Showing posts with label British Army regimental numbers 1881-1920. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British Army regimental numbers 1881-1920. Show all posts

24 October 2021

Connaught Rangers - 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion

Connaught Rangers, Gale & Polden


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

Both Connaught Rangers militia battalions survived in all but name when the Special Reserve was introduced in 1908. Men who were then serving with the 4th (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to contunue to serve with the newly formed 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and men who were then serving with the 5th (Militia) Battalion, were asked if they wanted to contunue to serve with the newly formed 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion. 

Men joining the militia and special/extra reserve were not career soldiers. The Army Book for the British Empire, published in 1893 provided a useful overview of the militia when it noted:

"Its object is to maintain in the United Kingdom a trained body of men available "in case of imminent national danger or great emergency" to supplement the regular army in the defence of the country.

"It offers military service to the class of men willing to give it for a month in the year for training of for the term of their engagement on emergency, but whose avocations do not lead them to become either regular soldiers or volunteers."

Most 1914 Star rolls show plenty of evidence of Special Reserve and Extra 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.

Confusingly, for those with an interest in Connaught Rangers regimental numbers, the series used by the 3rd Battalion pretty much kept pace with the series used by the 4th Battalion, but both were distinct series and that is important to remember. Also important to note is that when these men were called up as drafts for the regular 1st and 2nd Battalions from August 1914, they retained their original 3rd and 4th Battalion regimental numbers.

Speical Reserve numbering appears to begin in August 1908 with numbers below circa 3000 all being men who formerly served with the 4th (Militia) Battalion and simply re-used their old militia regimental numbers. 

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the 3rd Connaught Rangers:

2523 joined on 2nd August 1908 (but this number had originally been issued to this man when he joined the 4th (Militia) Bn pre-1899
3559 joined on 3rd November 1908
3669 joined on 11th September 1909
3699 joined on 1st February 1910
3869 joined on 1st February 1911
4093 joined on 29th August 1912
4155 joined on 21st January 1913
4261 joined on 12th January 1914
4311 joined on 10th September 1914
4483 joined on 7th October 1914
4740 joined on 2nd November 1914
5118 joined on 1st December 1914

Do also read of some of the articles towards the bottom of the Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 index
Remember. I research soldiers!

To search for Connaught Rangers photos, check my British Army Ancestors website 

25 August 2019

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.

29 March 2019

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)


This post will look at regimental numbering in the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) between 1908 and September 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 Black Watch, 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 in fact was a continuation of the number series that had been used by the 3rd (Militia) Battalion before the militia was replaced by the Special Reserve in April 1908. 


Here then, are some regimental numbers for the 3rd Battalion, Black Watch; all of these issued sequentially. Use these sample regimental numbers to ascertain when a man would have joined this particular battalion.


760 joined on the 18th March 1908

3/998 joined on the 3rd February 1909
3/1315 joined on the 10th January 1910
3/2102 joined on the 29th March 1912
3/2407 joined on the 3rd December 1913
3/2474 joined on the 27th February 1914
3/2642 joined on the 6th August 1914
3/3425 joined on the 1st September 1914

The 3/ prefix was used inconsistently which means that it can be confusing when it comes to trying to ascertain, from a man's regimental number alone, whether that men was a regular soldier or a man who had originally joined the Special Reserve. For instance, whilst the number 2407, above, was issued to a Special Reservist in December 1913, the same number 2407 (albeit from a different number series) would have been issued to a man signing up as a regular in 1912.


For information on numbering in the regular battalions have a look at my post here: 1st and 2nd Battalions, Black Watch

12 September 2018

Sherwood Foresters - Other Rank PoWs 1914


There are 530 men on this list of Sherwood Foresters soldiers who were captured by the Germans on or before Christmas Day 1914. This data has been transcribed from the  following Imperial War Museum collections:

B.O.2 1/285: a thirty-page typed list of Sherwood Foresters Prisoners of War.  No date or sender.
B.O.2 1/286: a fifteen-page typed list of Sherwood Foresters Prisoners of War dated 6th Jan 1919 and date stamped 28 Jan 1919 by Lichfield Infantry Record Office. Addresses and ranks appear to pre-date information contained in B.O.2 1/285.

My full transcription of these men (not reproduced here) also contains the home address and/or next of kin address of all of the men. 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.

The full transcription is available for sale for £25. Contact me if you would like to purchase a copy.


 I research soldiers! 
Contact me if you need help with your military ancestor.

9820 Lance-Corporal J Adams, 12242 Private J Addison, 9822 Private C H Allen, 8594 Private H Allen, 12013 Private A Allitt, 9445 Private W H Allott, 9565 Private P Altoft, 10060 Private C Anderson, 11972 Private H Ashall, 10013 Corporal W Ashmore, 9191 Private J Ashton, 8956 Private R Aspinall, 10374 Sergeant E Astill, 11913 Private J Astill, 11870 Private G Atkins, 8685 Private J Attenborough, 9909 Private F Attenborough, 11944 Private A Ault.

11402 Private A Bacon, 8825 Private J Bailey, 8703 Private J Bailey, 8541 Private T Bailey, 11906 Private W Bailey, 9321 Private A Ball, 8480 Private W Banks, 10000 Private W Barber, 12152 Corporal B Barker, 9362 Private B Barnaby, 8877 Private R Barnett, 10833 Private S Barnett, 12133 Private H Barrowcliffe, 12212 Private C W Bartholomew, 10076 Private A H Barton, 8773 Private J Beard, 10052 Private S Beardmore, 9142 Private J H Beardsmore, 8901 Private E Beasley, 10028 Corporal C E Beck,  9287 Private G F Beckett, 11826 Corporal N Bennett, 10718 Corporal R Bennett, 10955 Private S Bennett, 11478 Corporal W Berral, 9170 Corporal H Beswick, 9568 Private E Bewley, 9053 Private J Billyard, 9317 Private G Blakeway, 9186 Private J Bland, 11985 H B D Bohan 12161, Private H V Bond, 12172 Private A Bonsall, 9908 Private G Booth, 8517 Private J Bowler, 9875 Lance-Corporal W Bowman,9723 Private J Bradshaw, 6280 Corporal T Bradshaw, 9947 Private A E Braithwaite, 9136 Private J Brannan, 12053 Corporal L Bray, 8884 Lance-Corporal F Brentnall, 12258 Private W Brett, 11752 Corporal P Brinklow, 10298 Drummer W Brittle, 9048 Private G Broadhurst, 9543 Private T Brown, 9164 Private W Brownlow, 8706 Private T Bull, 8534 Corporal W Burbury, 9644 Sergeant P Burke, 9780 Private F Burman, 8641 Private W Burns, 12156 Private A Burrows, 11899 Private C Burton, 10067 Private W Burton, 9665 Private J Bush.

9231 Private J Campion, 9456 Corporal J Carter, 8634 Private P Chamberlain, 12225 Private F Chantry, 8849 Private C Chapman, 12169 Private H Chapman, 11409 Private H Cheek, 11827 Corporal T H Chell, 10015 Private C Chesterton, 9266 Private A China, 9489 Lance-Corporal A Clark, 10016 Private G Clarke, 9787 Private J Clarke, 12046 Lance-Corporal H J Clay, 12115 Private A Cole, 9899 Private C Colley, 11320 Private J W Collings,10164 Private W Collis, 9330 Private T Colson, 12124 Corporal F Coltman, 11828 Corporal W Comery, 9676 Lance-Corporal A Conley, 6995 Private F H Cooper, 12099 Private J W Cooper, 8939 Private A Corker, 11019 Private A Corner, 11984 Private S Costall, 9563 Private H Cosway, 8832 Private E Cotteridge, 12227 Private N Cox, 5921 Sergeant H Cragg, 9751 Private T Crane, 8632 Private J Crawford, 9323 Private A Cresswell, 9451 Corporal C Crinage, 8546 Private G Crocker, 9892 Private R Crooks, 8628 Private J Cunningham, 11454 Corporal G Cutler, 9494 Private W Cutts, 12308 Private W H Cutts.

9792 Private B Davenport, 9219 Private J Davidson, 12138 Private W Davidson, 8797 Private C Davis,  11994 Private J Dawes, 6960 Private H Daykin, 9410 Private E Dennis, 9978 Private S Dennison, 11401 Private F G Dibden, 9363 Private E Dicken, 9383 Private E Dickerson, 9905 Private J Dickinson, 11774 Private H Dickson, 8664 Private H C Dobbs, 9083 Private H J Doncaster, 9638 Private A Dove, 8813 Private J Drake, 12126 Private W Drakefield, 10707 Private W Drury, 9547 Private W Drury, 9483 Private W Dudson.

12052 Private Charles Arthur Earl, 9530 Private William Henry Eatherington, 8526 Corporal W F Ellicock, 9745 Private E Elms, 11682 Drummer F Else, 10124 Private E Elsmore.

9811 Private A Farmer, 9944 Private C Farrant, 9129 Private W Farrow, 9028 Private J Fawcett, 11260 Private G Fearis, 11882 Private A Fell, 9830 Private A Fisher, 10836 Private L Fisher, 9394 Private T Fitzgerald, 7330 Private G Fletcher, 10612 Corporal W Fletcher, 10129 Lance-Corporal John Flint, 10139 Lance-Corporal E W Ford, 9481 Private A Fowler, 9235 Private J Fowler, 12101 Private W Fox, 12042 Private E Frost, 9637 Sergeant H Fulton.

11917 Private A Gale, 10654 Private E Gale, 12193 Private J H Garner, 9771 Private W H Gasson, 10711 Sergeant J Geary, 12209 Private J Geddes, 9926 Sergeant Charles George, 6457 Private W Gerrard, 8668 Private A Giddings, 10167 Private J W Gilbert, 8622 Lance-Corporal A Gill, 9509 Private J Gilliatt, 10006 Private T W L Gothard, 9943 L/Cpl Thomas Grant, 10582 Private W Green, 10292 Corporal T E Greenhalgh, 10798 Private A Greenwood, 15183 Private R Gribble, 9233 Private William Grierson, 12122 Private E Grigg, 7194 Private J Grimwood.

8709 Private J Hackett, 10880 Private T Hall, 9697 Private G Hallam, 12058 Private G H Hallam, 12044 Corporal J F Hallam, 11196 L/Cpl William James Hallam, 10165 Sergeant A Handley, 12106 Lance-Corporal A Hanson, 8844 Private J Harding, 9741 Private H Hardy, 9627 Private H Harker, 10625 Private J Harris, 9148 Private G Harrison, 9662 Private W Harrison, 10109 Private E Harvey, 12155 Corporal E Harvey, 9687 Sergeant Harvey, 8760 Private T Hatherley, 12154 Private T A Hawley, 10090 Private W Haycox, 9273 Private W H Hazard, 8766 Lance-Corporal G Heard, 9803 Private H Heard, 10043 Private Thomas Hemsley, 9699 Lance-Corporal L Henshaw, 10091 Pte William Henry Herbert, 3858 Private Charles Herrington, 10250 Private F Herrod, 11420 Private W Heslop, 8574 Private A Heys, 12210 Lance-Corporal C Hibbert, 10593 Private G Hibbert, 8940 Private G Hickey, 8538 Sergeant J Hickton, 9419 Private Walter H Hilditch, 9275 Private T Hill, 10881 Sergeant G H Hillier, 15909 Private T C Hillyard, 10180 Private A Hodgkinson, 11829 Private S F Hodson, 9139 Sergeant J Hoey, 10093 Private W Hollis, 8433 Private W Holloway, 8636 Private W Holloway, 9399 Private W Hooton, 12234 Private J W Hopewell, 9791 Private F Hornbuckle, 8511 Private J Hoult, 8646 Private F Housley, 10122 Corporal E Howard, 9138 Private J Howie, 9990 Private J Huskins.

9250 Private G Jackson, 9907 Sergeant W Jamieson, 18812 Private A Johnson, 12074 Private J Johnson, 12201 Private W Johnson, 12213 Private E Jones, 12102 Private F Jones, 11916 Private L Jones, 11832 Corporal F Jordan, 9352 Lance-Corporal Keeley, 10524 Sergeant Keeton, 9742 Corporal Kelly, 11456 Sergeant Kelly, 9910 Private Kerr, 8590 Private Kershaw, 11995 Private King 12314 Private Kirk, 11015 Private Kirkham, 12085 Private Knowles, 9462 Private Knowles, 8872 Private Kyle

10229 Private James Henry Lane, 8871 Lance-Corporal W Langham, 11979 Private S Lea, 9831 Private W Lee, 9319 Private Sydney Leigh, 9290 Private W Lester, 10089 Private J H Ley,  9370 Private A Litchfield, 8406 Private E Lomas, 9081 Private George Oliver Lowe, 12031 Private B Lye, 10021 Private D Lynch, 10648 Private C Lyons.

8840 Private J Maddocks, 9252 Private Maddocks, 9521 Private F Mahon, 12005 Private T Mahon, 10036 Private S Mantle, 10458 Lance-Sergeant B Marriott, 9369 Private J Marriott, 8518 Private F Marsh, 9874 Private L Marsh, 11855 Lance-Corporal F Marshall, 10912 Private J Marshall, 9738 Sergeant W Marshall, 10853 Corporal Mason, 11585 Private E Matthews, 9477 Private J Matthews, 9657 Private Matthews, 10370 Corporal F Mawson, 8730 Private J H May, 10132 Private J S McCulloch, 12061 Lance-Corporal McNulty, 9765 Private John Charles Mead,  11179 Corporal C W Mee, 8472 Private F Mee, 10664 Private S Mee, 11149 Private T Mee, 9573 Private W Mellors, 10637 Corporal Merriman, 11965 Private T Merry, 9849 Lance-Corporal W H Merry, 9593 Private W Midwood, 12011 Private Albert Miller, 10221 Private T C Miller, 9840 Private Miller, 12017 Private Morris, 10501 Private A Morritt, 10320 Sergeant Mortimer, 9708 Corporal H Moss, 12108 Private Mullins, 8600 Private C Mycock.

8681 Private Abraham Naden, 11429 Private J Naden, 9243 Private W Neal, 9187 Lance-Corporal Eric E Needham, 12037 Private H Needham, 10930 Corporal W H Needham, 8821 Private J Newbold, 9756 Private William George Newbold, 9999 Private P Newborn, 11887 Private W Newbury, 9686 Private A Newton, 12111 Private W Newton, 8820 Private E Niblett, 8593 Private Leonard Nicholas, 10653 Corporal J Nicholls, 11863 Private R Nobles, 6299 Private J North.

11566 Private W O'Brien, 10243 Private Frank O'Connor, 10814 Private R O'Connor, 10668 Lance-Corporal R Oldfield, 9060 Private T Oscroft, 8804 Private A Owen.

9255 Private F Palmer, 11098 Corporal F Parfitt, 11208 Private E W Parr, 11648 Corporal W Parrish, 10816 Private J W Partridge, 10502 Private A Pattison, 18250 Private Robert Peace, 10290 Private Robert Peace, 10638 Private A Peach, 9123 Private F Pearson, 9855 Private A Peck, 9063 Private Bertie Penney, 6366 Corporal Frank Perkins, 9366 Corporal Frank Perkins, 10161 Private H Perkins, 9322 Private W Perry, 12322 Sergeant Percy Phillips, 9057 Private E Pike, 9759 Private A Platts, 11592 Corporal A Pleasance, 8586 Private W Plenty, 9798 Private W Plumtree, 10094 Acting Sergeant H Potter, 12001 Private E Poxon, 8918 Private W Pratt, 9761 Private V Pritchard, 8587 Private J H Pryor, 10765 Private O Pursglove, 11765 Corporal W Pykett.

12018 Private H S Raby, 11850 Private F Radford, 8785 Lance-Corporal G Radford, 12279 Private S Radford, 10198 Private S A Radford, 10133 Private C Rasdall, 9737 Private J Read, 12084 Private A Reaney, 9620 Private B Redgate, 9971 Sergeant W Reid, 9017 Private J Renshaw, 12033 Corporal J W Revill, 18971 Lance-Corporal A Rhodes, 11775 Private G Richardson, 11766 Private G H Rick, 9996 Private L Rippon, 9711 Corporal F Roberts, 8717 Private J Roberts, 10585 Lance-Corporal W Roberts, 11692 Sergeant G Robinson, 9504 Private J W Robinson, 9249 Private J Robottom, 9650 Private G Rockley, 9561 Private J Rockley, 8990 Private Thomas Rogers, 10128 Private E Rollett, 9157 Private W Rose, 11124 Corporal A E Ross, 9132 Private E Rowe.

9931 Private S Sault, 11039 Private J W Sawyer, 9511 Private W Sawyer, 11878 Private H Scott, 6537 CSM J Seagrave, 9736 Private A Sedgewick, 11793 Private W Sellars, 10096 Private A Seymour, 8359 Sergeant A Seymour, 9390 Private C Shakespeare, 10251 Lance-Corporal A Sharpe, 11952 Private A Shaw, 7319 Sergeant E Shaw, 11613 Private W H Shaw, 9970 Lance-Corporal E Shearman, 11822 Private E Shenton, 9283 Private W Shepherd, 12163 Private W Sheriff, 10029 Private J Sherlock, 9211 Private H Shilcock, 12081 Private W P Shilton, 10138 Private W Shirt, 11867 Private Ernest Arthur Sibbert, 12034 Corporal J Simms, 9883 Private C Singleton, 9691 Private J Slack, 10072 Private R Smalley, 9635 Private H Smeeton, 9316 Private A Smith, 8468 Private E Smith, 9922 Corporal F Smith, 9693 Private G Smith, 11861 Private G A Smith, 8601 Private J Smith, 8544 Private J Smith, 10114 Lance-Corporal J H Smith, 12162 Corporal P Smith, 1468 Private S C Smith, 9520 Private Thomas Smith, 12057 Private W Smith, 8402 Corporal W Smith, 9012 Private F Soar, 9690 Private Frederick Sowter, 8961 Private W Spencer, 9411 Corporal J Spray, 9402 Corporal C Spybey, 11680 Private C Staples, 10046 Corporal E Staples, 9392 Private J Staples, 4464 Sergeant John Staples, 8881 Lance-Corporal A Stapleton, 9867 Private J Startin, 9230 Private G Steadman, 12103 Private W Steele, 8560 Private F Stevens, 12168 Private A Stevenson, 9628 Private E Stevenson, 9877 Private W Stevenson, 11757 Private S Stewardson, 12129 Corporal H Straw, 9572 Private T Stroud, 9707 Lance-Corporal J Stubbs, 12110 Lance-Corporal H Styring, 11455 Private S Swain, 12144 Private H Swift, 11002 Private J L Symons.

12125 Private A Tanner, 10838 Private A Taylor, 10819 Private F Taylor, 9532 Private Frank Taylor, 12107 Private Fred Taylor, 10922 Sergeant G Taylor, 10963 Sergeant L Taylor, 6932 Sergeant James Tebbutt, 9415 Private E Theobald, 11562 Sergeant C Thompson, 9897 Private F Thompson, 9010 Private G Thorley, 6973 CSM H Thorpe, 11140 Corporal F Tindall, 10431 Sergeant P Tingle, 9997 Private F Tombs, 10235 Private G Tomlinson, 6547 Lance-Corporal H Tongue, 8934 Private T Toole, 9684 Corporal J Topham, 10918 Corporal A Towle, 5901 Sergeant T Toy, 8727 Corporal H Trussell, 12303 Private W Tulley, 9103 Private J Tunnicliffe, 11963 Private D Turner, 5169 CSM J Turner, 10208 Private R Turner, 8694 Lance-Corporal F Tyers.

9924 Sergeant Allan Walden, 9335 Private C Walker, 11999 Corporal J Walker, 9870 Private S Walker, 12223 Sergeant W Walker, 8898 Private G H Walters, 8470 Private J Ward, 10353 Sergeant C Wardle, 9100 Sergeant C Watson, 12255 Private H Watson, 12060 Private W Watts, 8700 Private C Weaver, 9534 Private J Webber, 9408 Private E Welch, 9014 Corporal H Wells, 9227 Private Herbert Wells, 12093 Private Albert West, 9435 Private Arthur West, 11871 Private S West, 9688 Private C Weston, 9418 Private F Whitehurst, 10852 Private C Whittington, 5941 Private G Whitworth, 8401 Private A Wilde, 11628 Corporal W Wilkes, 9912 Corporal J Williamson, 10105 Lance-Corporal F Wilson, 10693 Private H A Wilson, 11877 Private W Winfield,  Private T Winston, 9557 Private T Winterton, 9772 Private A Withers, 9318 Corporal F A Wood, 12304 Private Thomas Wood, 9558 Private C Woodhouse, 8914 Private H Woodward, 8670 Sergeant G Wright, 8448 Private J W Wright, 9151 Private W E Wright, 8638 Private W E Wright, 9160 Private W Wyld.

8900 Private F Yeomans, 5342 Sgt-Major S G Yeomans, 8865 Private H Young.

9 September 2018

'A' Special Company, 1st Battalion, Special Brigade, Royal Engineers


This photograph was taken in France in August 1916 and shows men of 'A' Special Company, 1st Battalion, Special Brigade, Royal Engineers; a gas company. All of these men had transferred into the Royal Engineers from infantry battalions and the man I was researching is Samuel Athron who stands on the back row, far left.

Helpfully, Samuel had identified the forenames of eight of his companions, with the missing man - Larrat Sarcan, back row, far right - identified on the reverse.

Using Samuel Athron's new regimental number as the starting point, and running some simple searches on my British Army Ancestors website, I was quickly able to identify ALL of his companions in this photograph. I started with the uncommon names like Stronach, Sarcan and Walby and, identifying a pattern with the first three digits of the Royal Engineers numbers, plus the prior service with infantry units, quickly mapped out more details. Here are the men:

128749 2nd Cpl Samuel Athron; formerly 21844 York & Lancaster Regiment
128748 Pioneer Horace R Webster; formerly 24053 York & Lancaster Regiment
128729 Pioneer Arthur Hudson; formerly 24043 York & Lancaster Regiment
128336 Pioneer John A Murray; formerly 24391 Worcestershire Regiment
129349 Pioneer Larrat W Sarcan; formerly 22240 York & Lancaster Regiment
129599 Sgt John Stronach; formerly 1411 Gordon Highlanders
128747 Pioneer Harold F Walby; formerly 24056 York & Lancaster Regiment
128574 Pioneer Peter Makin; formerly 26946 KOYLI 
129073 2nd Cpl Gladstone Stoker; formerly 27677 Northumberland Fusiliers
128742 Pioneer Leonard Smalley; formerly 24047 York & Lancaster Regiment


Arthur Hudson and John Stronach both have surviving service records. Note too that the majority of the men have connections with northern regiments, with 60% of this small sample having formerly served with the York & Lancaster Regiment. 

The Special Cylinder Companies of the Royal Engineers were formed as part of the British Army's response to the German gas attacks of 1915 and there are distinct patterns of regimental numbering within these companies. In other words, it is mostly possible to identify the particular gas company that a man served with, from his regimental number.

A fascinating photo, courtesy of Samuel's son, David Athron, and a nice research project to work on. I am particularly pleased that I was able to identify all of the men in this photo and I have added their individual head and shoulders shots to the British Army Ancestors gallery.

I research soldiers!
Contact me if you need help.

18 July 2017

Researching your British Army ancestors just became cheaper


My database of British regimental numbers has been largely built by using online resources. I've been a subscriber to Findmypast for eight years, and an Ancestry subscriber for close to fifteen years I should think. For me, subscriptions are essential, a necessary annual expense.

Which leads me nicely into this new offer from Findmypast, 10% off the price of a UK or World subscription.

The UK sub suits me just fine as I have few overseas ancestors and I use it pretty much exclusively for military records these days. There is a wealth of military data: the worldwide British Army indexes for 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871, the British Army Service records (far more records indexed on Findmypast than at Ancestry), Scots Guards, Honourable Artillery Company, Tanks, Artillery... it goes on. With so much on offer,I consider a full-price sub to be a bargain, let alone a sub that offers 10 PER CENT OFF!

This is a time-limited offer which starts at 12.01am GMT this evening (ie one minute past midnight on the 19th July) and ends at 11.59pm GMT on Sunday 30th July.

Grab yourself a bargain by following the links on this page. This offer is only being promoted through partners like me, so don't miss out!

19 March 2017

5th Dragoon Guards - PoW Other Ranks 1914


The following men were all serving with the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards when they became prisoners of war of the Germans on or before Christmas Day 1914. There are only 20 names on this list. Read more about this Prisoner of War data source on my 1914 PoWs page

This data has been transcribed from two separate lists (B.O.2 1/42  and B.O.2 1/50 inclusive) which are now housed at the Imperial War Museum. 

This is an edited list, giving number, rank and name only. The full transcription also includes date of capture and home address or next of kin address for most men. 


642 Private Morris Benbow 
4708 Sergeant William T Capps 
5368 Private Oscar E Carroll 
6353 Trumpeter Clifford C F Clifford 
Saddler Gibbs 
5228 Pte James Groves 
1310 Private A C Hamm Private Harrison 
7208 Lance-Corporal J J Maguire
3750 Lance-Corporal W Marlow 
7818 Private C E Mitchell Private Mitchell 
411 Private F Moors Private Moors 
7610 Lance-Corporal John Newson 
5475 Corporal Henry Paice 
3805 Corporal Jacob Peach 
633 Private George Pratt 
5369 Bandsman Alfred Wells 
5098 Corporal T W West 
6321 Private Thomas Wilberforce 
5342 Private Wilfred A Wilde  
7799 Private Walter H Yarney

I research soldiers! 
Contact me if you need help with your military ancestor. 

1 January 2017

2017, a look ahead... and a glance back


2017 will mark my tenth year of posting information on this army service numbers blog.  If I could go back ten years I'd probably have called this blog Regimental Numbers 1881-1918 because, actually, this is all about regimental numbers rather than army service numbers which were introduced in 1920.

If you are a regular visitor to this site, thank you for dropping by. If you are a new visitor to this blog, thank you too, and please use the search bar at the top left of this page, or click on the INDEX to find what you're looking for. On this blog you will find information on regimental number sequences for ALL British line infantry, ALL British Household Cavalry, ALL British Line Cavalry, and various sundry units besides. The majority of the regimental number sequences published here start in 1881 and end in 1914.  Use these as a rough guide to when your own ancestor might have joined up.

The information I have published here is a fraction of what I have on my databases. I am always happy to answer general questions, and indeed, some of these have prompted blog posts in their own right. However, with a full time career, as well as a family, multiple blogs and various military interests and research projects to run / support / undertake, I simply do not have the time to dig down into individual service histories. I do offer a research service and so if your enquiry is about a particular soldier you'll need to contact me directly: paulcanixon@yahoo.co.uk.

I see that last year I posted on this blog 39 times; a little down on 2016 but up on other years. Expect more of the same in 2017.

I should also take this opportunity to advise you of some of the other blogs I run concurrently:

Army Ancestry Research: research tips and case histories (38 posts last year)

Army Forms and Attestations: sample forms and brief explanations (8 posts last year)

British Army Medals: information on the medals plus medal auctions (13 posts last year)

Chailey 1914-1918: The story of a community response (37 posts last year)

World War 1 Veterans: Men I met or corresponded with in the 1980s and 90s (6 posts last year)

WW1 Remembrance (18 posts last year)

My best wishes to you all for 2017. The image on this post is by cartoonist Bert Thomas and was published in Punch in April 1917.


16 January 2016

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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13 January 2016

1st Highland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, TF

This is something of a work in progress and I only stumbled upon these number series when I was doing some research on a DCM winner for a friend.


The 1st Highland Brigade comprised the 1st, 2nd and 3rd City of Aberdeen Batteries and the 1st Highland Ammunition Column. Here's the important point. Despite all being administered by the same County Territorial Force Association, the City of Aberdeen, each of the batteries and the ammunition column operated their own regimental number series. I have not researched this unit much beyond November 1915 but here's what I have found out so far.


1st City of Aberdeen Battery
Started numbering from 1 in April 1908 from a number series extending to 999. When the TF was re-numbered in 1917, the battery issued numbers between 630001 to 630300.


2nd City of Aberdeen Battery
Started numbering from 1000 in April 1908 from a number series extending to 3000. When the TF was re-numbered in 1917, the battery issued numbers between 630301 to around 630574.


3rd City of Aberdeen Battery
Started numbering from around 3001 in around 1911 (I am unclear when this battery was formed)from a number series extending to 4000. When the TF was re-numbered in 1917, the battery issued numbers from around 630575.


1st Highland Ammunition Column
Started numbering from the high 3000s in April 1908. The lowest number on my database is 4005 issued in 1911.  When the TF was re-numbered in 1917, the battery issued numbers from around 630840.


The significance of understanding this, particularly if your RFA ancestor was serving in the 1st Highland Brigade before late November 1915 is that if you know his regimental number, you'll also be able to identify which battery he served with, or whether in fact he served with the ammunition column.


For instance the men with the regimental numbers 289 (1st City of Aberdeen Battery), 1276 (2nd City of Aberdeen Battery), 3340 (3rd City of Aberdeen Battery) and 4128 (1st Highland Ammunition Column) - all of these units forming the 1st Highland Brigade RFA - enlisted in 1911.


Treat the number ranges above with a little caution. This is not an exact science, but I have enough data to be able to see significant patterns emerging for this Territorial Force artillery brigade in Aberdeen.

Hit a brick wall? I also offer a comprehensive, fast and cost-effective
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29 December 2015

The importance of regimental numbers in military research



This is a well-worn topic on this blog but it doesn't harm to go over the basics again once in a while. And before I forget, the image above is borrowed from the Postcards of Cornwall website and shows men from Section 4, A Company, 10th DCLI photographed in 1915.


The reason I began my study of regimental numbers in the first place was that for many of the men I was researching at the time, a regimental number on a medal card / medal roll was all I had. Knowing how particular the army was I felt sure that there must have been a system in place when it came to issuing regimental numbers and that if I could crack the code, a man's regimental number could tell me quite a bit.


Over the years I  have built a database of men with known enlistment and/or transfer dates and the regimental numbers they were issued with. I did this for the majority of all infantry of the line battalions and for all other corps except the Army service Corps and Labour Corps. My study embraced all branches of the army: regular, militia, special reserve, extra reserve, Volunteer Force (partial), Territorial Force, Yeomanry and New Army (from 1914). I have published a fraction of this research on this blog.




So here's an example of what I mean. The eight names listed above are the first eight results you get if you run a blank search of "Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry" on Ancestry's medal index card collection. The DCLI appears to be one of the worst affected regiments when it comes to surviving documents from 1914-1918 and so understanding when numbers were issued for this regiment becomes particularly important. Here's what I make of the numbers:


36689 Percival H Abbiss
Some papers survive in WO 363 but documents dealing with his transfer to DCLI do not survive. From my database, 36689 dates to October 1917


38115 Albert E Abbott
No service record survives. The number dates to late November 1917.


5288/201891 Albert S Abbott
No service record survives. The six-digit number marks this man as a member of the 4th (Territorial Force) Battalion. Papers survive in WO 364 and show that this man enlisted in April 1916, although he had attested earlier, in December 1915, under the Derby Scheme. My army service numbers database also identifies patterns of Derby Scheme enlistments.


6326 Alfred Abbott
Some papers survive in WO 364 which show that this man was discharged from The Norfolk Regiment in June 1917. The papers show that this man enlisted in 1891 and again in October 1914. The 1891 enlistment cannot have been when he was issued with the number 6326 and therefore this number must have been issued in October 1914. The only battalion that this can have been was the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion.


676/240010 Arthur W Abbott
No service record survives. The six-digit number marks this man as a member of the 5th (TF) Battalion and an enlistment date of June 1908. This man was probably an original member of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion which pre-dated the 5th (TF) Battalion. By the time he was issued with his new six-digit number in 1917, he was the 10th longest serving man in the battalion.


28818 Fred Abbott
No service record survives. The number dates to September 1916.


23049 George Abbott
No service record survives. The number dates to August 1915.


27960 George Abbott
No service record survives. The number dates to May 1916.


So there you have it in a simple blog post: eight good reasons why regimental numbers are important.


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

24 December 2015

Army Service Numbers 1881-1918: one million views and counting





Yesterday, seven years after I launched this blog, it received its millionth view. In those seven years I have published 426 posts - and you're reading the 427th post now.


More importantly, over the last seven years, I have tried to make sense of the regimental numbering system in the British Army. 1881 was my starting point because this was the year which saw the demise of the old regiments of foot and their re-birth as county or territorial regiments, a process which had begun nine years earlier. I chose 1918 as my end point because it marked the end of the First World War, although it would have actually made more sense to put the end date at 1920 which was when, actually, regimental numbers were replaced by army numbers.


Correctly then, were I starting this exercise again, I would probably have called this blog, British Army regimental numbers 1881-1920. Semantics aside, however, I am pleased that the  information published here has been useful. Understand too, that what is published here is a fraction of the information I have researched over the years. I set out on this exercise initially because I was frustrated that so many of the men I was researching from the Sussex village of Chailey had no surviving service records. For the majority, all that survived was a medal index card and medal rolls and most of these told me very little about when the man had joined the army. At that time too, with a few notable exceptions (Graham Stewart and David Langley in particular), general opinion was that regimental numbers told you very little. I hope that I have proven that opinion to be flawed.


The posts on this blog have mostly concentrated on the period 1881-1914. Regimental numbering certainly becomes more complicated, and more interesting in many respects, from August 1914, and worthy of study in its own right is the response of the army as a whole and regiments in particular, to the challenges brought about by mass recruiting and the formation of brand new battalions. Regiments dealt with this challenge in different ways and some certainly seem to have been more organised than others.


Over the last seven years my own interests have also developed. The First World War remains an abiding passion, but I have become more interested in the late Victorian army and the regular army which went to war in August 1914. I have an enduring admiration for the men of that army and the manner in which they fought in their Majesties' many small wars.


I have also started publishing regimental lists of other rank PoWs captured in 1914 (the only online resource, as far as I know, where this information is available regimentally) and I launched a low-cost research service. Oh, and I continued to post on the other eight blogs that are currently running (although maybe 2016 will see some consolidation in this area).


Thanks for supporting this blog over the last seven years. Onward and upward.


The image on this post is taken from the Gardin-Zanardi archive.















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