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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Bar to Mons Star


Purbecksteve

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The major problem is that the clasp was an after thought, so much so that the Star had been designed specifically so that clasps couldn't be added, and the claims and verification proceedure obviously had not been thought through. As has been noted before, this presents particular problems for the territorial units.

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I have still to figure out why some entries are underlined in red and others not.

The Army Orders, sometimes reproduced at the beginning of the roll, indicated men that were to be recorded in red. Often this was in red typing.

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  • 11 months later...

Hi team,

Thank you all so much for your support in my research of my grandfathers ( Charles Davis) war service.

I apologize for not being on the board but due to illness and later relocating to Texas, it has been a long year.

Once again , many thanks

Steve

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  • 3 years later...

I recently obtained the 1st Dorset's war diary and had the following thoughts:reference medal card in post #22

Charles Davis 3/5642 embarked 12-9-14 he had been in the special reserve since 1909 so had 5 years experience. At the top of the list is another special reservist Private J Davidson 3/5737 who had also embarked on the same date (12-9-14).as Charles Davis . Private J Davidson died 12-10-14 ,so we are looking at approx. 4 weeks from the time of embarkation to his death.

I crossed reference with the war diary and it is noted that 11 were KIA on the 12-10-14 around the Bassee Canal. Major Roper was also killed in the same action on this date.

Can one assume that due to the regiments dire early losses, these early Special Reserve soldiers were rushed to the front to replace the early regimental losses?

This may also confirm that Charles Davis was under fire very soon after embarkation along with Private Davidson and other Dorset Special Reserve soldiers.?

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  • 1 month later...

Today I located Charles Davis 24138 Dorset regiment. Silver War Badge record on Ancestry.com where I am a member

Please can anyone advise if it is possible to gain access to his pension records to fill in his service after he was recalled to the colours 1916-19 and date when and what action he was wounded in ?

Thanks in anticipation

Steve

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  • 5 weeks later...

Steve,

To answer your question above first, I believe the fact that he was discharged in 1919 means that his service documents would be included in WO 364 had they survived being weeded etc. I have found papers for men discharged into the 1920s so very much doubt that they would still be retained by the MOD if that is what you are thinking. Sorry :-(

To answer an earlier question, the 1914 star roll for the 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regiment shows the following facts:

1) The earliest date a Special Reservist arrived in France was 16th August 1914, i.e. the same as the Regulars. There were two - 3/6705 Pte A Fowler, who apparently survived the war and was awarded a Clasp, and 3/5734 L/Cpl J Osborne, who was KIA at La Bassee on 13th October 1914 and would have been awarded the Clasp by default.

2) They most likely travelled to Belfast with the Regular Reservists to make up War Establishment and proceeded overseas with them. The Roll shows 1075 men entered France on 16th August 1914, so what skills they had that allowed them to get away early is open to conjecture.

3) Interestingly 6 men landed before the main body of the Bn.; three on the 9th August, one on the 10th, one on the 12th and one on the 15th. They were presumably either batmen of the Officer(s) who went over early to organise the billeting and transport of the main body, or fluent French speakers, for the same purpose?

4) The first major reinforcement of Regulars landed in France on the 27th August - some 88 men. 19 men followed on the 28th August, 3 on the 29th August, then 86 on the 31st August. This last contingent included the next Special Reservist to go overseas.

5) Three Special Reservists followed on 2nd, 7th and 10th September, but the first mass reinforcement by Special Reservists occurred on the 12th September, when 78 SRs (and 69 Regulars) landed.

Regards

Steve

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Thanks Steve, much appreciated for your update information. Sort of confirms that he was one of the 78 SR's arriving on the 12th.

I do have his large Discharge Document from the service due to wounds received . CD was discharged I believe from Exeter in 1919.

Would you suspect these chaps would have been pushed up to front ready for action as the regiment had already suffered losses in the Retreat from Mons. I also believe the Dorset SR.s had been in the field training July 1914 and their kit was still available at Dorchester at theoutbreak of the war...?

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Steve,

Once in France I'm sure that the 'authorities' would have viewed SRs exactly the same as a Regular; i.e. a man with a rifle. At Regimental level the situation may have been different. If you have read "Old Soldiers Never Die" you will know that in certain Regiments at least, Special Reservists were viewed as decidedly inferior to Regulars.

As for their kit being available, I do not know, but they - along with the Territorials - would have not long have finished their Annual Training, and all equipment would presumably still be at the Depot.

The attached link will take you to a very interesting Blog written about 9085 Alexander Frank CRAWSHAW of the 1st Battn Dorsetshire Regiment http://www.frankcrawshaw.uk

Regards

Steve

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  • 5 years later...

Thanks Steve , Just read this thread again today to refresh my memory and review all the information provided, much obliged to all who responded.

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