Percy Arthur Pearce - trying to make sense of service numbers

[aradgick]

Percy Arthur Pearce fought with the Gloucestershire Regiment before being transferred to the Lancashire Fusiliers. He was KIA 4th September 1918.

His MIC gives a date of entry of 13th August 1914, which places him in the 1st Battalion, Gloucesters.

But the service number is 201833 which looks more like a Territorial Battalion number.

Any ideas please?

Andrewr

[Stephen Nulty]

LLT suggests it as a 4th (TF) Bn number

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

Ih he transferred (for whatever reason) from a regular Bn to TF, he would probably have retained his original number, but then would he have been renumbered in March 1917?

A glance at the medal Rolls is called for, methinks

[Wingerdave]

All i can add is that my relative joined a Territorial Btn (Cameron Highlanders) with number 3311 in May 1915. When the 4th Btn were incorporated into the 1st Btn Cameron Highlanders he got the number 200662 which was within the new Territorial numbering allotted for the 1st Btn from 1 March 1917.

On his card there are two numbers, one for the Gloucester Regiment (201833) and another number for the Lancashire Fusiliers (328062).

The Gloucester number is a renumbering of 4th TF Btn Gloucester Regiment.

The Lancashire number is a renumbering of 8th TF Btn Lancashire Fusiliers.

This would mean that he apparently transferred AFTER 1 March 1917 (he was remumbered twice)

My relative transfered before 1 march 1917 and thus kept his old TF number from the 4th Camerons

Dave

[aradgick]

Thanks. I can understand the TF renumbering in the Gloucesters, and the subsequent transfer to the Lancashire Fusiliers, and a second renumbering.

What sorts of reasons would cause a man in the 1st Battalion (as evidenced from a date of entry in August 1914), to transfer into a TF battalion? He was born in 1886, and as far as I can see, was not in the Army before at least 1911.

Andrewr

[ss002d6252]

Where did you get the date of entry from ?

The Ancestry MIC has no date of entry given which would indicate an overseas date after 1 Jan 1916 - http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1262/30850_A001214-02256/2038846?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3dmedalrolls%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dangs-d%26gsfn%3dpercy%2barthur%26gsln%3dpearce%26cpxt%3d1%26uidh%3d784%26cp%3d11%26pcat%3d39%26fh%3d11%26h%3d2038846%26recoff%3d9%2b10&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

Craig

[Hywyn]

I see Percy A E Pearce 9646 of the Gloucesters went to France on 13 8 1914. (later trans to MGC and DoW 23 6 1916)

Quite possibly you have obtained the MIC from the NA? In which case you will have got the MICs of six men called Percy Pearce.

Hywyn

[aradgick]

Thanks - I appear to have got the two medal cards mixed. That has sorted it out now.

Andrewr

[James]

For those interested this LLT section has an explanation on the renumbering process:

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

James