Enlistment

[stephen binks]

My soldier enlisted into the 10th Battalion Lanc. Fusiliers on the 6/12/1915. I have a copy of army form w3195 stating. " You are hereby warned that you will be required to rejoin for service with the colours on the.... it then gives the date 19/8/1916.

The top of the form states. To be sent to each man who has been attested and transferred to the army reserve under the royal warrent of the 20th October 1915.

I wasnt aware that the 10th batt. Lanc. Fusiliers was a reserve Battalion and would like to know how long my soldier would have been in training before embarking for France to join the Battalion as it had been in France since July 1915 and he didnot enlist until Dec 1915.

The purpose of the question is to confirm one way or another if he could have been in the actin at the Bluff in Feb. 1916

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Though the Battalion was not a Reserve Battalion,there were times when the Number of Recruits exceeded the number required @ a given time,then these men were posted to the Army Reserve,a different kettle of Fish!,Not a Reserve Battalion,which would be comprised of men ready for service as Reinforcements/Drafts,etc;& was usually the 3rd Battalion of a Regiment;Men of The Army Reserve were men who had enlisted but had not been Embodied,ie they returned to their Civilian Occupation until such time as they were recalled to duty in this case 19th August 1916,so I would imagine it unlikely he was in France by February 1916 as he wasn't due for Recall until August 1916!

[SteveE]

This thread may have inadvertantly answered a question I was going to post along similar lines but I would welcome any other thoughts.

This soldier was transferred to the Army Reserve for a period of about 8 months between enlistment and recall to duty, the soldier I am researching has enlistment date of 18.1.15 on SWB Roll and date of 10.1.17 for entry into theatre (1a) on Victory/BWM Medal Roll, a gap of nearly two years.

No 1914-15 Star was awarded so is it likely that he spent those two years on Army Reserve? Seems an awfully long time to me.

Any suggestions greatfully received.

Steve

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

This thread may have inadvertantly answered a question I was going to post along similar lines but I would welcome any other thoughts.

This soldier was transferred to the Army Reserve for a period of about 8 months between enlistment and recall to duty, the soldier I am researching has enlistment date of 18.1.15 on SWB Roll and date of 10.1.17 for entry into theatre (1a) on Victory/BWM Medal Roll, a gap of nearly two years.

No 1914-15 Star was awarded so is it likely that he spent those two years on Army Reserve? Seems an awfully long time to me.

Any suggestions greatfully received.

Steve

He could quite well have spent that time @ home,on Home Defence service with one of the other Batalions of his Regiment,or had his embodiment deferred if he was doing important War work,etc,Only his papers would uncover that one,if they are amongst the ones that survive!

[Chris_Baker]

My reading of it is this.

This soldier attested in December 1915, and was sent back to civilian life. Officially he was now on reserve, awaiting call up. The condistions of enlistment at this time were a curious hybrid of voluntary enlistment and conscription. Read the page on the Derby Scheme on the Long, Long Trail for an idea of what it was all about.

He was called up in August 1916, and would then have begun his basic and military training.

He would have gone to France probably not before November 1916.

[Muerrisch]

Putting a man on Reserve at this time was a convenient way of having him "on ice" and paying him not a penny.