Volunteer Force 1914 - 1918

[Wienand Drenth]

Dear all,

I am currently working on the Volunteer Regiments during the Great War. These were regiments formed from August 1914 on for Home Defence, and comparable with the Home Guard of WWII. The regiments were formed in each county, i.e. The Devonshire Volunteer Regiment, The Sussex Volunteer Regiment etc. In October 1918 the battalions of these regiments were affiliated to line regiments and redesignated as Volunteer Battalions of line regiments. For example, 1st Battalion, Sussex Volunteer Regiment became 1st Volunteer Battalions, The Royal Sussex Regiment, etc. Besides infantry units, which formed the majority of the Volunteer Force, there were also artillery, engineer, ASC and RAMC units.

To my knowledge there is very little known about the Volunteer Force of the Great War. The only references I know are a small section in Frederick's lineage book, and The Volunteer Force List for October 1918 which is reprinted by Westlake. Since this does not cover in detail the origin of the regiments and battalions in 1914 - 1915, I would like to know if someone is doing research in the same area. Furthermore, I would like to know if Volunteer Force Lists, like the October 1918 edition, were published every month. Or were the officers of the Volunteer Force units listed in the normal Army Lists in a separate section? In both cases I am most interested in finding out more details about these units.

Looking forward to any comment and reply!

Wienand Drenth

[Stuart Brown]

Wienand ,

I have no particular interest in the topic, however, if the following is relevant then it might interest you.

I have a single volume of The War Budget (vol 9 latter part of 1916). Bound magazines. There is the occasional article on "Volunteer Training Corps". In the September 14th issue is a double page spread "First War Office Appointments" which lists the various counties, how many battalions (?) and each I/c. example below. (it adds that the appointments are"as published in the London Gazette dating from September 1st, so a search there may be fruitful).

If that is of use send me your email address and I will attempt a scan - each one a4 + size.

Stuart

clip......

[Wienand Drenth]

Stuart,

Thanks for you reply, and I am very interested in the material you mention as it will give some clues to continue research. So I will be very happy if you would like to make scans for me. You can email them to drenth@win.tue.nl

Looking forward and many thanks in advance for the effort!!

Cheers,

Wienand

[Stuart Brown]

Wienand ,

They are on their way.

Stuart

[Wienand Drenth]

Stuart,

Many thanks for the quick response. Also you hint regarding the London Gazette is worth looking at! I sure owe you one.

Wienand

[Muerrisch]

They had special badges for proficiency etc. I am something of an expert. Any use?

[Jock Bruce]

Wienand,

I seem to recall there is reasonable coverage of the WW1 Volunteers of Leicestershire in

Britons, To Arms! The Story of the British Volunteer Soldier and the Volunteer Tradition in Leicestershire and Rutland. By Glenn Steppler.

Published: 1992 Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd., England.

ISBN 0-7509-0057-1

Jock Bruce

[Gary Samson]

I have a copy of an article published in Bygone Kent (Vol 17 pp 719-25) entitled The Volunteer Movement in Kent 1914-18 that might be of interest.

Gary

[Wienand Drenth]

Gary,

I sure think it will be of interest. Such documention on one specific regiment wil help to form the picture of the whole Volunteer Force I think. Hence, if you would like to scan of copy it, I am much indepted.

Jock,

Thanks for the title. Looks interesting and worth the purchase.

As for the badges, I know that the volunteer battalions were authorised to wear the badge of the regiment they affiliated to, but without the battle honours. As for other badges, I am interested of course to learn what badges were used before the affiliations in July 1918.

Cheers to all of you,

Wienand

[Hugh Pattenden]

Wienand,

I believe the Volunteer Battalions wore the Royal Coat of Arms badge before

affliliation in 1918.

Hope this is of help,

Hugh

[Stuart Brown]

Wienand,

From the VTC notes page ...

What it Costs the Professional Man.

"Many people still labour under the impression that joining the Volunteers entails but very little sacrifice, whether of time or money. A correspondent, signing himself "A Poor Professional Man" has been kind enough to send me a list of items that he has, for good and suffiicient reasons, felt it incumbent to buy, after enrolling himself in a well-known Metrolpolitan corps.

His enlistment, however, was not voluntary. Being of military age, and passed for garrison work back home , he was granted conditional exemption provided that he joined the volunteers. He became a Volunteer. He had no choice in the matter. If he had disregarded the instructions of the local tribunal he would have been called up and his family could not possibly have been supported out of his separation allowance and his income from his profession would be nil..........etc "

[Wienand Drenth]

Stuart,

Thanks for the additional details, I think others will find this interesting too. I think it is quite shocking that someone had to pay for all his equipment for joining the Volunteers. I understand that the trick might be in that "volunteer" designation, but since there was a war going on it is rather weird. I think that letting "volunteers" pay for their equipment was inherited from the pre-1908 Volunteer Force; perhaps someone else can comment on that better. But in those days, a volunteer was a real volunteer, and not a unvoluntarily volunteer as the man described.

Interesting matter.

Regards,

Wienand

[Stuart Brown]

Wienand ,

One further article later on that year. This was the Shoreditch Tribunal.

Stuart

[Gary Samson]

I sure think it will be of interest. Such documention on one specific regiment wil help to form the picture of the whole Volunteer Force I think. Hence, if you would like to scan of copy it, I am much indepted.

Hi Wienand,

A copy of the Bygone Kent article is on its way to you now as a 300dpi PDF file by regular email. I'm only too pleased to be of some help. Do let me know if you have any problems with the attachment.

Gary

[dave ricketts]

As part of my research, I have an interest in the Volunteers. The book already mentioned about Leicestershire is a good place to start, although more information is contained in the Territorial Association Records, in Leicestershire at least. The Association took over the responsibility for the Volunteers in 1916, to give them something to do as in reality the Territorial Force, due to conscription, was taken in hand by the War Office.

The Volunteer Training Corps, or Citizens' Training League, in Leicester and Leicestershire, started in 1914 and early 1915. At the time, the establishment couldn't clothe and arm the Kitchener Battalions, so the volunteers really had no chance! In Narborough they had whist drives to raise funds.

I recollect that the Volunteer List did not come out as frequently as the Army List, although I have only seen the Westlake Reprint.

Dave