Role of the 2nd Lieutenant

[Muerrisch]

Further to my note above on pseudo-totals of each rank for regulars, I have now had a look at later Lists ...... not only do these totals disappear, but the Service battalions have no number annotation either.

Seemingly the system could not stand the strain?

The numbers had not returned by 1923.

I have a complete run of AL extracts for RWF and could, if pressed, find when these numbers ceased.

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Grumpy, thank you very much for this - this makes the confusion more understandable.

If you should have a moment I would be very interested in your comments on Lt or Major GE Potter whose details as far as I know them I have just posted on 21/KRRC. At one stage he seemed to be fluctuating between three ranks, but I thought the fact that he was seconded to the Yeoman Rifles (or do I mean attached? there's another thing I'm vague on!) from early 1916 to March 1918 was the reason for this oddity. At all events his record seems to give the lie to any idea that all 2/Lts were learner Lts and that the rank had any certain implications about the holder's competence - at least when we are looking at service battalions in the war.

Liz

[Muerrisch]

Further to my note above on pseudo-totals of each rank for regulars, I have now had a look at later Lists ...... not only do these totals disappear, but the Service battalions have no number annotation either.

Seemingly the system could not stand the strain?

The numbers had not returned by 1923.

I have a complete run of AL extracts for RWF and could, if pressed, find when these numbers ceased.

I did it out of curiosity: the answer is, by Oct 1914. To the best of my belief, Lists were not published for September ..... never seen one.