Gordon Highlanders, but which Battalion?

[Sandwick]

I've recently discovered that one of my great-great-uncles served as a Private with the Gordon Highlanders during the First World War but I know very little about him or where he served. I'm keen to find out where he was during the war so I'd like at least to establish which battalion he was part of.

His name was Peter John Nisbet, from North Yell in Shetland; he was a merchant seaman but, unlike his brothers who remained at sea, he joined the army. I've tracked down his medal card which gives his regimental number as S/13674 but the record gives no details of the battalion he served in (nor does it say Shetland Company as it does for some soldiers from Shetland). I see suggestions on the forum that blocks of service numbers were allocated to battalions? Is it possible to identify the probable battalion from the number and does the "S" prefix identify him as part of a Service Battalion with the Gordons?

The only other thing that I know is that he was wounded in the hand in August of 1916 while serving in France - my late grandmother told me that watching her father re-dress the wound was one of her earliest memories! I have a picture of him wearing Hospital Blues.

Any assistance would be hugely appreciated.

Erik

[rolt968]

Hello Erik

Someone will probably be able to tell you more than I can about which battalion that number indicates.

I can say that it is not a Territorial Force soldier's number. The Shetland Companies (2 of them) were TF companies which were in existence before WW1. So I don't think he was serving in the Shetland Companies.

Roger.

[Tom Lang]

Hello Erik,

Take a look at:

http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/10/gordon-highlanders-1st-2nd-battalions.html

The 2nd to last paragraph reads:

"By August 1914, the battalions were numbering in the 1500s and when the new service battalions began forming, men who joined up as war-time only enlistments were given numbers from the same series that had been used by the regulars, albeit these war-time enlistment numbers prefixed (for the most part) with the letter S/."

Tom.

[Sandwick]

Hi Tom and Roger,

Thank you, both of your contributions are extremely helpful and useful - so now I know that he was not a territorial, but was part of one of the service battalions, that's progress. I wonder if there's a way to identify which of the battalions from the regimental number or similar numbers?

Regards,

Erik

[Tom Lang]

Erik,

It's difficult to determine. Some regiments kept a good record, others re-issued old numbers, some started again from number 1, and a mixture of anything else...

You might try the regimental museum in Aberdeen.

http://www.gordonhighlanders.com/

As a volunteer group, they'll want a small fee for their services.

Click on the 'Family History' tab for info.

Tom.

[Sandwick]

Tom,

Thank you, I'll do that.

Regards,

Erik

[James]

Tom, Erik,

From what I know of the numbering system numbers were not reissued to new soldiers except after completing the series that was allocated to them. (which would take a considerable period of time ie decades)

The series allocated to the regular Bns was continued when the service Bns came into being with the prefix "s" being allocated to service Bn soldiers (although this requirement was often in the breach rather than the observance.

With the number given in this case you can rule out Bns 1 to 7 (either regular or TF). Added the fact he was wounded and thus served overseas means you are now down to:

8th 9th & 10th. or after May 16 9th and 8/10th (the 8th and 10 amalgamated)

Further he is not entitled to a 15 star which means he served in France after 1916.

However he only has 1 number which should indicate he did not move out of the service bns and remained with the same regiment.

Look up at Kew is the best bet, followed by trying a search on Ancestry of similar numbers either on SWB or service/pension records. If you can find someone close it COULD be a good indicater of date of join and Bn.

Happy hunting

James

[Sandwick]

Hello James,

Thank you very much, very helpful. I'm new to this forum and extremely impressed at the knowledge that's around - amazing!

Many thanks,

Erik

[sotonmate]

WO329/1656 (page 1423) is a ledger at the National Archives which will show his Battalion at the time of first landing in France.

[Sandwick]

Hi Sotonmate,

Thank you, that's great, very helpful - is this the medal roll?

Regards,

Erik

[sotonmate]

Erik

Yes . I now have the page and it says he firstly served in 1 Battalion and later the 8/10 (this title for the amalgamated 8 and 10 ran from May 1916 ).If you would like the page let me have your e-mail address in the Message section here.

[Sandwick]

Sotonmate,

You're a gentleman, sir - that's extremely helpful; I'd very much like the page so I will messgae you now (once I've worked out how it works). I wasn't expecting the !st Battalion.

Erik

[ralphjd]

Erik. Just highlight Sotonmates name = second box down = send message. Regards. Ralph.

[Sandwick]

rjaydee - thank you, done it.

[sotonmate]

RJaydee

Thank you - got it !

[Drumelzier]

WO329/1656 (page 1423) is a ledger at the National Archives which will show his Battalion at the time of first landing in France.

Sotonmate, I'm looking for further info on my great-uncle who was in the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders and died at 1st Ypres.

I find the National Archive site so vast that it's difficult to locate info, would you know which document would contain this Battalions details on arrival at Zeebrugge 7.11.14 ?

Thanks

Alan

[spof]

Alan

You can download the war diary from here for £3.30. That will trace his unit from Zeebrugge to 1st Ypres.

Glen

[Guest]

An interesting snippet from the diary;

22nd Oct 1914 - 24th Oct 1914. Several small attacks were launched by the enemy along the front held by the Brigade but were all repulsed. Capt SWORDER and Lt THISTLE wounded. Sgt ROBINSON, Cpl KENNEDY and Pte BRADLEY killed and Sgt ANGUS and about 14 men wounded. Sgt ROBINSON was much disappointed that he had not be able to kill his 40 Germans before 1st Jan, as all ranks had been asked by the Commanding Officer to do this.

[Drumelzier]

Alan

You can download the war diary from here for £3.30. That will trace his unit from Zeebrugge to 1st Ypres.

Glen

Thanks Glen, just purchased it.

Cheers

Alan

[Drumelzier]

An interesting snippet from the diary;

22nd Oct 1914 - 24th Oct 1914. Several small attacks were launched by the enemy along the front held by the Brigade but were all repulsed. Capt SWORDER and Lt THISTLE wounded. Sgt ROBINSON, Cpl KENNEDY and Pte BRADLEY killed and Sgt ANGUS and about 14 men wounded. Sgt ROBINSON was much disappointed that he had not be able to kill his 40 Germans before 1st Jan, as all ranks had been asked by the Commanding Officer to do this.

Martin, the name Robinson rang a bell so from recently written notes I'd written up on the 2nd Batt I have a death for Lance Sgt Alfred E Robinson on 28th Oct 1914, wonder if he ever got his 40th ?

ps. I'm still downloading the diary but I wondering if you re-typed that snippet or copied and pasted it from somewhere else ?

[Guest]

Martin, the name Robinson rang a bell so from recently written notes I'd written up on the 2nd Batt I have a death for Lance Sgt Alfred E Robinson on 28th Oct 1914, wonder if he ever got his 40th ?

ps. I'm still downloading the diary but I wondering if you re-typed that snippet or copied and pasted it from somewhere else ?

I have transcribed the diary....

[Drumelzier]

I have transcribed the diary....

Thanks and apologies I misread your snippet re Sgt Robinson who was obviously a different person to the one I mentioned.