Dorset Regiment - Missing 1914

I've already published a list of Dorsetshire Regiment NCOs and men who were taken prisoner of war in 1914 and so I suppose you'd have to consider this post to be a companion piece. I think it's useful however, because as well as  serving to illustrate the errors that are to be found in newspaper lists, it also highlights the additional information that you can glean if you read between the lines.

On the 8th December 1914, The Times included a list of 201 missing Dorsetshire Regiment men in its daily casualty list. The men were reported under the date 4th November 1914 and the information printed in The Times included the man's regimental number, rank, forename initial and last name. I have expanded this list to include full name - where possible - subsequent status (eg KiA, PoW etc) and anomalies. Here are their names:

7330 L-Cpl John Abbott; SWB
7746 Pte Albert Andrews; KiA 13 Oct 1914
6960 Pte John James Anthony; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7999 Pte George A Armstrong; PoW
9036 Cpl Alfred Arnell; KiA 13 Oct 1914
5967 Pte Edward R H Banbur;y PoW
5898 Pte John William Barnes; PoW
6223 L-Cpl Francis Alfred Barnett; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7716 Pte George W Barrett; PoW. Times gives forename initials E W
8002 Pte Charles Beale; PoW
8630 A-Sgt Frank Bear; PoW. Times gives forename initial M
8843 Pte Walter Beer; PoW
6339 Pte John W Belcher; PoW
3/6520 Pte John William Bishop; PoW. Times gives forename initials G W. Times omits 3/ prefix.
6913 Cpl Robert C Boorer; KiA 13 Oct 1914
9544 Pte Henry E Bowen; PoW
9525 Pte Alfred J Bown; PoW
7455 Pte William J Bray; PoW
9228 L-Cpl William Bricker; KiA 13 Oct 1914
8386 Pte Frederick Robert Burt; KiA 13 Oct 1914
8273 Pte George M Cailes; PoW
9453 Pte Christopher Cales; PoW
7698 Pte Frederick Calley; PoW
9541 Pte Percy Carr;  PoW
7211 Pte Albert Carter; PoW
3/6048 Pte Frederick Cave; PoW
7059 Pte James Chrystal; PoW
6633 Pte Herbert Clare; PoW
7743 Dmr William E Clarke; PoW
9411 L-Cpl Horace Collier; KiA 13 Oct 1914
6985 Pte Albert G Collieson; PoW
7701 L-Cpl Albert Constable; PoW
7517 Pte Percy J Couch; PoW
8041 Pte John R Cox; PoW
7515 L-Cpl Alfred F Creasey; PoW
8020 Pte Walter Cripps; PoW
6456 Pte Thomas Crook; KiA 13 Oct 1914
3/5747 L-Cpl Lawrence Dalton; PoW. Times omits 3/ prefix.
7261 Pte Edwin Day; KiA 13 Oct 1914
3/5533 Pte Albert Dethridg;e PoW
9343 Pte John W Dewson; KiA 13 Oct 1914
5837 Pte Sidney Dicker; PoW
8079 Pte William Dimes; KiA 13 Oct 1914
6666 Pte George W S Dodd; PoW
6991 L-Cpl Archibald S Douglas; PoW
7384 Pte Bertram Drake; PoW
9597 Pte Alphonse Drumond; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7568 Pte Edward Early; PoW
6908 Pte Thomas W E Edwards; PoW
7799 Pte William V Elford; PoW
6821 Pte Jesse A Ely; PoW. Times gives forename intials A J
3/6355 Pte William Fee; PoW. Times omits 3/ prefix.
9707 Pte Albert H Fletcher; PoW
9501 Pte William G Forse; PoW
7998 Pte Albert B Frampton; PoW
7493 Pte William Charles Francis; KiA 18 Oct 1914
7348 L-Cpl Charles E Franklin; PoW. Times gives FRANKLYN
6626 Pte Richard M Gale; PoW
3/5523 L-Cpl George Garrett; PoW. Times omits 3/ prefix.
7288 Pte George Garrod; PoW
6151 Pte Ernest E Gatehouse; PoW. Times gives forename intials E F
4312 Pte Walter Gawler; PoW
7179 L-Cpl James Gibbons; PoW
8474 L-Cpl John W Gough; PoW
8029 Pte William Goulding KiA 13 Oct 1914
7275 Pte Harry J Grace; PoW
6547 Pte Frederick Gray; PoW
3/5529 L-Cpl Walter Grew; PoW. Times omits 3/ prefix.
7196 Pte Harry N Griggs; PoW
8204 Pte Ernest Groves; PoW 7143 Pte John H Gurnett PoW
7197 Pte Walter H Guy; PoW
6399 Pte James Harding; PoW
7929 Pte Albert H Harris; PoW. Times gives forename intials A F
3/5494 Cpl Edward Hart;  PoW 8021 Pte Harry Harvey PoW. Times omits 3/ prefix.
8382 Sgt Henry J Hatton; PoW
7618 Pte Albert Hawkins; PoW
6836 Pte Alfred Hayles; PoW
7495 Pte Fred Hayward; PoW
7747 Pte Arthur Hewitt; PoW
8059 Pte Henry Hillman; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7636 Pte Herbert H Hodges; PoW
5653 Pte Percy James Holyoake; KiA 13 Oct 1914
6034 L-Cpl Frederick Charles Holt; KiA 13 Oct 1914
6276 Pte Frederick Hooper; PoW
6341 Pte James Houghton; PoW
7988 Pte Harry E House; PoW
5871 Pte Samuel I House; PoW
8028 Pte William A Hunt; PoW
9222 Pte Herbert George Hurley; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7317 Pte George Hussey; KiA 13 Oct 1914
 6592 Pte Benjamin Hyde; KiA 13 Oct 1914
6889 Pte Henry Irving; PoW
7571 Pte Herbert George Jacomb; KiA 13 Oct 1914
8479 Pte Frank Herbert Jeans; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7413 Pte Walter R Jessop; PoW
6807 Pte Edward L Johnson; PoW
6996 Pte Jack Keech; KiA 13 Oct 1914
8042 Pte Bertie O Keel; PoW. Times gives forename initial E
8643 Pte William H Kellow; PoW
7140 A-Sgt Daniel Kenny; PoW
9403 Pte G King; PoW
9339 Pte Alfred E Kingswell; PoW
6456 Pte Ernest Lambert; PoW. Times gives regimental number 6546
3/5563 Pte Frank T Lawer; PoW. Times omits 3/ prefix.
9446 Pte Arthur F Le Huquet; PoW. Times gives forename intitials A S
6199 Pte Bernard Linham; PoW. Times gives forename initial, E. This man has a report in WO 161
7246 Pte Walter Henry Linham; KiA 13 Oct 1914
9558 L-Cpl James Lawrence Edward Lock; PoW. Times gives forename intitials H J E
8416 L-Cpl Thomas Low; PoW
5472 Cpl Henry Lowe; PoW
5513 Pte Fred Lusty; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7875 Pte William Thomas McKenzie; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7512 Pte Charles Macey; MIC not found
8606 L-Cpl Harry Main; PoW
9575 Pte William T Maney; PoW. Times gives forename intitials W J
8013 Pte Joseph T T Maple; PoW. Times gives forename intitial T
7542 Pte Silas Martin; PoW
7507 A-Sgt William J Matcham; PoW
6347 Pte Arthur Louis Mear; KiA 13 Oct 1914
6559 Pte Frederick G Meech; PoW. Times gives forename intitials G F
7271 L-Cpl Sidney C Mockridge; PoW
6375 Pte Thomas Morey; PoW
5346 Pte William Murphy; PoW
7409 Pte Alfred Myerson; PoW
7729 Pte John Naylor; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7104 L-Cpl Harry Needle; PoW
8178 Pte George Newman; PoW
6938 Pte George J Newman; PoW
7808 Pte George Newman; PoW
9517 Pte John O Newton; PoW
7302 Pte Thomas Nichols; PoW
6874 Pte Herbert H Norman; PoW. Times gives forename initials H A
8009 Pte Thomas Norman; PoW
6851 Pte F Norris; PoW
7181 Pte R J Northover; PoW
9622 Pte F Northover; PoW
6374 Pte Clarence William Orchard; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7155 Pte George A Parker; PoW
7206 L-Cpl George Pearce; KiA 13 Oct 1914
6881 Pte Henry Pearce; PoW
7948 L-Cpl John E Pearcey; PoW. Times gives forename initial E.
9572 Pte George Walter Penfold; KiA 13 Oct 1914
6549 Pte George F Perry; PoW
8863 Pte Charles George Peskett; PoW
6234 Pte John Pike; PoW
8099 Pte Arthur Pink; KiA 13 Oct 1914
9545 Pte Charles Edmund Prestwick; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7663 Sgt Reginald Quinton; PoW
6854 Pte Arthur Rabbitt; PoW
8145 L-Cpl George Raisey; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7128 Pte Samuel Reed; PoW
5987 Pte Frederick Rideout; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7687 Pte Henry J Riggs; PoW
7564 Pte Walter J Riggs; PoW. Times gives forename inititials W T
7293 Pte William S Robins;  PoW
6662 Pte George H Rowe; PoW. Times gives regimental number 6663
6516 Pte William Richard Salisbury; KiA 13 Oct 1914
5977 Pte Sidney Thomas Sandford; KiA 13 Oct 1914
3/6000 Pte William C Sargeant; PoW. Times omits 3/ prefix.
7759 Sgt John Scott; PoW
9566 Pte Robert E Sewell; PoW
9550 Pte Harry S Seymour; PoW
8532 Pte Frank Sharp; PoW
7135 Pte Frank J Sharpe; KiA 13 Oct 1914
3/5538 L-Cpl John Shepherd PoW
8373 Pte Arthur Shiner; PoW
7494 Pte Arthur Slade; KiA 13 Oct 1914
3/6345 Pte William H Smith; PoW. Times omits 3/ prefix.
7754 Pte Gerald Snook; PoW
9174 L-Cpl Arthur E Soane; PoW
6340 Pte William G Spear; PoW
6306 Pte James Sperinck PoW. Times gives SPERNICK
9170 L-Cpl Frank Squibb; PoW
8075 Pte John Starmer; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7276 Pte George Sullivan; PoW
6970 Pte John Sullivan; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7738 Pte Ralph Swatridge; PoW
6585 Pte Richard Tarrant; KiA 3 May 1915
7319 Pte Frank Tilley; PoW
6994 Pte Henry Tompkins; PoW
4719 Pte Albert Toohey; PoW
3/7692 Pte Charles Tuck; PoW. Times omits 3/ prefix.
6950 Pte William Charles Uttridge; KiA 13 Oct 1914
8333 Cpl William Vansittart; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7588 Pte Thomas Ward; KiA 13 Oct 1914
7567 Pte Arthur Watton; PoW
7979 Pte Herbert James Watts; KiA 13 Oct 1914
8097 Pte Arthur F Weeks; PoW. Times gives forename initials A S
6860 Pte Alfred L Welch; PoW. Times gives forename initials A O
6964 Pte Albert G Westoby; PoW
7677 Pte Charles J White; PoW
9479 Pte Clarence J White; PoW
8366 Pte Sidney Wilkins; PoW
8493 Pte George O Williams; PoW
6707 L-Cpl Robert T Wills; PoW
7448 Sgt G Wilson; PoW
9417 Pte John W E Wood;  PoW
7857 Pte George Woodrow; PoW
7723 Pte William Zebedee; PoW

The first thing to note, I suppose, is that the vast majority of the men had either been taken prisoner or killed in action. There were only two men I could see who did not fit that category, one of these being discharged in 1915 and subsequently awarded a silver war badge; another man returning to his regiment only to be KiA in 1915.

The second point to note is the date on which the men were killed: 13th October 1914 (with the exception of just two men). This suggest that those men who were captured were also captured on the 13th October 1914, Bernard Linham certainly was because he was subsequently interviewed and has a report in WO 161 which notes that he was wounded and captured on that date.

The third point to note is the number of discrepancies: incorrect initials recorded, typos in the surnames, digits in regimental numbers transposed, regimental number prefixes omitted, and so on. Given that The Times published these list daily, and given the volume of names reported, it's hardly surprising that there would be errors, and I have noticed - as I have been trawling through the casualty lists, transcribing all non-fatal casualties for 1914 - that Irish Regiments are particularly prone to erroneous reporting, The Royal Irish Rifles reported as the Royal Irish Regiment, and vice versa, and the Royal Irish Fusiliers and even Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers incorrectly recorded when the correct regiment should be the Royal Irish Rifles or Royal Irish Regiment. These regiments are all being corrected in my transcribed list which, hopefully, will be complete by 2018.

Nevertheless, these newspaper lists are enormously helpful and in many cases are the only surviving source that will tell you if a man was wounded (which is the reason I am so keen on the non-fatal casualties). Furthermore, if you have access to a local library, you may well find that the library in question can provide you with FREE online access to The Times Archive.  And even if it doesn't, there's always a back-up with Findmypast which, through its partnership with the British Newspaper Archive - has published The Scotsman newspaper for the war years (and more), and within which you can find the same daily casualty lists (albeit with Scottish casualties reported first).

Remember, I research soldiers!

Contact me if you need help.

Dorsetshire & Devonshire Regimental numbers

Today's naughty-step nomination goes to The Keep Military Museum - Home of the Regiments of Devon & Dorset - for lifting information from this blog and publishing it on its Army Numbers page without crediting the source. Not only bad manners, but also poor archival practice, I would have thought.

I am quite happy for the information that I publish here to be used  - after all, that's why I publish it in the first place. But I also expect that if information is re-published elsewhere it should be properly credited. A 'thank you' or better still, a link back to the site is not too much to ask, is it?

And whilst I am at it, I need to correct the information that The Keep has published for the Dorsetshire Regiment (which was obviously NOT lifted from this blog).

1. "By 1899 men in the 1st and 2nd Battalions The Dorsetshire Regiment were being allocated numbers in the 4000-5000 range." Oh no they weren't. The number 4000 had been issued back in August 1893 and 5000 had been issued in August 1896 (4999 was issued to George Smith on the 19th August). By January 1899 the regiment was issuing numbers in the 58** range. For example, George Frampton was given the number 5836 when he joined the regiment at Dorchester on the 9th January 1899.

2. "The 4th Battalion (Territorial Army) were reorganised in 1908 and their numbers started with 1 in that year. Those who served overseas were renumbered in 1917 to a 6 digit number. The 4th Dorsets were allocated a batch of numbers starting with 200,000." Not correct. Back in 1914 it was the Territorial Force (TF), rather than Territorial Army, and it wasn't reorganised in 1908, but rather came into being on the 1st April, replacing the old Volunteer Force. When the TF was re-numbered in 1917, ALL serving members were issued with new five or six-digit numbers. This included not only men who were serving overseas, but men serving at home and even men who had been killed in action weeks or months before but who had not been officially confirmed as having been killed. The number block for the 4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment was 200001 to 225000.

3. "Men in the 5th and 6th Service Battalions of the Dorsetshire Regiment in World War I often had numbers in the 10,000-11,000 range."  Yes they did, but there are also men in the 5th Battalion who had numbers in the late 9,000 range as well. Note too, that many men in these battalions would have had numbers far higher than 11,000. 

It worked like this - and this pattern was replicated across very many line infantry regiments. When new service battalions started to be created in August 1914, the regimental numbers issued to new recruits followed on from the series that had previously been used for men in the regular battalions. The Dorset Regiment had reached 9816 by July 6th 1914, and my lowest August 1914 number is 9828 issued on the 5th August. From this point, men joining the newly formed 5th Battalion (formed in August 1914) would have been issued with numbers in continuation of the regular number series. The 6th Battalion was not formed until September 1914 and by this time the regiment was numbering in the 11000s.

4. "Soldiers with numbers in the 19,000 block were reinforcements sent to the 5th Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment to replace casualties. Many of these came from the 3rd Battalion The Somerset Light Infantry (special reservists) or North Somerset Yeomanry." I didn't know that, and if this is true it's useful information.

5. "The Dorset Yeomanry also had a new figure number system introduced in 1908. In 1916 they too were renumbered using numbers in a batch 230,0001 to 235,000." The Dorset Yeomanry (Queen's Own) started numbering from 1 in April 1908 but they were re-numbered in early 1917, not 1916, and the number block was 230001-235000.

The photo I have used on this post is of Super Nanny Jo Frost and is taken from the BBC News website. (Note to The Keep - that's how you credit someone else's work).

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Dorsetshire Regiment - PoW Other Ranks 1914

Here's another depressingly long roll - 390 names - of regular soldiers of the BEF taken out of action on or before Christmas Day 1914. This is an edited roll of NCOs and men who were serving with the Dorsetshire Regiment at their time of capture. Read more about this data source on my 1914 PoWs page.

This data has been transcribed from the following sources at the Imperial War Museum:

1. B.O.2 1/32 is a typed list of names of men which was sent to Sir Ernest Goodhart by General Secretary G M Willis of the Dorset Guild of Workers on 06/01/1919
2. B.O.2 1/34 is a typed list of names date stamped 03/03/1919 by officer i/c No 2 Record Office, Lennards Buildings, Exeter
3. B.O.2 1/38 is a typed list of WOs, NCOs and men. Although this list (12 pages long) is date-stamped 10 Feb 1919 by the officer in charge No 2 Records, the ranks given appear to pre-date those contained in B.O.2 1/34. Addresses also appear to be less accurate and more prone to typographical error than those in B.O.2 1/34.

Note that names of some men who obviously arrived overseas later than 1914 have been known to appear in these PoW lists.

My full transcription of this Dorsetshire Regiment PoW collection (not reproduced here) also contains the following information against some or all of the names:

Home address
Next of kin
Next of kin's address
Notes

The longest serving man here is 4312 Private Walter Gawler whose number indicates that he enlisted in March 1894, over twenty years before his capture. Twenty-eight of these men were noit regular soldiers at all, but serving with the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion. The majority of these men had been with the battalion for a number of years, some of them for nearly six years, but 7210 Private Henry Chapman had only joined in August 1914 and by rights shouldn't have been overseas at all. His medal index card indicates that he didn't arrive in France until 18th December 1914 and so he must have been captured almost immediately. 

The full transcription is available for sale as a download or CD for £20. Contact me if you would like to purchase a copy.

7330 Lance-Corporal John Abbott
6675 Private Thomas Adams
7049 Private George Akins
7354 Private Arabi A Aldrich
6782 Private J W Allen
7999 Corporal George A Armstrong
5996 Private Frederick G Arnold
9529 Private William C Arnold
7901 Private S S Ashford
5860 Private Ernest John Astridge
7960 Private R Baggs
6825 Private Joseph J Bailey
5826 Private I B Baker
5967 Corporal E R H Banbury
5881 Private H H Barnard
5898 Corporal J W Barnes
7716 Private G W Barrett
3/5744 Private T W Barrett
7084 Private G Bates
6782 Private J W Bayliss
8002 Private C Beale
8630 Sergeant F Bear
8843 Corporal W Beer
6339 Private J W Belcher
7680 Private G Bevis
3/6520 Private J W Bishop
8139 Corporal J L Blunden
7891 Private A A Bodman
5913 Private W Bond
9544 Corporal H E Bowen
9525 Private A J Bown
9370 Corporal W S Brackstone
7455 Corporal W J Bray
9475 Private E Brison
5140 Corporal A W Brown
6452 Private W J Burden
6360 Private C Burns
7021 Private F Butcher
7021 Private F Butcher
9453 Private C Cailes
8273 Private G M Cailes
7698 Bandsman F Calley
7625 Private E Carne
3/5643 Private A Carpenter
9289 Private A S Carpenter
9541 Corporal P Carr
7211 Corporal A E Carter
3/6048 Private F Cave
7504 Private L Chalk
6579 Corporal H Chambers
3/5612 Corporal A R Chandler
3/7210 Private H J Chapman
7735 Private T Chapman
7870 Private J C Cheney
5676 Private A Chilvers
7059 Private J Chrystal
6633 Private H Clare
7086 Private E J Clark
8523 Bandsman E Clarke
7062 Corporal L H Clarke
7743 Drummer W E Clarke
7292 Sergeant E A Clifford
7306 Private F Cobb
9300 Lance-Corporal G Cole
6985 Private Albert George Collieson
7801 Private E Collins
9050 Private J Collinson
7701 Lance-Corporal A Constable
9392 Private W Cooper
7178 Corporal W Copley
7517 Private P J Couch
6687 Private J H Coulston
7630 Private J Cox
8041 Private J R Cox
7515 Corporal A F Creasey
8020 Private W Cripps
9312 Corporal A Crutch
7060 Private J Curtis
3/5747 Corporal L Dalton
6911 Private G Darby
6607 Private G Davis
3/5556 Private D Delaney
9560 Private H G Derrick
3/5533 Private A Dethridge
5837 Private S Dicker
9191 Private F Dicks
7287 Private J J Dine
6666 Private G W Dodd
6991 Lance-Corporal A S Douglas
9526 Drummer C E Downham
7384 Corporal B Drake
6765 Private W H Dubbin
9461 Private F A Dunaway
7744 Lance-Corporal E Dunn
7198 Private C Early
7568 Private E Early
8026 Corporal G A Eaton
6908 Private T Edwards
6937 Private J Eldridge
7799 Private W V Elford
6821 Private A J Ely
6922 Sergeant C Evans
3/6355 Private W Fee
9568 Private E F Fendley
8334 Sergeant W Ferguson
7388 Private E C Finch
6627 Private W Fisher
9707 Private A H Fletcher
6252 Lance-Corporal F L Flower
5873 Private G Follett
9491 Private A E Foot
8022 Private A Ford
9501 Private W G Forse
5929 Private W Fox
7998 Private A Frampton
7348 Corporal C Franklin
6571 Private A French
3/5542 Private F E Fryatt
9235 Corporal B W Fuller
6626 Private M R Gale
6995 Private H Game
3/5523 Corporal G E Garratt
7288 Private G Garrod
5000 Private E Gatehouse
6151 Private E C Gatehouse
8997 Corporal H Gates
8094 Private G A Gattrell
4312 Private W Gawler
7034 Private J Gay
7179 Corporal J Gibbons
8014 Private J F Godwin
8474 Lance-Corporal J W Gough
7275 Private H J Grace
6388 Private W Grainger
9380 Private A Gray
6112 Private B W Gray
6547 Private F Gray
8330 Private A Green
6867 Private C T Greenslade
3/5529 Corporal W Grew
7196 Corporal H M Griggs
9485 Lance-Corporal A V C Grosse
8204 Private E A Groves
9440 Private R A Gundry
7143 Lance-Corporal J H Gurnett
6847 Private H Gustar
7197 Private W H Guy
5943 Lance-Corporal N C Guyatt
8055 Private S Harder
6399 Private J Harding
7929 Private A H Harris
6820 Private H Harris
7602 Private A F Hart
3/5494 Corporal E Hart
8021 Private H Harvey
8342 Private R Harvey
8017 Private H Hasder
7666 Private H Haskell
7484 Private R Haskett
7056 Corporal J Hatch
5374 Corporal H Hatt
8382 Sergeant H J Hatton
6944 Private E J Hawes
9608 Private F W Hawker
7618 Private A Hawkins
8005 Private H Hawkins
6846 Private A G Hawthorne
6836 Private A Hayles
7952 Private E G Hayter
7495 Private F Hayward
7446 Private A Hemmings
7314 Lance-Corporal M Hemmings
7747 Private A Hewitt
6984 Sergeant R Hill
8106 Corporal A J Hinks
8068 Corporal G Hobbs
4411 Private F Hockey
6980 Private I T Hodge
7636 Private H Hodges
3/6653 Private J Holly
6276 Private F Hooper
6809 Bandsman A J Horton
6341 Private J Houghton
7988 Private H E House
7231 Private R S Hunt
8028 Private W A Hunt
6954 Private L M Hunter
5246 Private G H Hutton
8076 Private W G Hyson
6889 Private H Irving
6471 Private J Irving
6632 Private F Jackman
3/5641 Private L James
9477 Lance-Corporal E W Jarvis
7413 Private W R Jessop
9507 Private A F C Jewell
7214 Corporal C Jewell
7470 Private W H Johns
6807 Private E L Johnson
8042 Private B Keel
8307 Private E Keeping
6891 Sergeant W Kell
3/6054 Private R W Kelley
8643 Private W H Kellow
6934 Sergeant J Kelly
6635 Private E Kendall
7140 Sergeant D Kenny
7458 Private A J King
9603 Private G King
7669 Private G Kinge
7339 Private A B Kingswell
6569 Private C W Knight
5804 Corporal J G Knight
6850 Private B Lacy
6456 Private E Lambert
7813 Private F Lamboll
9539 Private W Lane
8183 Private E G Langdown
3/5563 Private F T Lawer
7690 Private A Lawrence
9446 Private A F Le Huquet
6897 Private J Lee
7505 Private E Lewis
6199 Private B Linham
7335 Lance-Corporal J R Little
6479 Corporal A E Loader
9558 Corporal J L E Lock
7667 Private F J Lockyer
6538 Private W Longman
8065 Private F Loveys
8416 Corporal T Low
5472 Corporal H Lowe
8995 Bandsman T Lyons
8606 Corporal H Main
9575 Private W T Maney
7101 Private J H Mann
6295 Private T J Mantell
8013 Private J T Maple
9172 Private F Markham
6458 Private F Martin
7542 Private S Martin
7512 Corporal C Masey
6285 Sergeant T Massey
7507 Sergeant W J Matcham
7983 Lance-Corporal A S H Maunder
7431 Corporal J McDonald
8144 Private A Meaden
6559 Private F G Meech
5551 Sergeant W Mees
7102 Private W Merchant
7186 Private F Miller
7027 Private W C Mitchell
7271 Corporal S G Mockridge
6826 Private H H Moore
6375 Private T Morey
7863 Private W Morgan
5346 Private W Murphy
7189 Private F R Mustchin
7409 Private A Myerson
7104 Lance-Corporal H Needle
6938 Corporal G Newman
7808 Private G Newman
8178 Private G Newman
9517 Private J O Newton
7702 Private F Nicholls
7302 Lance-Corporal T Nichols
6874 Private H Norman
8009 Private T Norman
6851 Private F Norris
7502 Private A Northover
7181 Private B Northover
9622 Private F Northover
7181 Corporal J B Northover
8219 Private A J Offer
7307 Private W Osborne
6916 Corporal F Pallett
7155 Private G A Parker
7205 Private T Parker
3/5696 Private W G Parratt
9452 Private J Paton
5905 Lance-Corporal William J Paull
6831 Private J Paul
8529 Private C G Payne
6800 Private F Payne
6881 Private H Pearce
6621 Private W Pearce
7948 Corporal J E Pearcey
7993 Sergeant E Pendleton
6549 Private F G Perry
8455 Lance-Sergeant W Perry
8863 Private C G Peskett
8994 Bandsman A J Pickett
6234 Private J Pike
6167 Private H Poole
7659 Private G Prosser
7663 Private R Quinton
6854 Corporal A Rabbitt
7128 Private S Reed
6443 Private C P Riggs
7687 Corporal H J Riggs
7564 Corporal W J Riggs
7581 Private H Ripley
7293 Private W S Robins
7437 Private T Roe
6662 Private G H Rowe
5316 Private J Russell
9538 Private G Ryan
9340 Private J Sansome
3/6000 Private W Sargent
7651 Private R Saunders
6878 Private H Scott
7759 Sergeant J Scott
9566 Private R E Sewell
8532 Private F Sharp
8908 Private T Sharrock
3/5538 Private J L Shepherd
3/6475 Sergeant A J Sheppard
8373 Private A Shiner
5821 Private B Shorto
7225 Private R J Sibley
3/6006 Private J Skinner
9229 Lance-Corporal R A Smith
3/6345 Private W A Smith
7754 Corporal G Snook
9174 Corporal A E Soane
9361 Private A Soder
6340 Private W G Spear
7711 Lance-Corporal S Spencer
6306 Private J Sperinck
9170 Lance-Corporal F Squibb
6586 Private F Stacey
7788 Private P Stanley
8853 Private C J Steele
9021 Private L J Stewart
5802 Corporal V W Stickley
9595 Private H Stokes
7276 Corporal G Sullivan
7738 Private R Swatridge
9422 Sergeant V A Taylor
7353 Private H Thompson
7093 Private A Thurlow
9327 Private G W Till
6615 Private J Till
7319 Corporal F Tilley
6676 Private H J Tilley
6994 Private H Tompkins
7283 Private G Tong
4719 Private A E Toohey
8438 Bandsman P F Toop
7606 Private Samuel Townshend
8012 Private W T Trowbridge
7692 Private C Tuck
7273 Private W Tunbridge
9478 Lance-Corporal I Turner
9666 Private W G Vickery
7615 Private T L Walker
7228 Lance-Corporal E F Ward
7567 Private A Watton
8097 Private A F Weeks
7397 Sergeant H W Weightman
6860 Private A L Welch
9178 Corporal F G West
6964 Corporal A G Westoby
9032 Private W J Wetherall
7749 Corporal B H Whensley
7090 Private C White
7662 Corporal C White
7677 Private C White
9499 Private C J White
7721 Private H White
7695 Private T White
3/6050 Corporal W White
3/6769 Private W G White
8366 Private S Wilkins
8493 Corporal G O Williams
3/5826 Private E Wills
6938 Private J Wills
6707 Lance-Corporal R T Wills
7448 Sergeant G Wilson
6361 Corporal A Winand
7435 Private G M Wood
7098 Corporal J Wood
9417 Lance-Corporal J W E Wood
8398 Private G Woodnutt
7857 Private G Woodrow
8006 Private J Wright
9534 Private W A E Wright
6383 Private W J Yeoman
7723 Private W Zebedee

The image on this post shows British troops just prior to the Battle of Mons. I've borrowed it from Bob Osborn's Yeovil History website.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The First World War

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

Recruitment rates 1881-1911

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

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

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

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

1st Battalion stations 1881-1914

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

2nd Battalion stations 1881-1914

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

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