nhclark Posted 25 March , 2009 Share Posted 25 March , 2009 It seems to be somewhat difficult to obtain very much detailed information about the Royal Defence Corps, its numbers and structure. A pal brought to my attention a document at TNA that gives the allocation of RDC companies as at May 1918, and so obtained a copy (despite the extortionate postage charges) and retyped this so that it can be shared. Unfortunately the actual location of the individual companies is not given, but pals may find some useful information below. Every little helps! Note that the run of numbers in each command is not necessarily sequential. ---------------------------------------- ROYAL DEFENCE CORPS May 1918 Number of Protection and Reserve Companies Eastern Command Nos. 51,52,53,55,56,59,60,61,63,64,65,67,68,69,70,71, and 72 Protection Companies Nos. 99 and 100 Reserve Companies Western Command Nos.301,303,306,308,310,311,312,313,314,315,318,319,320,321,327,328,331,332,334, 339 and 341 Protection Companies Nos. 342 and 343 Protection Companies Not yet formed Nos. 348,349 and 350 Reserve Companies Southern Command Nos. 251,252,253,254,257,258,259,261,263,265,267,268,270 and 271 Protection Companies No. 300 Reserve Company London District Command Nos. 103,106,115,116,118,119 and 124 Protection Companies Nos. 112 and 113 Central Reserve Companies No. 150 Reserve (Command) Company Scottish Command Nos. 202,203,206,210,214,215,216 Protection Companies No. 250 Reserve Company Northern Command Nos. 151,153,154,155,156,157,160,161,162,163,164,165,166,168,169,170 Protection Companies Nos. 199 and 200 Reserve Companies Irish Command Nos. 451,452,453,454,455,456,457,458,459,468 Protection Companies Nos. 460,466,467 Provisional Protection Companies No. 500 Reserve Company Aldershot Command Nos. 405 and 406 Protection Companies 9. Guernsey Command No. 167 Protection Company Held in readiness for Ireland Nos. 461 and 462 Provisional Protection Companies from Western Command No. 463 (no designation) No. 464 (no designation) from Eastern Command No. 465 (no designation) from London District. ----------------------------------------------------- Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 26 March , 2009 Share Posted 26 March , 2009 Cheers Noel, this will certainly will be of some use to people. I have the 1916 ORBAT for the RDC, which obviously doesn't contain as many units at that stage. Pity they didn't include unit locations either, which will probably be found in a 'Home Forces' ORBAT, if any have survived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sergeant Major Brian Posted 5 December , 2016 Share Posted 5 December , 2016 (edited) My grand-dad was 8366 Pte A Wragg Royal Defence Corps 153 Protection Company in dispersal area 5B Can any one shed some light on this soldier please and what duties he may have performed Edited 5 December , 2016 by Sergeant Major Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Beech Posted 6 December , 2016 Share Posted 6 December , 2016 Hi Sergeant Major Brian I am currently researching the German officers POW camp at Sutton Bonington on the Notts/Derbyshire/Leicestershire border. This was opened in February 1916 as an additional camp to the nearby camp at Castle Donington. It was officially called Kegworth, Derby camp, although Kegworth is in Leicestershire and Sutton Bonington is actually in Nottinghamshire! As part of this, I am looking at the 156 Protection Company RDC who provided camp guards there and possibly also at Donington, certainly the camp commander, Lieutenant Colonel Slater, managed both camps supported by his Adjutant. I have also found reference to 156 Company guarding a TNT compound at Normanton on the Hill, which may be the munitions dump mentioned in another quote. I have also found reference to RDC companies guarding factories, bridges and other strategic site such as training camps and bases, much in the same way as MOD Police do today. Have a trip to Kew planned to look at RDC files as there is not much available online. Not much, but will give you an idea. Regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 6 December , 2016 Share Posted 6 December , 2016 On 3/26/2009 at 06:52, Graham Stewart said: Cheers Noel, this will certainly will be of some use to people. I have the 1916 ORBAT for the RDC, which obviously doesn't contain as many units at that stage. Pity they didn't include unit locations either, which will probably be found in a 'Home Forces' ORBAT, if any have survived. The following files are in class W033 at Kew: 779 1916 Distribution of Home Defence forces 812 1917 Distribution of Home Defence forces 837 1917 Distribution of Home Defence forces and reserve units (summer stations) 865 1918 Distribution of Home Defence forces and reserve units (winter stations) 870 1918 Schedule A and list of stations of reserve units 883 1918 Distribution of Home Defence forces and reserve units (summer stations) 904 1918 Distribution of Forces in Great Britain incl reserve units (winter stations) Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Beech Posted 6 December , 2016 Share Posted 6 December , 2016 Hi Ron That's useful to know - thanks Regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badjez Posted 11 December , 2016 Share Posted 11 December , 2016 Published 10.07.16. ACI 1373 covers the formation of RDC Protection Companies. Whilst they are numerically listed, and assigned to Commands, the precise location of individual Companies is not shown. Hopefully I've attached the correct photos. Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Beech Posted 11 December , 2016 Share Posted 11 December , 2016 Hi Stephen This information is really useful Many thanks John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 11 December , 2016 Share Posted 11 December , 2016 Hi, It's interesting to see the establishment numbers (size). If that ACI was published on 10th July 1916 was there some kind of earlier published structure and limited permission to recruit contained in, or derived from ACI 841? Some service papers exist (here on FMP) for 32629 Vernon (a direct relative of a friend) which seem to read that he attested, and was embodied to 17 Protection Company on 8th July 1916. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 12 December , 2016 Share Posted 12 December , 2016 (edited) Chris Although the ACI indicated shows the establishment of each Protection Company the Royal Defence Corps was actually formed on 29th April 1916. ACI 841 of 19th April 1916 dealt with the formation of the Corps. Steve Edited 12 December , 2016 by SteveE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 12 December , 2016 Share Posted 12 December , 2016 Thanks Steve. If I have it right now, it seems that my man enlisted on the cusp of the introduction of Protection Companies. His "Casualty Form - Active Service" record seems to have been initially created by the Captain & Adjutant 6th Battalion RDC - so presumably for a few days he was a Corps/6th Bn man, then 17 Protection Company was formed out of, and was part of the 6th Battalion. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 13 December , 2016 Share Posted 13 December , 2016 Chris Not quite, Protection Companies were formed from the outset in April 1916. The men of the National Reserve had previously been formed into Territorial Force Supernumerary Companies and, on the formation of the Royal Defence Corps, these were formed into Protection Companies when they were transferred on 29th April 1916. What I don't understand is where the RDC Battalion's fit into the scenario and it's quite possible that 17 Protection Company was formed as you suggest and wasn't one of the original Companies formed at the outset? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 13 December , 2016 Share Posted 13 December , 2016 Many thanks for your help Steve. Much appreciated. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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