Woor, Sidney G Cambridgeshire Regiment of Royal Engineers

[Tina Hopley]

Could someone possibly help me to interpret my Great Grandfathers MIC?

Camb R Pte 3823 (his service number I presume?)

Ditto 326473 (not sure what this means)

RE 523914 (does this mean Royal Engineers?)

Ditto WR/177444 (Does this refer to railways at all?)

Many thanks

Tina

[Stebie9173]

Tina,

Each Regiment or Corps gave out its own series of numbers. An Army-wide service number for an individual soldier was not introduced until after the war.

The number 3823 would have been his original number given to him by the Cambridgeshire Regiment when he joined them. In March 1917 Territorial Battalions and Regiments were renumbered and given numbers from an allocation given to each battalion of a Regiment. The Cambridgeshire Regiment issued numbers from 325001 at that point, so 326473 Sidney Woor would have been the 1,473rd man renumbered by the Cambridgeshires (men who had died, already been discharge or transferred were not renumbered.)

http://www.1914-1918.net/TF_renumbering_infantry.htm

He then transferred to a Territorial Force unit of the Royal Engineers. Numbers 522001 to 524000 were issued to the 1st East Anglian Field Company, also known as the 483rd Field Company, which was part of 2nd Division. His new number of 523914 fall in this range.

http://www.1914-1918.net/TF_renumbering_re.htm

http://www.1914-1918.net/re.htm

He finall transferred to the Waterways and Railways section of the Royal Engineers with his final number WR/177444 - these were also part of a renumbering excerise, this time carried out in the Summer of 1918, though he would probably have served for some time with his old number in a Railway/Waterways unit.

Steve.

[cliff brown]

His original four-figure number 3823 suggests he enlisted in May 1915, most likely in the newly formed 3/1st btn, which provided drafts for the 1/1st btn that had gone to the Western Front on Feb 14, 1915.

[Terry_Reeves]

Tina

His WR number indicates that he served with a railway unit of some sort. There was a large expansion of the Transportation Troops as they became known in 1917 and early 1918. Was he a railwayman before the war out of interest?

TR

[Tina Hopley]

Tina

His WR number indicates that he served with a railway unit of some sort. There was a large expansion of the Transportation Troops as they became known in 1917 and early 1918. Was he a railwayman before the war out of interest?

TR

[Tina Hopley]

I am unsure as to whether Sid was a railwayman before the war but he was very proud to have been one after the war.

I shall ask some of his sons and daughters whether they can remember as it would be absolutely fascinating to find out.

I can't thank people enough for their help in enabling me to understand more of my Great Grandfathers role in the war.

Thank you

Tina

[Tina Hopley]

Tina,

Each Regiment or Corps gave out its own series of numbers. An Army-wide service number for an individual soldier was not introduced until after the war.

The number 3823 would have been his original number given to him by the Cambridgeshire Regiment when he joined them. In March 1917 Territorial Battalions and Regiments were renumbered and given numbers from an allocation given to each battalion of a Regiment. The Cambridgeshire Regiment issued numbers from 325001 at that point, so 326473 Sidney Woor would have been the 1,473rd man renumbered by the Cambridgeshires (men who had died, already been discharge or transferred were not renumbered.)

http://www.1914-1918...ng_infantry.htm

He then transferred to a Territorial Force unit of the Royal Engineers. Numbers 522001 to 524000 were issued to the 1st East Anglian Field Company, also known as the 483rd Field Company, which was part of 2nd Division. His new number of 523914 fall in this range.

http://www.1914-1918...umbering_re.htm

http://www.1914-1918.net/re.htm

He finall transferred to the Waterways and Railways section of the Royal Engineers with his final number WR/177444 - these were also part of a renumbering excerise, this time carried out in the Summer of 1918, though he would probably have served for some time with his old number in a Railway/Waterways unit.

Steve.

[Tina Hopley]

Thank you so much for unravelling the mystery of the numbers for me i have spent an enjoyable afternoon reading through information on the long,long trail.

I am also most appreciative of the additional information especially with regard to Sid's move to the railways section as he was a railwayman after the war.

Thank you so much

Tina

[Tina Hopley]

Thank you to everyone for helping me to find out more about my Great Grandfathers role in WWI.

I have searched the national archives on line and I am a member of ancestry uk but I have found no records other than the MIC is this indicative that Sidney's service record may not have survived?

As I fear that I will be unable to find his service record is there any more information that I could look for with his WR/177444 number?

Thank you again,

Tina

[Tina Hopley]

His original four-figure number 3823 suggests he enlisted in May 1915, most likely in the newly formed 3/1st btn, which provided drafts for the 1/1st btn that had gone to the Western Front on Feb 14, 1915.

Thank you for information regarding Sid's first service number as i fear that I will be unable to trace his service record this information has been very helpful.

Thank you very much

Tina