silver war badge rolls

[battiscombe]

Perhaps someone can clarify some points concerning the SWB rolls at TNA - and perhaps throw some light on these questions ..?

-- am I right in thinking that the Artillery have their own list/rolls/volumes, as MICs refer to rolls of SWB RA/xxxx .. and having seen one image of the rolls they appear to be listed in numerical order (badge order?).

--Of the several archive files listed as including SWB rolls within W0 329/ such as WO329/2958 etc ... is there one specifically holding the RA SWB records?

-- do the numbers (broadly?) relate to the date of discharge ? .. in this respect I have seen many wounded RFA regulars from 1914-15 having quite low SWB numbers..

any assistance/guidance welcome. My interests relate to tracking gunners (Regulars in the first instance) whose records have not otherwise survived ..

thanks

[David Porter]

Excellent questions. I would like answers on this subject also.

From what I have seen they seem to relate to date of discharge with RA/1xxx in 1917, RA/2xxx in 1918 and RA/4xxx in 1919.

Artillery Territorials have listings with a prefix TJ/. I would also assume that the lists are in badge number order but would like clarification.

[David Porter]

Just found ths link which ties RA/3958 to page 3958 in WO329/2979.

[themonsstar]

There are 20 Vols of SWB rolls to the RHA & RFA & 6 Vols to the RGA. The badge lists are in badge number order only on that page, "eg" on page 1 you will get 1234,1235,1236, etc.etc. The next page you could get 1567,1568,1569 ect.ect. or evan a big jump to B,O.

First Issue:

Sept 1916 until March 1918 serial No 1-360,000. 1st type (Horizontal pin & catch).

March 1918 until Sept 1918 serial No 360001-450,000. 2nd type (Vertical pin & catch).

Approximate number of badges issued 450,000.

Second Issue:

Aug 1918 until Dec 1919 serial No B1-B350,000 all numbers prefixed with a "B". 2nd type (Vertical pin & catch).

Approximate number of badges issued 350,000.

Third Issue:

Dec 1919 until April 1920 serial No 01-05,000 all numbers prefixed by the latter "0". 2nd type (Vertical pin & catch).

Approximate number of badges issued 5,000.

Fourth Issue:

Dec 1919 until June 1922 serial No 450,000-525,500 2nd type (Vertical pin & catch).

Approximate number of badges issued 75,000.

[David Porter]

The final piece of the jigsaw is on the NA site itself looking at "former reference" in WO329/2965 to 2983

Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery (Charlton and Woolwich)

WO 329/2965 = RA 1-300

WO 329/2966 = RA 301-600

WO 329/2967 = RA 601-900

WO 329/2968 = RA 901-1200

WO 329/2969 = RA 1201-1500

WO 329/2970 = RA 1501-1800

WO 329/2971 = RA 1801-2100

WO 329/2972 = RA 2101-2400

WO 329/2973 = RA 2401-2700

WO 329/2974 = RA 2701-3000

WO 329/2975 = RA 3001-3180

WO 329/2976 = RA 3181-3260

WO 329/2977 = RA 3261-3600

WO 329/2978 = RA 3601-3900

WO 329/2979 = RA 3901-4200

WO 329/2980 = RA 4201-4600

WO 329/2981 = RA 4601-5000

WO 329/2982 = RA 5001-5300

WO 329/2983 = RA 5301-5625

Nice set of references from a bit mouse clicking.

[themonsstar]

They are page numbers not badge numbers

[David Porter]

They are page numbers not badge numbers

Yes, I understand that now - see post #3.

What battiscombe and I also didn't know is how these RA SWB numbers on the MIC related to class WO 329 at TNA.

Is there any particular reason why the badge numbers jump sequence from page to page?

Could it be that the badges were made a page at a time or is there another reason?

[battiscombe]

thanks to David Porter and others for that excellent info. Now I think I understand

david