1st Batallion Scottish Rifles

[bikerbee]

Hi everyone,

My Dad Joseph Cowan Harvey 474753 joined the 3rd Batallion Scottish Rifles 5/4/17 from the Labour Corps. Then with the 10th Scottish Rifles, was posted on the 26th November to the British Expeditionary Force part 2.

They left Folkstone on the 11th November 1917 and disembarked at Boulogne on the same day where he joined the 1st Batallion Scottish Rifles.

I would be really grateful if anyone could provide more information as to what action these Batallions were involved in.

My Dad fortunately survived WW1 and returned safely to his family in Glasgow...doing his "BIT" in WW2 as a senior Air Raid Warden in the Blythswood district of Glasgow.

We will never repay him and his like.."God bless them all"

Ruglan X

[Ivor Lee]

Ruglan

Looking at his record he was transferred to the Labour Corps from the Scottish Rifles not the other way round.

You are quite correct that his record shows he was posted to the 1st Battalion Scottish Rifles on 11 November 1917. Two days later whilst still at the Infantry Base Depot he was classified as permanent base (i.e. unfir for front line service) and 21 November transferred to the Labour Corps to 741 Area Employment Company.

The remainder of his military service appears to be in the Labour Corps in 280, 225 and 220 Companies, each of which was an Employment Company.

As amember of the Labour Corps he would not have been involved in actions as such.

Regards

Ivor

[bikerbee]

Ruglan

Looking at his record he was transferred to the Labour Corps from the Scottish Rifles not the other way round.

You are quite correct that his record shows he was posted to the 1st Battalion Scottish Rifles on 11 November 1917. Two days later whilst still at the Infantry Base Depot he was classified as permanent base (i.e. unfir for front line service) and 21 November transferred to the Labour Corps to 741 Area Employment Company.

The remainder of his military service appears to be in the Labour Corps in 280, 225 and 220 Companies, each of which was an Employment Company.

As amember of the Labour Corps he would not have been involved in actions as such.

Regards

Ivor

Thanks very much Ivan for the quick response, now all I need to do is try and find out about the Labour Corps 280, 225 and 220 Companies.

Regards

Ruglan X

[Ivor Lee]

Ruglan X

220 and 225 were Divisional Employment Companies, 220 with 19 Division and 225 with 25 Division. They were located at Divisional HQs

There is a document that outlines the work undertaken by a Divisional Employment Company written by the OC of 225 Company - I have included it in my book "No Labour, No Battle"

741 and 280 wereboth Area Employment Companies and worked in Corps areas - they did not keep their own War Diaries so the only references are in higher level diaries.

Ivor

[bikerbee]

Ruglan X

220 and 225 were Divisional Employment Companies, 220 with 19 Division and 225 with 25 Division. They were located at Divisional HQs

There is a document that outlines the work undertaken by a Divisional Employment Company written by the OC of 225 Company - I have included it in my book "No Labour, No Battle"

741 and 280 wereboth Area Employment Companies and worked in Corps areas - they did not keep their own War Diaries so the only references are in higher level diaries.

Ivor

Thanks again Ivor, could you tell me where I might purchase your book as it may well give me an insight into what those soldiers did.

Regards,

Ruglan X

[Ivor Lee]

Rugkan X

It should be available through any bookseller or from Amazon through this forum - there is a link to Amazon at the top of the page.

The ISBN number is 9780752449753

Regards

Ivor