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

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

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

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

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

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, Scottish Rifles

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

3/6965 joined on 27th April 1909

3/7207 joined on 25th January 1910

3/7339 joined on 19th June 1911

3/7439 joined on 1st February 1912

3/7639 joined on 3rd December 1913

3/7753 joined on 11th August 1914

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Scottish Rifles

6510 joined on 9th August 1908

6740 joined on 14th February 1909

6979 joined on 12th April 1910

7052 joined on 16th October 1911

7077 joined on 10th January 1912

7094 joined on 6th March 1913

7234 joined on 17th February 1914

7453 joined on 11th August 1914

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

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

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

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

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) - 6th Battalion (TF) - 1908-1914

This is my final post on the Territorial Force battalions of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and this one will focus on the 6th Battalion. This was the only one of the four Territorial Force battalions to be headquartered outside Glasgow and it was administered by the Lanarkshire County Association whereas the other three battalions were all administered by the City of Glasgow Association. In this post I will look at regimental numbering in the 6th Battalion (TF), The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) between 1908 and 1914.

The 6th Battalion was formed on the 1st April 1908 and prior to this had been the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Scottish Rifles. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 25 officers and 722 men. 352 men attended camp in 1908 for 8 days, with eight 300 men attending for 15 days.

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 25 officers and 957 men and at the annual camp at Troon in 1909, 363 officers and men had attended for eight days whilst 589 officers and men had attended for 15 days. Colour-Sergeant T Lavin was the best shot of the unit. Camp in 1910 was scheduled from the 16th July at Denny.

The battalion was headquartered at Muirhall, Hamilton drew its recruits from the following areas:

A Company: Muirhall, Hamilton

B Company: Muirhall, Hamilton

C Company: Uddingston

D Company: Larkhall, with a drill station at Strathaven

E Company: Bothwell, with a drill station at Palace Colliery

F Company: Blantyre

G Company: Motherwell

H Company: Motherwell

The battalion formed part of the Scottish Rifle Brigade with the Lowland Division.

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the the 6th Battalion (TF), The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The battalion started a new number series beginning at 1 on the 1st April 1908.

3 joined on the 1st April 1908
798 joined on the 26th February 1909

1144 joined on the 8th March 1910

1326 joined on the 9th February 1911
1610 joined on the 15th April 1912
1707 joined on the 4th April 1913
1975 joined on the 26th March 1914
2180 joined on the 7th August 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's number was 1500 he would have joined the battalion between February 1911 and April 1912. Furthermore, if he came from Motherwell, he probably served in G or H Company. 

The photograph on this post shows officers of the 1/6th Battalion. It was published in The Tatler on the 28th April 1915.

You may find these related posts of interest:

1st and 2nd Battalions, Cameronian, Scottish Rifles

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion

5th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

7th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

8th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

Remember. I research soldiers!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8604 joined on the 31st January 1910

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

9403 joined on the 5th August 1914

9638 joined on the 29th September 1914

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

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

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

1st and 2nd Battalions, Cameronian, Scottish Rifles

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion

5th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

6th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

7th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

 

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

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

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) - 7th Battalion (TF) - 1908-1914

Here's another Scottish Rifles post. This time I will be looking at regimental numbering in the 7th Battalion (TF), The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) between 1908 and 1914.

The 7th Battalion was formed on the 1st April 1908 and prior to this had been the 3rd Lanark Rifle Volunteers. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 35 officers and 453 men. Colour Sergeant J L Main was the best shot of the unit. 193 men attended camp in 1908 for 8 days, with 196 men attending for 15 days.

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 8 officers and 774 men and at the annual camp at Troon in 1909, 360 officers and men had attended for eight days whilst 391 officers and men had attended for 15 days. Private W J Clark of A Company was the best shot of the unit. Camp in 1910 was scheduled from the 16th July at Denny.

The battalion was headquartered at Victoria Road, Glasgow and, in common with the 5th and 8th Battalions was administered by the City of Glasgow County Association, drawing all of its recruits from Glasgow. It too formed part of the Scottish Rifle Brigade with the Lowland Division.

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the the 7th Battalion (TF), The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The battalion started a new regimental number series from 1 on the 1st April 1908, the bulk of the numbers in 1908 being issued to serving members of the old Volunteer Force predecessor battalion.

22 joined on the 1st April 1908
554 joined on the 15th March 1909

964 joined on the 9th March 1910

1034 joined on the 28th January 1911
1110 joined on the 30th January 1912
1228 joined on the 5th February 1913
1409 joined on the 21st January 1914
1616 joined on the 7th August 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's number was 1500 he would have joined the battalion between January and August 1914. 

1st and 2nd Battalions, Cameronian, Scottish Rifles

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion

4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion

5th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

6th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

8th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

Remember. I research soldiers!

Drop me a line 

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

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) - 5th Battalion (TF) - 1908-1914

In this post I will look at regimental numbering in the 5th Battalion (TF), The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) between 1908 and 1914.

The 5th Battalion was formed on the 1st April 1908 and prior to this had been the 1st Lanarkshire Volunteer Rifle Corps. The Territorial Year Book for 1909 recorded that the battalion strength was 40 officers and 592 men. Sergeant D Reid was the best shot of the unit. Thirty officers and 339 men attended camp in 1908 for 8 days, with eight officers and 123 men attending for 15 days.

The following year, The Territorial Year Book for 1910 recorded that the strength was 37 officers and 896 men and at the annual camp at Troon in 1909, 531 officers and men had attended for eight days whilst 313 officers and men had attended for 15 days. Colour-Sergeant Instructor Kensit was the best shot of the unit. Camp in 1910 was scheduled from the 16th July at Denny.

The battalion was headquartered at 261 West Princes Street, Glasgow and, togther with the 7th and 8th Battalions of the same regiment, was administered by the City of Glasgow County Association. The battalion drew all of its recruits from the City of Glasgow and formed part of the Scottish Rifle Brigade with the Lowland Division.

Here are some sample regimental numbers and joining dates for the the 5th Battalion (TF), The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). Unlike the majority of newly formed Territorial Force battalions, the 5th Scottish Rifles did not start a new regimental number series from 1 but carried on from where the old Volunteer Force numbering had left off.

5161 joined on the 13th April 1908
5882 joined on the 22nd March 1909

6106 joined on the 17th February 1910

6268 joined on the 15th March 1911
6345 joined on the 23rd February 1912
6601 joined on the 9th May 1913
6736 joined on the 27th January 1914
6820 joined on the 5th August 1914

The battalion reached the number 9999 in September 1915 and then commenced a new number series beginning from 1. (So beware gleeful eBay sellers proclaiming "low number!" when selling their 5th Battalion Scottish Rifles medals. Here, a low number does not equal an early enlistment. Gets me every time).

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's number was 6000 he would have joined the battalion between March 1909 and February 1910. 

The photo on this post shows officers of the 1/5th Battalion. It was published in The Tatler on the 28th April 1915.

Also see these related posts:

1st and 2nd Battalions, Cameronian, Scottish Rifles

3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion

6th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

7th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

8th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

Remember. I research soldiers!

Drop me a line 

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

1911 census revelations

Some while ago I wrote a post called Unpicking the 1911 census in which I demonstrated how men of the 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment had been enumerated. I continue to unpick the 1911 census myself and have set myself the task this year of completing a full transcription of all men serving overseas in 1911. I began this project some while ago, one of several uncompleted transcription or editing tasks that I aim to complete in 2018.

The 1911 census of the British Army is important because it is a virtual census of a large portion of the 1914 British Expeditionary Force. Men enumerated in 1911 would, for the most part, still be serving - or on the Army Reserve - in August 1914, and understanding how the census was compiled can add useful information about soldiers for whom no service record now survives.

For the most part, and talking about infantry only for the time being, men tended to be enumerated in two main ways: by company, or in order of longevity or seniority. Officers may or may not be enumerated separately.

In the screen shot below, I have added regimental numbers by searching for the men on my British Army Ancestors website. It's  a very easy process. I looked for the man with most unusual name - in this case, DULIEU - and typed in WILLIAM DULIEU RIFLES. That gave me his regimental number 3573. I then typed DERMODY RIFLES which gave me that man's number, 4430.

You can see that I have also added regimental numbers for some other men; the point being that I wanted to prove my theory correct, that these men had been enumerated in order of seniority, or longevity, or regimental number order; call it what you will, they all amount to the same thing. 

I had thought this regimental number precedence probably was the system in play when I noticed senior NCOs interspersed with privates, and so I'm feeling rather smug that I proved myself correct.  Better still, some of these men have surviving service records in WO 97 (and WO 363 and WO 364). 4487 Hugh Bonar is a case in point here. He joined the Cameronians in 1892 and was discharged as Time Expired in 1913 having completed 21 years exactly. He was appointed lance-corporal in March 1905 but reverted to private in November that year at his own request.

The photo above shows officers of the 2nd Battalion, Cameronians in Malta in 1913.

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Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) - Other rank PoWs 1914

The 32 men on this roll call of Scottish Rifles soldiers captured by the German on or before Christmas Day 1914 appears on two lists now catalogued and held by the Imperial War Museum:

• B.O.2 1/294 is a three-page typed list, compiler and date unknown.
• B.O.2 1/296 is a three-page handwritten letter and list from the Prisoners of War Relief, The Cameronians, dated 27th December 1918. 

8447 Lance-Corporal Henry Ash 
8448 Sergeant Alfred Ash 
9519 Private H G Austin 
6102 Private R Beats 
8522 Private T Blackwell 
10669 Private G Brooks 
Sergeant George Buckley 
8498 Sergeant E J Buss 
10871 Private P Byrne 
8383 Private W F Carey 
7732 Private J Conroy 
11132 Private D Cruickshank 
8745 Private F G Dawson 
8287 Private J Fergus 
10948 Private J B Galvin 
7689 Private D W Gilchrist 
9209 Private/Piper C Gullan 
8592 Private H Leavens 
7744 Private Alfred George Mackie 
8512 Private E Mann 
10865 Private J Mason 
13286 G B McGuire 
9653 Private R Murphy 
11083 Private R Neild 
8190 Private W Potter 
10879 Private J C Roberts 
8669 Private E Smith 
7629 Private J Stewart 
7193 Colour-Sergeant D Taylor 
9530 Private S Wood 
10803 Private J Wray 
9530 A B Wray

The first two men on this list, Alfred and Henry Ash, were presumably brothers who enlisted together, were possibly captured together, and may have been incarcerated together as well. There's probably a decent research project there for someone, and I'm sure that the ICRC website has more details on when they were captured and where they were held. Any errors in the transcription of these banes are mine.

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

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 1881-1914 - 1st and 2nd Battalions

The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) were formed on 1st July 1881; the 1st Battalion from the 26th (The Cameronian) Regiment of Foot, and the 2nd Battalion from the 90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers) (Light Infantry).  

There are over 28,000 Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 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 Scottish Rifles 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.

Along with The Highland Light Infantry, the Scottish Rifles was established as the county regiment for Lanarkshire and started numbering from 1 in 1881.

195 joined on 13th December 1881

363 joined on 8th June 1882
494 joined on 18th April 1883
1121 joined on 29th July 1884
1481 joined on 9th April 1885
1957 joined on 19th April 1886
2498 joined on 18th April 1887
2753 joined on 2nd June 1888
2921 joined on 11th January 1889
3179 joined on 25th March 1890
3819 joined on 4th February 1891
4307 joined on 1st January 1892
4777 joined on 15th September 1893
4942 joined on 3rd February 1894
5262 joined on 7th May 1895
5546 joined on 4th August 1896

5890 joined on 18th June 1897
6062 joined on 21st January 1898
6369 joined on 9th January 1899
6804 joined on 20th February 1900 

The Scottish Rifles fielded two volunteer service companies during the South African War and also sent a further draft of 38 men to join the 2nd VSC.

Men joining the 1st VSC were issued numbers within the range 7820 to 7981.  Some 2nd VSC men were also issued with numbers in this range, from 7939 onwards.  The bulk of the 2nd VSC men were issued numbers within the range 7984 to 8082. The thirty-eight men who joined the 3rd VSC were given numbers 8093 to 8131.  All Scottish Rifles VSC numbers were issued in early 1900.

On 17th February 1900, the 1st VSC comprising three officers – Captain J W Young, Lieutenant A A Kennedy and Lieutenant Clarke - and 113 men, embarked aboard SS Gascon for South Africa.

7294 joined on 8th May 1901
7435 joined on 2nd January 1902

7780 joined on 11th February 1903
8511 joined on 19th July 1904
9102 joined on 14th December 1905
9188 joined on 28th March 1906
9551 joined on 7th May 1907
10113 joined on 21st September 1908
10312 joined on 26th January 1909
10444 joined on 12th March 1910
10520 joined on 3rd February 1911
10783 joined on 6th July 1912
10941 joined on 11th January 1913
11150 joined on 2nd March 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 10th January 1891, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) recruited 3,753 men, an average of 392 soldiers a year and the eleventh best recruitment rate of all the British infantry regiments that decade.  This however, was to be the regiment’s best showing and recruitment into the regiment would show marked dips over the next two decades.

Between the 10th January 1891 and the 8th May 1901, The Scottish Rifles recruited 3,541 men, an average of 343 men per annum, and in the period 8th May 1901 to the 3rd February 1911, recruitment dropped again to an average of 331 men per year. From having been the 11th most successful recruiting regiment by January 1891, twenty years later the regiment had fallen to 37th position.

Overall, between 1st July 1881 and 3rd February 1911, The Scottish Rifles recruited 10,520 men, bang on the national average of 355 men a year.

1st Battalion stations 1881-1914

1881     Shornecliffe

1884     Glasgow

1886     Cork

1892     Aldershot

1894     Plymouth

1894     India

1897     Rhaniket

1899     Lucknow

1904     Nowshera

1909     Cawnpore

1909     South Africa

1912     Glasgow

1914     France & Flanders (from August)

2nd Battalion stations 1881-1914

1881     Bengal

1885     Cawnpore

1889     Ranikhet

1892     Jubbulpore

1895     England

1897     Parkhurst

1899     Gibraltar

1899     South Africa

1907     Aldershot

1910     Malta

1914     France & Flanders (from November)

Also see these related posts regarding regimental numbering in the regiment's four Territorial Force battalions:

5th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

6th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

7th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

8th Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

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

Further reading:

With the 8th Scottish Rifles 1914-1919

From the Naval and Military Press:

"The 8th Battalion Scottish Rifles (Cameronians), which was based in Glasgow, was part of the Scottish Rifle Brigade (later 156th), Lowland Division (later 52nd). In May 1915 it sailed, with the division, for Gallipoli where it landed on 14th June. During the fighting at Gully Ravine only two weeks after landing the battalion lost 25 officers and 448 men; only four of the officer casualties ever returned to serve with the battalion. Following the action the 7th Battalion (which had also suffered heavily) and the 8th formed a composite battalion which was eventually taken off the Peninsula on 9th January 1916 and went to Egypt, where, after a few weeks, it was reorganized into the two battalions. The division took over part of the Suez Canal Defences and in August 1916 the battalion fought in the battle of Romani in which its casualties totalled 3 officers and 31 other ranks. Subsequently the battalion fought in Palestine at the battles of Gaza and took part in operations leading to the capture of Jerusalem.

"In April1918 the 52nd Division was sent to France and in June the battalion was transferred to the re-constituted 34th Division (103rd Brigade) with which it took part in the Advance to Victory. After the armistice the 34th Division was selected for the march into Germany and with it went the 8th Scottish Rifles. The author, who commanded the battalion from June 1917, originally intended this to be an official history of the 8th Scottish Rifles, but he found the records were not complete, in addition to which friends and colleagues were suggesting that a personal touch would make the book more interesting and acceptable to the prospective readers, and that is how he wrote it. This is apparent in the observations and criticisms he makes which would have been out of place in an official version. In a series of appendices there is a very brief account of the second and third line battalions, neither of which went on active service.

"The roll of officers, by companies, who embarked with the battalion for Gallipoli is given as is the Roll of Honour, the summary of casualties (1976 in all of whom 628 were dead), and the list of Honours and Awards."