Royal Munster Fusiliers - Regular, Special & Extra Reserve enlistments

Having recently posted three separate posts on regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion and 5th (Extra Reserve Battalion) of the Royal Munster Fusiliers (RMF), I thought it would be helpful to illustrate the problems we face when trying to work out when our RMF ancestor joined the regiment - and which battalion he joined.

Between 1908 and 1914, men joining the 1st and 2nd Battalions would have been issued with numbers in the approximate range 8700 to 10320. For men joining the 3rd Battalion, the number range was approximately 3000 to 4500, for the 4th Battalion it was 4000 to 7300 and for the 5th Battalion it was 5300 to 6100. I stress that these number ranges are approximate.

So if you know your RMF ancestor earned the 1914 Star and had the regimental number 4300, he could have originally joined the 3rd or 4th Battalion. For that matter, it's also possible that he was an older soldier who had originally joined the 5th (Militia) Battalion pre-1908. If he was in fact a career soldier, he would have had to have joined the RMF in 1893. 

Take a look at the 1914 Star medal roll extract on this post. The 3rd Battalion only reached the 5100s by December 1914. For the 4th Battalion, they reached the 7600s, and the 5th Battalion was in the 6600s. This means that a man with a number higher than 7700 must have been a career soldier and must have originally served with the 1st or 2nd Battalion.

Ten of the 12 men on this extract must therefore have been career soldiers. So that leaves 6093 Walton and 7202 Crowe. Walton could have enlisted with the 4th or 5th Battalions, but not the 3rd. Crowe could have enlisted with the 4th, but not the 3rd or 5th Battalions. For that matter, both men could have been early regular enlistments - see my post on numbering in the 1st & 2nd Battalions - with Walton potentially joining the regiment in 1898, and Crowe joining in 1902.

In such cases, you'd be hoping for a service record or a record in MH 106 (hospital admissions) to provide additional information about these men's length of service. My own hunch, without having researched these two men further is that they probably were long-serving career soldiers, given that they arrived overseas on the 13th August 1914 along with the majority of the other men on this roll.

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, King’s (Liverpool Regiment) between 1908 and November 1914. 

Men signed up for six years' service on the understanding that they were "liable to be called out or detained whilst called up for training, in case of imminent national danger, or great emergency, on permanent service in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere..." and furthermore that they "could be detained in army service for the unexpired portion of [their] term of service in the Army Reserve and for a further period not exceeding 12 months..." And when Britain went to war in August 1914 that is exactly what happened. Men in the Special Reserve were called up and were soon forming drafts to replace casualties in the regular battalions which, in the case of the King’s (Liverpool Regiment), were the 1st and 2nd Battalions. 

The regimental numbering sequence used by the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion was entirely separate from the numbering series used by the 1st and 2nd Battalions and separate also from the numbering system in the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalions. Both the 3rd and the 4th Battalions had been created in April 1908 with the demise of the 3rd and 4th (Militia) Battalions. Use these sample regimental numbers to ascertain when a man would have joined the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, King’s (Liverpool Regiment). 

9272 joined on the 30th June 1908 

9542 joined on the 24th June 1909 

9732 joined on the 4th March 1910 

9851 joined on the 18th April 1911 

10030 joined on the 5th January1912 

10290 joined on the 19th February 1913 

3/10628 joined on the 6th August 1914 

3/11991 joined on the 12th September 1914 

3/12339 joined on the 1st October 1914 

3/12628 joined on the 2nd November 1914 

The 3/ prefix was used inconsistently and it can therefore be confusing at times when it comes to trying to ascertain, from a man's regimental number alone, whether he was a regular soldier or a man who had originally joined the Special Reserve. For instance, whilst the number 9851, above, was issued to a Special Reservist in April 1911, the same number would have been issued to a man signing up as a regular in 1907.

For photos of King's (Liverpool Regiment) soldiers don't forget to check out my British Army Ancestors website.

The British Army in the 1921 Census

Findmypast’s recent release of the 1921 Census of England & Wales provides an ideal opportunity for a quick sanity check on where the British Army was located in June 1921. With the singular exception of Scotland, the census returns for which are expected to be released later this year, if your British Army Ancestor was in uniform in June 1921, you should find him in the 1921 Census of England & Wales.  

 

As with the 1911 Census, the 1921 Census of England & Wales also enumerated men who were stationed overseas, and Findmypast provides some great detail about where you’ll find these men.

 

There are 35 separate volumes (‘pieces’ is the archival term) for the British Army overseas, 11 pieces for the Royal Navy and a single piece for the RAF. It is possible to search by piece number on the main 1921 Census search page and doing so will quickly enable you to filter out irrelevant results. Here are the piece numbers and locationd for the British Army overseas in June 1921:

 

28107: Mesopotamia

28108: Mesopotamia

28109: Hong Kong, China, Aden, South Africa, Singapore, Bermuda, troop ships at sea

28110: Constantinople

28111: Egypt, Sudan & Cyprus

28112: Egypt & Sudan

28113: Egypt & Sudan

28114: France & Flanders, Jamaica, Southampton Water

28115: Trinidad, Gibraltar, Mauritius, troop ship at sea, Poland, Sierra Leone

28116: India

28117: India

28118: India

28119: India

28120: India

28121: India

28122: India

28123: India

28124: India

28125: Ireland

28126: Ireland

28127: Ireland

28128: Ireland

28129: Ireland

28130: Ireland

28131: Ireland

28132: Ireland

28133: Ireland

28134: Malta

28135: Mesopotamia & Persian Gulf

28136: Mesopotamia

28137: Palestine

28138: Germany

28139: The British Upper Silesian Force

28140: Guernsey & Alderney

28141: Jersey

 

Be aware that regiment names may not always be spelled out on the actual pages which list soldier names. Instead, expect to find the words ‘Army’ or ‘Infantry’, ‘Cavalry’ etc. However, if you find the first page of the return, you will usually find that the officer making that return also includes the regiment name.

Remember too, that many men who had served during the First World War may still have been in uniform in 1921. Some would have been career soldiers who had joined the army before 1914 or during the war; others may have re-enlisted for limited periods of engagement after the war. It's worth checking the 1921 Census to see if your ancestor was still in uniform and, if he was, his service record will almost certainly still survive with the Ministry of Defence and can be ordered by clicking the link. Be aware though, that at the time of writing it is taking the MoD up to 12 months to fulfil requests.

Cheshire Regiment - 7th Battalion (TF) - 1908-1914

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment between 1908 and 1914.

The 7th Battalion was formed on the 1st April 1908, taking in men from the former 5th Volunteer Battalion. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 20 officers and 677 men. The battalion had firing ranges at Congleton, Macclesfield and Nantwich, and Sergeant G Barton was the best shot of the battalion. At the annual camp at Abergavenny in 1908, 203 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 642 officers and men attended for 15 days.

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 28 officers and 974 men. At the annual camp at Conway in 1909, 173 officers and men had attended for 8 days whilst 818 officers and men had attended for 15 days.

having been headquartered at Congleton in 1908 and 1909, by 1914 the battalion's HQ had re-located to Macclesfield, and the battalion's eight companies drew men from the following areas.

A Company: Congleton

B Company: Congleton, with a drill statioin at Bollington

C & D Companies: Macclesfield

E Company: Winsford

F Company: Nantwich, with a drill station at Crewe

G Company: Sandbach

H Company: Wilmslow

The battalion formed part of the Cheshire Infantry Brigade in the Welsh Division.

Understanding the company distribution is important if you know where your 7th Battalion soldier lived as it would likely suggest the company he served with. For instance, men living in Sandbach and wishing to join this battalion would have logically been assigned to H Company. (Note that such logic was abandoned after 4th August 1914).

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.

34 joined on the 7th April 1908
1133 joined on the 31st March 1909
1232 joined on the 2nd December 1910
1251 joined on the 5th January 1911
1466 joined on the 30th May 1912
1573 joined on the 27th January1913
1888 joined on the 17th March 1914
2018 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 1234 he would have joined the battalion between December 1910 and January 1911. 

The photo on this post was originally published in The Tatler on the 20th October 1915 and shows officers of the 2/5th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.

Cheshire Regiment - 6th Battalion (TF) - 1908-1914

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 6th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment between 1908 and 1914.

The 6th Battalion was formed on the 1st April 1908, taking in men from the former 4th Volunteer Battalion. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 35 officers and 652 men. The battalion had a firing range at Coombes Moss, 16 miles from its HQ at The Armoury, Stockport and Sergeant L Darwent was the best shot of the battalion. At the annual camp in 1908, 221 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 372 officers and men attended for 15 days.

The following year, the The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 35 officers and 845 men. At the annual camp at Conway in 1909, 192 officers and men had attended for 8 days whilst 590 officers and men had attended for 15 days. Brigade camp in 1910 was scheduled for Aberystwyth from the 15th May.

By 1914 the battalion was still headquartered at Stockport, and the battalion's eight companies drew men from the following areas.

A & B Companies: Stalybridge

C Company: Hyde

D Company: Glossop, with a drill station at Hadfield

E, F, G & H Companies: Stockport

The battalion formed part of the Cheshire Infantry Brigade in the Welsh Division.

Understanding the company distribution is important if you know where your 6th Battalion soldier lived as it would likely suggest the company he served with. For instance, men living in Hyde and wishing to join this battalion would have logically been assigned to C Company. (Note that such logic was largely abandoned after 4th August 1914).

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 6th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.

310 joined on the 14th April 1908
658 joined on the  23rd February 1909
919 joined on the 9th February 1910
1124 joined on the 5th December 1911
1171 joined on the 25th January 1912
1318 joined on the 21st January 1913
1609 joined on the 25th February 1914
2545 joined on the 29th September 1914

Use these regimental numbers to approximate when a man would have joined this battalion between 1908 and September 1914. For example if your man's number was 1234 he would have joined the battalion between January 1912 and January 1913.

Cheshire Regiment - 5th Battalion (TF) - 1908-1914

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment between 1908 and 1914.

The 5th Battalion was formed on the 1st April 1908, taking in men from the former 2nd and 3rd Volunteer Battalions. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 28 officers and 754 men. The battalion had a firing range at Altcar, 26 miles from its HQ at 8 Black Friars, Chester, and Colour Sergeant W H Harvey was the best shot of the battalion. At the annual camp at Abergavenny in 1908, 177 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 477 officers and men attended for 15 days.

The following year, the The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 30 officers and 895 men. Private F Osmond was the best shot of the unit and at the annual camp in 1909 (at Conway), 95 officers and men had attended for 8 days whilst 665 officers and men had attended for 15 days.

By 1914 the battalion was headquartered at Vounteer Street, Chester and the battalion's companies drew men from the following areas.

A Company: Altrincham, with a drill station at Knutsford

B Company: Chester, with a drill station at Kelsall

C Company: Sale, with a drill station at Cheadle

D Company: Hartford

E Company: Chester

F Company: Frodsham, with a drill station at Lymm

G Company: Runcorn

H Company: Hartford

The battalion formed part of the Cheshire Infantry Brigade in the Welsh Division.

Understanding the company distribution is important if you know where your 5th Battalion soldier lived as it would likely suggest the company he served with. For instance, men living in Hartford and wishing to join this battalion would have logically been assigned to D or H Company. (Note that such logic went out of the window after 4th August 1914).

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 5th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.

104 joined on the 7th April 1908
565 joined on the 17th February 1909
1210 joined on the 16th February 1910
1285 joined on the 14th February 1911
1512 joined on the 22nd April 1912
1723 joined on the 3rd February 1913
1961 joined on the 26th February 1914
2212 joined on the 9th 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 photo on this post was originally published in The Tatler on the 20th October 1915 and shows officers of the 2/5th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.

Middlesex Regiment - 9th Bn (TF)

In this post I will be looking at regimental numbering in the 9th (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, 8th Battalion, or 10th Territorial Force 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 9th Middlesex Regiment was headquartered at Pound Lane, Willesden Green and its eight companies drew men from the following locations:

A & B Companies: Willesden Green; B Company: Barnet; C Company: Willesden, with a drill station at Stanmore; D & E Companies: Willesden; F Company: Harrow; G Company: Wealdstone; H Company: Hendon.  The battalion was part of the Middlesex Infantry Brigade in the Home Counties Division.

Here are some sample regimental numbers for the 7th 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 5th West Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps.

4 joined on the 1st April 1908
525 joined on the 5th March 1909
764 joined on the 17th October 1910
779 joined on the 24th January 1911
882 joined on the 23rd January 1912
1150 joined on the 2nd July 1913
1228 joined on the 3rd February 1914
1445 joined on the 8th August 1914
1973 joined on the 5th 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 1300 and came from Barnet, he joined in 1914, before the First World War, and would have probably served in B Company. 

Remember. I research soldiers! Drop me a line if you need help 

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

Northumberland Fusiliers - 5th Battalion (Territorial Force)

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 5th (TF) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers between 1908 and 1914. 

The 5th Battalion was a Territorial Force unit which was formed on the 1st April 1908.  This had formerly been the 2nd Volunteer Battalion. In 1908, as The Territorial Year Book for 1909 records, the battalion strength comprised 22 officers and 621 men. 189 men attended camp in 1908 for 8 days and 406 attended for 15 days.

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength of the battalion in 1909 had risen to 30 officers and 893 men. Colour-Sergeant Armstrong of A Company was the best shot of the battalion and at the annual camp at Berwick in 1909, 212 officers and men attended for eight days whilst 677 officers and men attended for 15 days. 

The battalion was headquartered at Walker, Newcastle-on-Tyne and drew men from the following areas:

A, B and C Companies recruited in Walker, and D E and F Companies recruited in Wallsend. G and H Companies recruited in Gosforth, with G Company having drill stations at West Moor and Seaton Burn.

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the the 5th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. The majority of men signing up from April 1908 would have been men who, up until the 31st March, had been serving members of the 2nd VF Battalion.

102 joined on the 3rd April 1908
657 joined on the 18th January 1909
1035 joined on the 3rd March 1910
1163 joined on the 1st February 1911
1352 joined on the 8th February 1912
1757 joined on the 3rd April 1913
2010 joined on the 9th March 1914
2245 joined on the 10th August 1914 

As can be seen from the patterns above, recruitment was steady throughout this period, and would continue to be strong during the First World War.

A reserve or ‘second-line’ battalion was formed at Blyth in November 1914, the original 5th Battalion now becoming the 1/5th Battalion and the new reserve battalion becoming the 2/5th Battalion. A 3/5th Battalion would be formed in June 1915. Neither the 2/5th nor the 3/5th Battalion would serve overseas, rather training men who were then sent overseas as part of drafts for the 1/5th 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 800 and lived in the West Moor area, he would have joined this battalion at some time between January 1909 and March 1910, and furthermore he would probably have served with G Company.  

Remember. I research soldiers! Drop me a line if you need help 

To search for photos of your Northumberland Fusiliers ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.

King's (Liverpool Regiment) - 5th Battalion (TF)

This post will look at regimental numbering in the 5th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment) between 1908 and 1914. 

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!

Drop me a line 

To search for photos of your King's (Liverpool Regiment) ancestors, check my British Army Ancestors website.

Regimental numbers - Fast Facts

I need to re-state some basic facts once in a while and so if you're familiar with regimental numbering in the British Army up until 1920, you might just want to skip this post.

In 1920, Army Order 338 introduced a new system of  'army numbers'. Up until that point, men had been issued with regimental numbers by the regiment or corps that they joined.

Since 2008 this blog has detailed regimental and corps numbers issued between 1881 and 1918, with the focus on the period 1881 to 1914. I chose 1881 as my starting point because this was when the majority of the old infantry Regiments of Foot were officially re-designated along county or 'territorial' lines, and men joining these newly named regiments were, from 1st July 1881, issued with a number from a new number series which began at 1.

This system invariably meant that there was massive duplication of regimental numbers in the British Army. Furthermore, the regimental number series operated by the regular battalions of each regiment would prove to be just one of several series operated by the regiment.

A typical line infantry regiment could expect to administer one regimental number series for its regular battalions, and a separate number series for each militia battalion. Volunteer Force battalions also each had a separate regimental number series and later, and so too would EACH Territorial Force battalion. As if this wasn't confusing enough, some of these individual Territorial Force battalions operated their own multiple number series.

This blog has information on regimental numbering in ALL line infantry regiments, ALL household and line cavalry, ALL yeomanry, and much more besides.  Use the INDEX to find the regiment you are interested in BUT be careful.  As I said, regiments operated multiple regimental number series and understanding which battalion a man served with is the key to understanding what his service looked like.

The extract below shows regimental numbers issued by the King's (Liverpool Regiment) between 1908 and 1912. Here, straight away, you can see that there were nine separate series in use between those years. Later, in 1917, when the Territorial Force was re-numbered, serving members of the TF were all issued with new regimental numbers, the lowest number in each series being issued to the longest serving member of that battalion or TF unit. This re-numbering, designed to cut some of the confusion with duplicate numbering would have been better had not the new number series also been duplicated across battalions.  By my reckoning, when the new number blocks were introduced in 1917, 61 regiments started re-issuing numbers from a series which began with 200001!

So using the example above, if your King's (Liverpool Regiment) British Army Ancestor had the regimental number 10030, he could have been a regular soldier who joined the regiment some time before 1908, or he could have been a man who joined the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion in January 1912.  Similarly, if your ancestor was in the Territorial Force and had the number 1100, he could have served with any of the six TF battalions listed here - and he could have therefore joined up in either 1908, 1909 or 1910 depending on which battalion he joined. 

I have published a fraction of the information from my database on this blog. Contact me via the RESEARCH tab if you need help with your British Army Ancestors.

Some other points to bear in mind; this from Queen's Regulations for 1889:

There are two key points to bear in mind here. The first is the scope of the number series expressed in paragraph 38, particularly the point about applying to start a new series. As an example, between 1881 and 1914, the Rifle Brigade reached 9999 on two occasions and therefore started a new number series beginning with 1. So if we see a Rifleman from the Rifle Brigade with the number 5000, that number could date to 1882 (the Rifle Brigade did not start numbering from 1 in 1881) or 1897 or 1913.

The second point to note is paragraph 41. Regimental numbers were not re-issued. If a man was discharged from a regiment, walked around the block and then re-enlisted with the same regiment he would be issued with a new regimental number. I have published extracts from King's and Queen's Regulations on this blog. 

There is a lot of information that I have published over the years and I am happy to answer general questions. Post a comment and I'll post a response. For individual RESEARCH projects, contact me via the RESEARCH tab.

Royal Scots - Other Rank PoWs 1914

Here's another list of men; this time Royal Scots who were captured by the Germans on or before Christmas Day 1914. There are 223 men here, the equivalent of two companies under the old eight-company system. For these men, capture may have been a blessing in disguise, sparing them the rigours and dangers of trench warfare but at the same time condemning them to years of imprisonment and poor treatment. Their soldiering experience was certainly a loss to their country.

These Royal Scots prisoners of war are catalogued under two series held at the Imperial War Museum:

B.O.2 1/290 is a 5-page typed list of Royal Scots Prisoners of War submitted on the January 1919 by The Royal Scots Association
B.O.2 1/292 is a 5-page typed list of Royal Scots Prisoners of War submitted on the 18th January 1919 by the Lt-Colonel i/c Infantry Records, No 2 District

Most of the men listed here appear on both of the above lists which, additionally, gives home addresses or next of kin details for the majority. For more information about these so-called 'Princess Mary tin PoWs' see my 1914 PoWs page. The majority of these men will also have records published by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Searching is free; finding your man is another matter entirely.

Remember. I research soldiers!

Drop me a line if you need help. 

9565 Private T Aldridge, 7934 Private C Anderson, 9686 Private D Andrews, 11345 Private W E Arnett.

 
8612 Lance-Corporal D Baird, 11532 Private James Barkas, 8647 Private R Bennett, 11448 Private J Benzie,7101 CQMS L Bibby, 6076 Lance-Corporal W F Birrell, 9232 Private D Blair, 8862 Private J Bonner, 10289 Private E Boyd, 10096 Private J Boyle, 11310 Lance-Corporal E Brewin, 9858 Private J Brooks, 11388 Private A Broom, 11265 Private C G Brown, 9109 Lance-Corporal J Brown, 7071 Private James S Brown, 6701 Private S Brown, 11271 Lance-Corporal S Burnett, 8931 Private J Burns, 5168 Private A Bush.

Above, 9420 Sergeant Herbert W Cain marries his sweetheart, Bertha Mabel Rouser at Lausanne on the 23rd January 1917 whilst interned in Switzerland as a PoW. Their daughter, conceived that month, died in 2020 aged 103. Photo and story courtesy Oscar Cornah-Burrows.

9420 Sergeant Herbert W Cain, 8383 Private Carnston, 9782 Private S J Casbolt, Private A S Chapman, 7628 Private John T Chester, 8784 Private F Clark, 10124 Private F Clark, 11185 Private Arthur Cleaver, 11404 Private T Cochrane, 10956 Private J Coham, 4887 Private T Collins, 10654 Lance-Corporal W R Collins, 9807 Private T Collyer, 9212 Private J Connell, 11134 Private F Cook, 

8596 Private T M Cooper, 11255 Private P Cosgrove, 11288 Private J Couper, 11352 Private W Coxon, 8383 Private Cranston, 10887 Private A Crombie, 10983 Private W Cuthill.

 
11216 Private G M Darge, 8343 Private A Davidson, 8880 Sergeant C Day, 11356 Private George Degville, 7922 Private A Dickson, 11570 Private T Dickson, 8546 Private J Dixon, 10728 Private P Dolan, 11567 Private W G Dolan, 11296 Private W Doughty, 8413 Private T Dowdles, 9231 Private G Driscoll, 11378 Private J Drury, 8696 Pipe Major J Duff, 9166 Private J Duncan.

 
10233 Private F Eggleton, 9294 Private W Erskine.

9043 Corporal S Falconer, 11474 Private J Fearn, 7341 Private Francis Fearns, 11181 Private A Fensome, 11128 Private T Ferrier, 8999 Private T Finnie, 9067 Private A Flint, 7128 Private W Frank.

11335 Private J Gaven, 10668 Private F Geeves, 9124 Lance-Corporal W J Gibbs, 10808 Corporal David A Gillon, 10557 Lance-Corporal W J Graham, 8960 Private J Grant, 7972 Private N T Green, 11547 Private W Green, 7646 Private J Grubb.

 
8341 Private Walter J Hack, 11355 Lance-Corporal H Hallam, 10568 Private R Hamilton, 8025 Private W Harper, 9872 Private D Harris, 11330 Cpl Joseph Harris, 11405 Private C Heath, 10158 Private J Heath, 8900 Private G Henderson,10375 Sergeant R H Hepburn, 11058 Private H Higgins, 11247 Private R Higgins, 6768 Private A Hill, 11081 Private J Hinshelwood, 7963 Private H Hodgson, 8052 Private W Holbrook, 10986 Private C Holdstock, 11317 Lance-Corporal J Holland, 10759 Private W Holmes, 8576 Private H Hudson, 9434 John Hudson, 11413 Private D Hunter. 

10924 Private R Jackson, 11152 Private T Jacobson, 6898 Private T Johnson, 10276 Lance-Corporal W Jordan.

 
11450 Private H Kane, 8435 Private J Kellaghar, 7015 Private T Kelly, 9488 Private M Keogh, 8591 Private J Kidd, 8304 Private W Kyle.

 
9370 Private P Laffey, 10474 Sergeant J Langford, 8803 Private E Laver, 8622 Private W Lawson, 11492 Private D Livingston, 8785 Private J Lloyd, 9224 Lance-Corporal W Logan, 8848 Private Philip F Lyle.

 
9038 Private W Malcolm, 10960 Corporal D Mather,6961 Lance-Corporal P McAlpine, 9374 Private J McCabe, 11408 Private T J McCabe, 11294 Private M McCallum, 11514 Private J B McCourt. 

You will find all of these men listed on my British Army Ancestors website

9280 Private R McCowie, 11379 Private J McCrudden, 8858 Lance-Corporal H McDermaid, 9357 Lance-Corporal C McDonald, 11199 Private C McDonald, 10323 Private R McEwen, 11292 Private E McGinlay, 9446 Private W McGowans, 2850 Private J McGregor, 8055 Private J McIntosh, 8599 Private J McIntosh, 9037 Private P McIntyre, 11226 Private A McKay, 9275 Lance-Corporal M McKay, 11190 Private W McKenzie, 6921 Sergeant J McKinna, 11419 Private R McMillan, 9156 Private W Melvin, 6940 Private J Mennie, 7070 Private I W Merritt, 11121 Private C R Mills, 10907 Private V C Mogg, 11476 Private D Morton, 7839 Private F Muddeman, 10553 Private R Murray.

 
9397 Private E G Nash, 7074 Private J Nichols,7805 Private Robert Nicholson, 8621 Private J Nickson, 9706 Private W Nicol. 

9255 Private R Panton, 10466 Private H Parson, 6236 Lance-Corporal J Passelow, 9699 Private J Paton, 9352 Private W Payne, 8339 Sergeant G C Penfold, 6991 Private W Peters, 10014 Corporal A Pickersgill, 8018 Private W Pow, 11354 Private J Poyner, 9721 Private Frederick J Purser.

11192 Corporal D Revie, 11380 Private C W Rich, 4253 Sergeant W Richardson, 9336 Private J Roberts, 6354 Private A Robertson, 9171 Private A Robertson, 8876 Private J Robertson, 7166 Private J Rosie, 7479 Private E Rutherford, 8058 Private J Rutherford, 8738 Private W Ryrie 

10488 Private W Scheffman, 9791 Private H Scheuler, 6613 Sergeant J Scobbie, 7785 Lance-Corporal G Scoffield, 11136 Lance-Corporal G Sergeant, 23662 Private J H Shepherd, 10859 Private M Sheridan, 7753 Private H Shields, 11441 Lance-Corporal G Shiels, 9337 Private J Shoughnessy, 10965 Private H Simpson, 9868 Private A Smart, 8729 Private M Smeaton, 11360 Private J Smith, 10743 Private R Smith, 11519 Private S Steel, 7977 Private J Stevenson, 11318 Private A Stewart, 8356 Private J Stirling, 9184 Private J Sullivan, 11412 Private J Swindells. 

1931 Lance-Corporal A Taylor, 11510 Private G Thomson, 10971 Lance-Corporal W Thomson, 9523 Private W Thomson, 8333 Private J Tocher, 8984 Sergeant C Todd, 8577 Private W Tompkins, 7725 Private J Tranter, 7632 Private Henry Twist.

8719 Private R Wathen, 9300 Private D Welsh, 11364 Private G Wesley, 8669 George Weston, 10535 Private James Wheelan, 7017 Private J White, 8373 Private J Wilson, 8418 Private T Wilson, 7007 Sergeant J Winfield, 7187 Private V Winter, 10828 Private P Wood, 6764 Private E Wright, 5830 CSM J Wright, 6205 Private W Wyber,