Showing posts with label Stirling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stirling. Show all posts

24 October 2015

1st Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders - Boer War casualties


I was in Stirling yesterday and took the opportunity to visit the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders regimental museum in the castle. Just before you enter the castle proper there is a memorial to the men of the 1st Battalion who lost their lives during the Boer War.


The panel above is interesting, bearing in mind that the memorial was unveiled in 1907, twenty-six years since the 91st Regiment of Foot had ceased to exist. And yet the regimental pride is reserved for the old 91st, with the 1st Battalion and the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders relegated to terms within parantheses.

 
Officers and NCOs are listed in order of seniority, so note that Lieutenant Hunter of the 4th Volunteer Battalion, ranks below the two second lieutenants of the 1st Battalion. I am guessing that Lieutenant Hunter was one of the officers of the Volunteer Service Company. The officers recorded are:
 
Major S L Robinson
Captain E C H Grant
Lieutenant C E Courtenay
Second Lieutenant W V St C McLaren
Second Lieutenant W B King
Lieutenant J Hunter


Unusually, and helpfully, the regimental numbers of all NCOs and rank and file are also recorded on the memorial and I list these men below in regimental number order.

Private Collins was the longest serving soldier and must have enlisted in 1882. I have noted enlistment years next to the men, and also see my post on regimental numbering in the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.


152 Private F Collins [1882]
1060 Private A Fraser [1883]
1279 Private C Trew [1884]
1386 Colour-Sergeant J W Gilbery [1884]
1615 Private W M Coyne [1884]
1733 Private J Kidney [1885]
1981 Private E Perry [1885]
1982 Colour-Sergeant D Christison [1885]
2076 Private J Gray [1886]
2633 Colour-Sergeant D W Hope [1887]
2745 Private R Reid [1887]
2757 Corporal T Pagan [1887]
2808 Private D Milne [1888]
2817 Private J Wiggins [1888]
2845 Private D Anderson [1888]
2867 Private A E Campbell [1888]
2935 Private W Mansfield [1888]
2960 Private J Merrilees [1888]
2963 Private A Reid [1888]
2988 Private W Harley [1888]
3053 Lance-Sergeant W Matthews [1889]
3081 Private H Boyce [1889]
3084 Private C Giles [1889]
3085 Private H Taylor [1889]
3115 Private J Donald [1889]
3119 Private P Bliss [1889]
3209 Sergeant A Barber [1889]
3254 Private J Hamilton [1889]
3261 Corporal E P Rose [1889]
3271 Private W Kay [1889]
3331 Private F Johnstone [1889]
3358 Lance-Corporal J Dodds [1889]
3373 Private D Gordon [1889]
3421 Private H Sweeney [1890]
3423 Private W Glossop [1890]
3537 Private J Evans [1890]
3542 Private H Austin [1890]
3605 Private C McKenzie [1890]
3632 Private C Giles [1890]
3635 Corporal T H Templeman [1890]
3722 Private W Tring [1890]
3723 Private R Fraser [1890]
3743 Private E Millen [1890]
3762 Corporal J Mowatt [1890]
3797 Private D McGregor [1890]
3820 Private M Delanty [1890]
3844 Private J Scott [1890]
3860 Private J Gilfether [1890]
3863 Private C McWhirter [1890]
3994 Private F Alford [1891]
4045 Private A Rushforth [1891]
4059 Private J McAnally [1891]
4065 Private J Hay [1891]
4080 Private A E Baker [1891]
4097 Private J Fulbrooke [1891]
4149 Private J Drysdale [1891]
4189 Private J McFarlane [1891]
4205 Private W Kitchen [1891]
4215 Private R Ward [1891]
4234 Private M Edwards [1891]
4236 Private N Shelfer [1891]
4245 Sergeant A K Smith [1891]
4316 Private W J Ward [1891]
4405 Sergeant B J C Kelly [1892]
4494 Private B McDermott [1892]
4537 Private M McMillan [1892]
4557 Private W Patterson [1892]
4714 Lance-Corporal A S Inglis [1893]
4759 Private J McKean [1893]
4802 Sergeant J E Meredith [1893]
4857 Private J Graham [1893]
4864 Sergeant W E Smith [1893]
4927 Private J Kennedy [1893]
4951 Lance-Corporal H Harvey [1893]
5040 Lance-Corporal H Waters [1894]
5122 Private J Campbell [1894]
5183 Sergeant D Morrison [1894]
5222 Private T Littlewood [1894]
5236 Private C Scott [1894]
5247 Corporal D Millar [1894]
5264 Lance-Corporal W T Bevan [1894]
5317 Lance-Corporal J Peebles [1895]
5444 Sergeant H Wigston [1895]
5520 Corporal C Jamieson [1895]
5664 Private H Bowman [1896]
5671 Private T Wilkie [1896]
5972 Private A Davidson [1896]
6049 Private W Johnstone [1897]
6115 Private A Wintrup [1897]
6141 Private J Howden [1897]
6147 Private J MacBeth [1897]
6164 Private J Mathieson [1897]
6283 Private T Williamson [1897]
6311 Private M Ross [1897]
6331 Private T Logan [1897]
6348 Private R Tait [1897]
6377 Private J Russell [1897]
6406 Private R Liddle [1898]
6435 Private T Lamie [1898]
6438 Private R Gillon [1898]
6442 Private A Luke [1898]
6476 Private A Greig [1898]
6514 Private J Wilson [1898]
6517 Private J Patterson [1898]
6532 Private A Hyndman [1898]
6550 Private A Carlyle [1898]
6551 Private J MacDonald [1898]
6552 Private A McNeil [1898]
6559 Lance-Corporal D Melville [1898]
6587 Private D McGillivrary [1898]
6599 Private J Russell [1898]
6611 Private H Thompson [1898]
6631 Private D Kennaway [1898]
6690 Private J Seeley [1898]
6707 Private J Ferguson [1898]
6744 Private J McAnally [1898]
6790 Private P Mattison [1898]
6820 Private W Mowbray [1899]
6841 Private P Cailey [1899]
6845 Private N Crawford [1899]
6862 Private W F Shore [1899]
6889 Lance-Corporal J Stenhouse [1899]
6945 Lance-Corporal R Wain [1899]
7000 Private J Wain [1899]
7009 Private W Somerville [1899]
7032 Private J Henderson [1899]
7072 Private W Duncan [1899]
7133 Private J McDougall [1899]
7136 Private J Currie [1899]
7152 Private A Russell [1899]
7284 Private J Campbell [1899]
7301 Private W L Fitzwilliams [1899]
7302 Private D W Moore [1899]
7303 Private J Morrison [1899]
7308 Private W R Kelly [1899]
7323 Private W Gillespie [1900]
7876 Private J G Farquhar [1901]

The following five men all served with Volunteer Service Companies (VSCs) attached to the 1st Battalion. They had formerly served as part-time soldiers with the Volunteer Force but were discharged and then re-enlisted in order to serve with the regulars for a term of one year or the duration  of the war. I have written more about the VSCs elsewhere.

The first three men listed here certainly enlisted in 1900, whereas Clanachan and Williams probably enlisted later, possibly in 1901.

8450 Private T M Stevenson [1900]
8535 Private J Gilmour [1900]
8544 Lance-Corporal R Aitken [1900]
8708 Private J Clanachan
8714 Private C Williams


Finally, it is interesting to recall the disposition of the two battalions at the outbreak of the Boer War. The 1st Battalion was the home battalion whilst the 2nd Battalion was the overseas battalion, stationed in India. It would remain in India and thus it was that the 1st Battalion, largely populated by new recruits, soon to be augmented by reservists, which was despatched to South Africa.

Excluding the five men who served with the VSCs, there are 136 NCOs and rank and file listed on this memorial, and of these, 40 men had joined in 1898 or later.

For further information on this memorial and the men whose names are inscribed upon it, have a look at the relevant Roll of Honour website page.

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

24 February 2009

7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

The 7th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, was a Territorial Force (TF) battalion which, at the beginning of 1914, was headquartered at Stirling. A Company drew men from Stirling, B Company from Stenhousemuir, C Company from Falkirk, D Company from Lennoxtown, E and H Companies from Alloa, F Company from Alva and G Company from Kinross. (Source: The Territorial Force 1914 - Ray Westlake).

The battalion, formed in 1908, took in men who had previously served with the 4th Volunteer Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

The numbering series used for the 7th A&S Highlanders appears to be a good deal less complicated than that used for the 6th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. Typically, there is an exception and that appears to be those D Company men who joined at Lennoxtown and Kilsyth (which is where the drill station for D Company was situated). Up until the end of 1911 at least, their army service numbers appear to be out of step with men joining the other companies.

The following sequences to the end of 1911 show sample army service numbers for the 7th A&S Highlanders. Locations indicated in square brackets are the places of joining. Kilsyth & Lennoxtown men in blue.

Service records for ALL of the army service numbers listed on this post, survive in the WO 363 (burnt documents) and WO 364 (penison) series at the National Archives. They can all be accessed on-line via Ancestry.co.uk

1909
880 joined on 12th January [Falkirk]
942 joined on 7th February [Kilsyth]
1006 joined on 28th January [E - Falkirk]
1016 joined on 25th March [Falkirk]
1038 joined on 8th April [Lennoxtown]
1062 joined on 4th March [Kelty]
1157 joined on 7th April [Kinross]

1910
1219 joined on 24th February [Kilsyth]
1249 joined on 9th February [E - Falkirk]
1285 joined on 23rd April [Kilsyth]
1287 joined on 23rd April [Kilsyth]
1322 joined on 16th December [Kilsyth]
1330 joined on 1st November [Falkirk]

1911
1324 joined on 16th January [Lennoxtown]
1334 joined on 20th February [Falkirk]
1349 joined on 15th March [Kilsyth]
1350 joined on 30th January [Stenhousemuir]
1353 joined on 31st January [Larbert]
1381 joined on 1st April [Kelty]
1382 joined on 11th April [Kelty]
1384 joined on 24th April [Alloa]
1403 joined on 2nd November [Lennoxtown]
1411 joined on 8th November [Lennoxtown]
1415 joined on 7th November [Kinross]

Now admittedly, what I have published above is a very small sample of army service numbers and joining dates for the 7th A&S Highlanders and I would love to see further evidence to support my theory that D Company men were - up until 1911 at least, and for want of a better term - out of kilter with the other companies. By 1912, as I say, the numbering appears to have settled down. I've added some six digit numbers into this following sequence. These were issued when the TF was re-numbered in 1917.

1912
1438 joined on 17th January [Falkirk]
1467 joined on 29th January [Larbert]
1492 joined on 2nd February [Alva]
1515 joined on 18th March [Kilsyth]
1518 joined on 18th March [Kilsyth] later re-numbered 275112
1523 joined on 20th March[Kilsyth]
1534 joined on 26th March[Kinross]
1539 joined on 26th March [Kilsyth]
1553 joined on 27th March [Kilsyth] later re-numbered 275127
1567 joined on 2nd April [Denny]
1583 joined on 18th April [Kelty]
1594 joined on 16th April [Alloa]
1624 joined on 16th May [Alloa] later re-numbered 275160
1625 joined on 17th May [Alloa]
1665 joined on 31st July [Falkirk]
1689 joined on 6th November [Kilsyth]
1701 joined on 14th November [Falkirk] later re-numbered 275196
1727 joined on 5th December [Falkirk]

Here are some further sample army service numbers for the 7th A&S Highlanders from 1913 until 1916.

1784 joined on 21st January 1913
2132 joined on 31st March 1914
2248 joined on 11th August 1914
2359 joined on 7th September 1914
3004 joined on 14th October 1914
3151 joined on 2nd November 1914
3750 joined on 1st February 1915
3821 joined on 20th March 1915
4166 joined on 22nd April 1915
4181 joined on 3rd May 1915
4329 joined on 9th June 1915
4393 joined on 27th July 1915
4433 joined on 19th August 1915
4449 joined on 11th October 1915
4598 joined on 3rd November 1915
4745 joined on 24th January 1916
4824 joined on 2nd March 1916
5018 joined on 27th April 1916
5285 joined on 18th May 1916
5519 joined on 1st June 1916
6166 joined on 4th August 1916
6511 joined on 5th September 1916
6704 joined on 23rd October 1916
6838 joined on 29th November 1916
7274 joined on 29th December 1916

When the Territorial Force was re-numbered in 1917, the 7th A&S Highlanders (as can be seen above) were issued numbers within the block 275001 to 300000.

BEWARE!
As I have illustrated above, it is wrong to assume that numbering sequences in battalions always followed a sequential pattern. They didn't. As the war progressed and casualties grew, large numbers of men were often transferred from one battalion to another and allocated numbers within blocks which did not fit the sequential patterning seen to date. This becomes particularly evident in most battalions from 1916 onwards.


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

Also see my posts regarding army service numbers issued to men in the following Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders battalions:

1st & 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders 1881-1914
3rd (Special Reserve) & 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion A&S Highlanders
5th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (TF)
6th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (TF)
8th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (TF)
9th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (TF)
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders service battalions 1914-1917


The First World War

Two further battalions were formed during the First World War, the 2/7th and 3/7th Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. The original, 7th Battalion became the 1/7th and, from January 1915, formed part of the 4th Division. In March 1916 it transferred to the 51st (Highland) Division.



The Naval and Military Press has re-published the 51st Divisional History. Here's what it says:

"The Highland Division was one of the pre-war Territorial divisions. Its HQ was in Perth with brigade HQs in Aberdeen, Inverness and Stirling. On mobilization the division moved down to its war station in Bedford where it remained, carrying out training till embarking for France in May 1915. During this period six of its battalions were sent to France, three in November 1914 and three in the following March, replaced by two Highland battalions and a brigade of four Lancashire battalions; it is not clear whether the latter were required to wear kilts. They were transferred to the 55th (West Lancashire) Division when that division reformed in France in January 1916 and were replaced, appropriately, by Scottish battalions. It was in May 1915, just as the division arrived in France, that it was designated 51st and the brigades 152nd, 153rd and 154th; by the end of the war the 51st (Highland) Division had become one of the best known divisions in the BEF."

I haven't read this divisional history but I do have an original copy of Fifty-First in France which I would recommend and which has also been re-published by N&M Press:



Here's the blurb:

"The author served in the 7th Battalion (TF) Gordon Highlanders, 153rd Brigade, 51st Highland Division, and the period covered in the book runs from their departure for France on 3rd May 1915 to the capture of Beaumont Hamel by the division on 13th November 1916. This is an unusual piece of work in that it is partly personal reminiscence and partly an account of his brigade and division in action. Thus we have extracts from his ‘trench journal’ on various dates describing his battalion’s experiences, but these are often set against a background of the brigade or division operations. It does not replace a divisional history as such but it certainly does give a very good picture of the Highland division at war and of a Highland battalion at war. Names of personalities mentioned are for real - not pseudonyms. This is a well-written account and a very satisfactory read but lacks maps and an index."

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