Unit strengths

[BSH]

Is it possible to find a battalions strengths for different times during the war, I have the battalion’s war dairy (I’m researching 2nd Batt Seaforth Highlanders, May-Nov 1917) but it only shows “wastage”, not the units strength. I have tried contacting the museum at Fort George but so far have had no response.

Any help or a point in the right direction would be most helpful.

Thanks.

Barry

[JulianB]

Barry

If you look up the War Diary of the relevant Brigade (& sometimes Division too), they usually have returns on the strengths of all their battalions. That is what I have done for the units I am researching. Another way is to see if there is an embarkation record, which would record how many went overseas - though, I've found that not many of these exist for "busy" periods.

Julian

[bmac]

I have found a lot of useful information in the PRO's Divisional Adjutant and Quartermaster files. In my case that of the 56th Division (wo95/2936). This provided:

Monthly unit strength Off and OR (i.e. infantry battalions, MGCs, RFA, RE, RAMC, etc.)

Monthly increase Off and OR

Monthly decrease Off and OR

Daily casualty returns for every unit, naming officers kia, wounded and missing and numbers for all three for OR (plus some interesting notes, one I saw showed an officer to have been injured by a drunken soldier!)

Assuming the 2nd Batt Seaforth Highlanders divisional file to be as detailed this should provide the information you need.

[BSH]

Thank you for the information, I will try to follow up these leads.

Barry.