Reorganisation of units.

[dplatt]

Here's a little question for you.

In my recent studies, I've noticed that of the 42 men of the 18th Welsh missing in action during enemy bombardments at Mory, northern France, on 24th March 1918. A knot of them came from the north west of England and their army numbers were not consecutive but, from the lowest to the highest, were only 174 apart.

Now, it seems strange that around 174 men from the north west were sent to a Glamorganshire regiment so how exactly were the recruits apportioned? What happened when the regiments were disbanded as was the 17th Welsh just before the night in question? Were the men sent to widely different regiments to prevent a similar demoralising situation as with the Pals battalions?

David Platt.

[Annette Burgoyne]

In this case I would say it was a case of making the battalions numbers up before the big German attack, so it was a case of the different drafts at base camp whot ever Regiment they were, were sent to any battalion in the most need of making its numbers up and also after the big attack in March 1918 many units were very low in strength and needed making up. The 1/K.S.L.I. recieved 275 or so men of the 16/Welsh on 3rd Arpril after they had lost a lot of men during March.

Annette

[Ken Lees]

Throughout the war it was not unusual for groups of men to be transferred from their own regiment to one with which they had no geographical connection. This was on an 'as needed' basis and there were the obvious grumbles about it. It probably happened more and more as the war dragged on.

When a battalion was disbanded the men would be reallocated, often within the same regiment. I have read of one battalion being split more or less equally between 3 other battalions of the same regiment in January 1918 when brigades were reduced from four battalions to three.

Ken