Army Service Corps to Artist's Rifles

[aradgick]

Ralph Henry Hancocks, a local man killed in WWI, started in the RASC (M2/32377) but transferred to 1/28th Rifle Brigade (B/201452).

Looking on CWGC, there are 5 men listed with numbers B/20145x, all of whom served with the ASC before joining the Rifle Brigade.

Does anyone know why men from ASC were being moved to the Rifle Brigade, and approximately when?

I believe the 'B' prefix was used. inter alia, for men in the Rifle Brigade from the ASC Special Reserve

Andrewr

[Waggoner]

Andrew,

Have you had a look for his service papers? If they survived, they would explain a great deal. It was usual for combat fit men from the ASC to be transferred to the infantry to help replenish their ranks. With an "M2" prefix, he would not have been part of the Special Reserve.

All the best,

Gary

[aradgick]

Gary,

Thanks for the idea, but I've already checked for Hancocks, and there is no Service Record for him, or the other four on CWGC

Andrewr

[stiletto_33853]

Hi Andrew,

Please find attached the part of his medal roll.

No the B 6 figure sequence was not used solely for A.S.C. transfers but from all sorts of regiments, the first batch came from the Leicestershire regiment, next from the North Staffords etc, although around the number you are looking at they were mainly ASC. The sequence was started in late September 1916 and carried on after that, his transfer would have been in late 1916 but away from my database at the moment so cannot give you a precise date, but it would have been probably late October 1916.

As to why, well in this number sequence the first few hundred went into the 20th Division Rifle Brigade battalions after 3/9/16 at Guillemont where they took a mauling and badly needed replacements. These were all transferred just prior to going overseas or at an Infantry Base Depot in France. The last one whose papers I have on my laptop is B/200530, he was originally from the Suffolk regiment and was placed in the 10th Rifle Brigade.

Your man was placed in the 1/28th London Regiment (Artists Rifles) which was a territorial battalion of the Rifle Brigade.

Andy

[aradgick]

Many thanks Andy. That answers all my questions.

Andrewr

[Gardenerbill]

On page 90 of Michael Young's 'Army Service Corps 1902-1918' he writes that in May 1916 the Director of Supplies at the War Office initiated an exchange of 5,500 category 'A' men of the ASC for men of lower category in other regiments (B or C). He goes on to state that between November 1916 and the armistice 82,638 men were transferred to the Artillery, Infantry, Machine Gun Corps and Royal Flying Corps. The exchanges only took place as the Category B and C men became available.