1891 and September 1901; or a rate of 300 men per annum for the decade. It would be a similar picture in the next decade too.

Between September 1901 and February 1911, the regiment added a further 2,727 men to its ranks, an average of 290 men per year for the decade. From being 38th in the 1880s, the regiment fell to sixty-first position in the 1890s, climbing one position to sixtieth in the first ten years of the 1900s.

In total, between 1st July 1881 and 27th February 1911, The Dorsetshire Regiment recruited 9,094 men, well below the national average (355) at just 307 men a year.

1st Battalion stations 1881-1914

1881 Bengal
1882 Chatham
1885 Malta
1886 England
1888 Malta
1889 Egypt
1893 Meean Meer
1895 Bangalore
1897 Tirah
1898 Nowshera
1902 Feroxepore
1906 Gosport
1909 Farnborough
1911 Blackdown
1913 Belfast
1914 France and Flanders (from August)

2nd Battalion stations 1881-1914

1881 Cherat
1885 Aden
1887 Malta
1888 Portsmouth
1891 Plymouth
1893 Enniskillen
1898 Crete
1899 Malta
1899 South Africa
1902 Portland
1904 Colchester
1906 Madras
1910 Poona
1914 Mesopotamia (from November)

I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective military history research service. Follow the link for more information.