stevehart Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Was lucky enough to get copies of my grandfather's WWI service papers. A bit burned round the edges but most of the content readable. The forms headed up 'TERRITORIAL FORCE' Couple of questions I'd like to try and get better understanding of: 1. Though he lived in Carlisle, Cumbria (home town of the Border regiment) he enlisted in Carlisle for the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in January 1915. How did this work. Did a local man turn up at his local recruitment station and CHOOSE which regiment he wanted to go into? or did the various non local regiments go on recruitment drives to other parts of the country? He always said he 'choose' the Argylls because the local girls were impressed by soldiers in kilts . . . ANYONE GOT ANY IDEAS? 2. With the info I'm trying to chart where his unit (and therefore most likely) where he was during his service. The records show that he was 'Embodied' on 4th January 1915 into the 8th Battalion of the A&SH which were in the 51st Highland Division but that after two years he was 'Posted' to the 11th Battalion. Was this transferring from one battalion to another usual? The entry on the papers says 'Posted under a.o. 204/16.' ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS MIGHT REFER TO and would they be any record of what this 'a.o.' was? WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE HELP FROM ANYONE OUT THERE ON GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ABOVE. Thanks. SH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Steve Welcome to the Forum. I can happily give you a couple of thoughts. First, it's very possible that the Argylls did recruit around Carlisle. This sort of recruitment "away from normal area" was uncommon. And,certainly, in January 1915, your grandfather would have beenb a volunteer. It's very possible that he did, in fact, "choose" the Argylls for the reason you mention. Perhaps, he also had Scottish connections, being so near to the border. Certainly, it was very common for soldiers to be transferred between Battalions and, indeed , between regiments. Is there any indication that he was wounded around this time. It would often be the case that a soldier, returning from injury, would be posted to the Battalion most in need of troops at the time. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 The records show that he was 'Embodied' on 4th January 1915 into the 8th Battalion of the A&SH which were in the 51st Highland Division but that after two years he was 'Posted' to the 11th Battalion. Was this transferring from one battalion to another usual? The entry on the papers says 'Posted under a.o. 204/16.' ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS MIGHT REFER TO and would they be any record of what this 'a.o.' was? Charles Steve, welcome to the forum a.o. is probably Army Order. I suspect that a.o. 204/16 might have been the Army Order which authorised the posting of Territorial Force men into Service (aka Kitchener or New Army) battalions. 11 A&SH were in a New Army formation, 15 Div. Until sometime in 1915 or 1916 (under the Army Transfer Act) it was not legally possible to transfer TF men into non-TF units. With the coming of conscription and the Miltary Service Acts of 1916 the distinction between the TF and the rest of the Army was effectively eliminated. TF men were liable to be posted anywhere they were needed, and conscripts ended up in TF units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johng Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Steve, I think the a.o.204/16 is Army order, 204 (1916). I believe this authorises transfer between units. johng Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Bruce Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Steve, in early '15 the Highland regiments were recruiting where they could - with very little concern for the 'Highlandness' of the recruits. Certainly in Jan 15 the Seaforths and Camerons were recruiting in Bolton, so can quite believe A&SH were doing the same in the NW. The basic reason is that the Highland regiments had a very low 'local' manpower base to recruit from. Moves between battalions of the same regiment, and between different regiments, were common. Out of interest, what's your man's regimental number? Jock Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VivP Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 Steve My father, whose father was born in Saxony, said the German soldiers called British ones in kilts 'The ladies from hell'! VivP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Gordon Posted 12 April , 2004 Share Posted 12 April , 2004 While not a kilt fan, but definitely a Scot, may I plead that when the phrase "soldiers in kilts" is used it should be "soldiers in the kilt". A soldier,or any one else, wears only one kilt at a time. Regards Jim Gordon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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