John Harden - Hampshire Reg. & DCLI

[jmta04]

Hello everybody.

I know that some of you out there are brilliant at interpreting service numbers, something that completely baffles me, so I therefore call on you for help. I have John Harden's SDGW, MIC, and CWGC entries but, unfortunately, no service record. He married in 1910 and his only child was born in 1914 when he was aged 33, therefore possible incentives for not enlisting immediately on the outbreak of war (pure supposition only, no definite proof one way or the other). His first regiment was the Hampshires, joined Southampton, no. 30143. He afterwards served in the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, no. 260149, and was killed 22nd August 1917.

What I need to know is can those service numbers give me (or someone who knows what they are doing) a rough idea of when he became a member of those particular regiments.

Regards to you all,

Scobie

[sotonmate]

Scobie

There is at least one expert for the Hampshires here. You should try to send a PM to(or is it now start a personal conversation with) Marc Thompson.

Sotonmate

[kenf48]

Until an expert comes along...

Private C. J. Harnett 30098 mobilised 5th October 1917

Private Harry Green 30090 attested 4/10/16

30650 mobilised 17/2/17

Which suggests mobilisation around October 1917 into the Hampshire Regt (assume you have access to Ancestry if so you will see at least a couple of the above attested earlier before being mobilised and attending the Depot - when the number would have been allocated}

I don't know when he went to the Duke of Cornwall but SDGW lists a number of men previously in the Hampshire Regt who have numbers in the same series and were serving in the 6th Bn when killed on 22 August.

e.g.

George Figg 260145

Cecil Cole 260195

Edward Batt 260133

There are probably others as there was heavy fighting that day and many casualties.

The war diary of the 6th Bn (if available) may detail receipt of a large draft, including men from the Hampshire Regiment.

t may even be that your man trained with the Hampshire Regiment and, as happened, at the end of basic training was transferred to another Regiment. The numbers of the draft into the Duke of Cornwall are interesting as they seem to come from various Hampshire dates /Bns

Ken

[jmta04]

Hi Sotonmate & Ken.

Thanks for your replies. I shall contact Marc Thompson to see if he can help with the Hampshires and I will check out on Ancestry the names supplied by Ken.

Regards,

Scobie