paulx1v Posted 21 April , 2010 Share Posted 21 April , 2010 Hi I'm new to this forum which I stumbled across by accident during a Google search for information. I'm researching my Great Grandfather's millitary service, and I would like a bit of help please. My Great Grandfather served in the Royal Engineers, Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Foce during the period 1901 - 1919. I have in my possession a document called "Transfer to Reserve" and from that I have his final service number (RAF/RFC), enlistment date and transfer to reserve date. From this info, I have managed to track down his Medal Index Card, (which provided his RE service number)and a lot of the pieces of the jigsaw are now starting to fall into place after a bit of online research. The piece of the jigsaw I can't quite make fit is the early part of his millitary career. On this "Transfer to Reserve" document, it states that he enlisted on 2nd Dec 1901 for the Regt/Corps/Unit of...."Hussars of the Line". I am struggling to find info on "Hussars of the Line" and I now suspect that perhaps this was an amalgamation of several Hussars regiments as opposed to one stand alone regiment? Can anybody shine any light on the "Hussars of the Line" statement on my Great Grandfathers documents? Many Thanks Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 21 April , 2010 Share Posted 21 April , 2010 Dear Paul There were several Hussars Regiment. 'Hussars of the Line' just refers to the regular Hussar units of cavalry. A bit like 'ships of the line'. There was a Drahgoon and Lancer version too. Did not refer to Household Cavalry. It served some admin functions. If you tell us his name someone may know of him. Best wishes Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 21 April , 2010 Share Posted 21 April , 2010 Paul This page from the LLT, at top left of this page, has some info on Hussars of the Line,being,in my interpretation,the regular Hussars which were a aprt of the Army from well before your subject's enrolment: http://www.1914-1918.net/hussars.htm Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulx1v Posted 21 April , 2010 Author Share Posted 21 April , 2010 Dear Paul There were several Hussars Regiment. 'Hussars of the Line' just refers to the regular Hussar units of cavalry. A bit like 'ships of the line'. There was a Drahgoon and Lancer version too. Did not refer to Household Cavalry. It served some admin functions. If you tell us his name someone may know of him. Best wishes Patrick Patrick Thanks for reply. My Great Grand Father was 14337 Sapper James McLaren, RE. He then went on to be 19986 Sapper in RFC and LAM (I think that's correct rank?) in RAF. As you can see there is no link with any Hussars, but his documents clearly state that he enlisted on 2nd December 1901 for "Hussars of the Line"...which has left me quite confused. Thank you for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulx1v Posted 21 April , 2010 Author Share Posted 21 April , 2010 Paul This page from the LLT, at top left of this page, has some info on Hussars of the Line,being,in my interpretation,the regular Hussars which were a aprt of the Army from well before your subject's enrolment: http://www.1914-1918.net/hussars.htm Sotonmate Sotonmate Thanks for that info. As a result of reading your suggested link, I ended up searching the London Gazette for a completly different matter and low and behold I found my Great Grand Father in amongst the medals and awards! A big thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 21 April , 2010 Share Posted 21 April , 2010 Sapper would be an RE rank His medal index card suggests all three medals to RE but he is also on a duplicate RAF Roll so you may need to check both Rolls. I suspect you will find one entry deleted. Have you his medals? If so check the rims of the BW&VM. I could not find him on South Africa cavalry roll. He may have missed that war. If he enlisted in 1901 he probably left in 1908 and was out of the reserves c. 1913. Every chance his earlier enlistment papers (for Hussars) are at the National Archives in Kew - worth a try in 1900-1913 boxes. Can you post his discharge paper here - may help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantowi Posted 21 April , 2010 Share Posted 21 April , 2010 Could this be him in 1911: James MCLAREN Single ? Age 25 Born 1886 in Lambeth As a Private with the 17th D C O Lancers, Edward Barracks, Sialkot, India Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulx1v Posted 22 April , 2010 Author Share Posted 22 April , 2010 Sapper would be an RE rank His medal index card suggests all three medals to RE but he is also on a duplicate RAF Roll so you may need to check both Rolls. I suspect you will find one entry deleted. Have you his medals? If so check the rims of the BW&VM. I could not find him on South Africa cavalry roll. He may have missed that war. If he enlisted in 1901 he probably left in 1908 and was out of the reserves c. 1913. Every chance his earlier enlistment papers (for Hussars) are at the National Archives in Kew - worth a try in 1900-1913 boxes. Can you post his discharge paper here - may help? Hi Patrick I have tried to attached my Great Grandfathers docs but unfortunatley they are too big and I am struggling with lack of computer "know how" to sort it! I have now found a document from the Soldiers & Sailors Help Society. This doc suggests he was discharged from RE on 4 March 1909. He was awarded a total of five medals. I have seen them as a child and I am hopeful of getting to view then sometime this year, if the family member who has them agrees. Three of these medals are his campaign medals documented in his MIC. I have requested an estimate of cost for NA to send copy of both the RE and RAF Roll. I have recently discovered that the fourth is a Medal of St George 4th Class. I found this award in a London Gazette announcement, dated 24 Aug 1915. The fifth medal is unknown, but I have his wedding day photograph taken between 1915 - 1917 ( hoping to confirm date via family soon) and he is in RFC uniform and wearing two medals. (one is I suspect the Medal of St George, the other is unknown) There has always been family talk of his service in the Boer War, and there is a portrait of him in some uniform other than RFC, is this a possibility and perhaps the source of fifth medal? All this is very exciting, but each bit of information I find seems to open up new questions !!! I am pretty confident that I'll eventually be able to piece together his latter years of service, but my main aim just now is to clarify his early years, particularly this period of service in the Hussars, and the transition to RE, and in particular the period of 4 March 1909, when he was apparently discharged from RE but he then appears in RFC uniform and medal rolls from 1915 onwards...what happened in between those years???? Once again, thank you very much for your help. Paul Could this be him in 1911: James MCLAREN Single ? Age 25 Born 1886 in Lambeth As a Private with the 17th D C O Lancers, Edward Barracks, Sialkot, India Grant Grant Thanks very much, but afraid it's not him as he was born in 1883. Thanks anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 22 April , 2010 Share Posted 22 April , 2010 Paul, that is interesting. I still think looking for his papers is a good idea in the 1900-1913 boxes. I presume he transferred to the RE during his first period of enlistment. It sounds like the 5th medal may be the Queen's South Africa medal. Any image you can get and post here may help others advise you. You can always e-mail me with anything if you want to and I can almost certainly help if it is Hussars related. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulx1v Posted 22 April , 2010 Author Share Posted 22 April , 2010 Paul, that is interesting. I still think looking for his papers is a good idea in the 1900-1913 boxes. I presume he transferred to the RE during his first period of enlistment. It sounds like the 5th medal may be the Queen's South Africa medal. Any image you can get and post here may help others advise you. You can always e-mail me with anything if you want to and I can almost certainly help if it is Hussars related. Patrick, Am I correct in thinking that the Army records I am interested in are not available on line, and access can only be found in NA, Kew? I also had thought that the fifth medal may have been the Queen's South Africa Medal, especially after a conversation with a family member this evening on the subject and once again my Great Grandfather's service during the Boer War period came to light, along with....his service in Hussars, so I may be getting somewhere after all I would gladly e-mail you the docs that I have and display them to others, but I can't seem to get to grips with attaching items to this forum or even sending e-mail via the forum, sorry I will try to get them posted. regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 23 April , 2010 Share Posted 23 April , 2010 I would gladly e-mail you the docs that I have and display them to others, but I can't seem to get to grips with attaching items to this forum or even sending e-mail via the forum, sorry I will try to get them posted. regards Paul As to sending emails (messages) through the GWF I think that you have to have made 10 posts or more to do so. You are well on the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulx1v Posted 23 April , 2010 Author Share Posted 23 April , 2010 As to sending emails (messages) through the GWF I think that you have to have made 10 posts or more to do so. You are well on the way. Jim, Thanks for that info...we at 10 yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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