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Remembered Today:

Volunteer or conscripted?


David Rooke

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After hours of searching the archived postings I have been unable to find the answer to the following, though I'm sure someone must have asked before. So, sorry if it's a repeat.

The MIC for Joseph ROOKS gives his first regtl. no. as 34396 in the E Surrey corps before he was transferred to 3 Lond. R., R.Fus. with another 5-digit no. (GS/67705).

Does the 5-digit no. 34396 indicate that he was conscripted - or is this another of those "it's not that simple" questions?

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Does the 5-digit no. 34396 indicate that he was conscripted - or is this another of those "it's not that simple" questions?

I wouldn't like to say it's a definitive answer but it looks as if he may have been a Derby Scheme man, see this link http://www.1914-1918.net/derbyscheme.html. East Surrey men with numbers either side of his #34353 (15/11/1915) and #34460 (08/12/1915) attested in November/December 1915 just before voluntary enlistment ceased and were then sent home to await their call up (June 1916 and June 1917 respectively). It's a distinct possibility this happened with Joseph too.

Regards

Steve

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East Surrey men with numbers either side of his #34353 (15/11/1915) and #34460 (08/12/1915) attested in November/December 1915 just before voluntary enlistment ceased and were then sent home to await their call up (June 1916 and June 1917 respectively). It's a distinct possibility this happened with Joseph too.

Regards

Steve

Thanks Steve. Can I just check I have understood this correctly? Namely that the men with numbers either side of #34353 attested on 15/11/1915.

If this were true for Joseph, as seems likely, it would mean he was just 17 years old (baptised 9/10/1898). Is this consistent with his transfer from the E Surreys on attachment to the Territorial Force 2/3rd (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers) (i.e. TF min age 17)? Or would there have been some deception about his age to make it appear he met the min age qualification of 18?

Regards

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Can I just check I have understood this correctly? Namely that the men with numbers either side of #34353 attested on 15/11/1915.

If this were true for Joseph, as seems likely, it would mean he was just 17 years old (baptised 9/10/1898). Is this consistent with his transfer from the E Surreys on attachment to the Territorial Force 2/3rd (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers) (i.e. TF min age 17)? Or would there have been some deception about his age to make it appear he met the min age qualification of 18?

David

Not quite, Joseph Rooks' East Surrey number was 34396. Men with numbers either side of his that I could find records for, namely #34353 and #34460 attested on 15/11/1915 and 08/12/1915 respectively. This would put Joseph's attestation somewhere between these two dates.

Is Joseph the Joseph Rooks whose birth is registered in Linton Registration District, March Quarter 1898? If so he could just be 18 if his birth was in December 1897 and then registered in January 1898 for example.

Regards

Steve

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Not quite, Joseph Rooks' East Surrey number was 34396. Men with numbers either side of his that I could find records for, namely #34353 and #34460 attested on 15/11/1915 and 08/12/1915 respectively. This would put Joseph's attestation somewhere between these two dates.

Is Joseph the Joseph Rooks whose birth is registered in Linton Registration District, March Quarter 1898? If so he could just be 18 if his birth was in December 1897 and then registered in January 1898 for example.

Thanks for the clarification, Steve. My brain must have been in slow gear yesterday!

Yes, that would be my Joseph. It now seems to fit together nicely and he could have been called up, as a Derby man, at the age of 19. Assuming he was born in December 1898 (to be checked with birth certificate when obtained) he would have been 19 in January 1917 and oed enough to have been sent overseas. His regiment 2/3rd (City of London) battalion (Royal Fusiliers) left Sutton Veny and landed at Le Havre on 22 January 1917.

Many thanks once again for your help and patience.

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