Pre-War Volunteer Force

[Ken Lees]

I suspect that this is a question that Graham Stewart or Grumpy will be likely to have the answer to, but I would welcome any input from Forum members.

I am researching a number of men who served in the Great War and who had served for some time prior to the war in the Territorial Force and before that in the Volunteer Force.

Can anyone tell me the length of service commitment for the Rifle Volunteers from the mid-1880s and for the years thereafter?

I am working on some nominal rolls that I have discovered and trying to put the lengths of service and the recruitment and resignations into perspective in the pre-war years.

Thanks,

Ken

[Graham Stewart]

Ken,

At present I'm thousands of miles from my copies of Vol Regs, but if I remember correctly enlistment was for four years. However on convertion from Volunteers to Territorials in 1908 a second set of Attestation papers were made out to those who voluntarily transferred across to the TF. As a result the date of enlistment is only counted from 1908 despite the fact they may have already had a couple of years service with the Vols, but the date of Discharge would remain the same, i.e. enlisted 1907 in VF - date of discharge would still be 1911. Service would be 1year Vols and three years TF. Plus they were also renumbered, at least those in this area were.

[Muerrisch]

Early VR regs are reticent on periods of enrollment. Latterly, four years at a time. I believe GS above to be correct.

Note three things, however:

In 1901 large numbers of VF men volunteered to serve in SA war as companies attached to their regular battalion . These men were renumbered in the regular series but we have traced no rules for reversion!

Renumbering was by no means universal when VF disbanded and TF formed in 1908. This means many TF units started form No. 1 in 1908.

Qualification for TF LSGC medal allowed VF service to count in full.

[Ken Lees]

Thanks guys, that helps.

Ken