Wartime volunteers

[Mark Hone]

Recently I have had cause to question some educational materials which had people volunteering in August 1914, being posted almost straightaway to the Western Front and participating in e.g. the Christmas Truce. (This also happens in a children's illustrated book, 'The War Game' by Michael Foreman I think). As a matter of interest does anyone know the earliest date that individual wartime volunteers reached the Western Front? (As opposed to entire New Army units etc.)

[AOK4]

For the Germans, untrained volunteers from the beginning August, were trained in 2,5 months and at the front in newly raised units on 15 October 1914.

Jan

[Sue Light]

Mark

I'm sure that there must be thousands earlier, but the first of my local men to arrive in France, excluding the regular soldiers or reservists, was one Albert Holden, a forty-one year old single man, who worked in the village driving the coal delivery horse and cart. He joined the Army Veterinary Corps, and arrived in France on 8th December 1914. However, he didn't live to see the Christmas Truce, dying of pneumonia a week later, December 16th.

Regards - Sue

[charlesmessenger]

Probably the first individual volunteers to reach France were those who became `scout officers' in the fledgling Intelligence Corps, as well as volunteer RE Despatch Riders. They crossed with the Expeditionary Force in August 1914.

The first volunteer units to go to France were Nos 1 and 2 Labour Companies ASC. They also crossed in August 1914 and were made up of hastily enlisted labourers.

Charles M

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

I have a BWM to an ASC driver who enlisted on 15 August 1914 and embarked for the Western Front on 15 October 1914.

Ian

[jhill]

An example of a member of an infantry battalion is "Smokie" Thompson, whose story is told at the Hellfire Corner site at http://www.hellfire-corner.demon.co.uk/sergeant.htm

He was a civilian when the war broke out and landed in France on 20 Dec 1914 with the Princess Patricia's Light Infantry.

The Patricias were supposed to recruit exclusively from men with military experience, but this fellow was an exception.

He and perhaps a few of his fellows must have been the first August volunteers to reach the front from the other side of the world.

[Jonathan Saunders]

As I recall the Patricias started out as part of the British Army and only transferred (with mixed feelings) to the Canadian army later in the war. I think quite a few of them had seen service in Strathcona's Horse or in the Boer War - it would be interetsing to find out the average age of the other ranks that landed in France in December (I think they had arrived in England by early October so recruitment etc had happened very fast).

[Paul Reed]

In the Royal Sussex Regiment, which raised one of the first New Army battalions in August 1914 (Most were raised from September), the men with the 'G' prefix who had enlisted for 4 years or duration, began to arrive in France to join the 2nd Bn as reinforcements in December 1914; several were killed in early January 1915, making them some of the first 'K' men to be killed, I suspect.

[Broznitsky]

To quote Desmond Morton regarding the PPCLI (Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry): "Raised at the expense of Hamilton Gault, a Montreal millionaire, the unit was filled with British Army reservists, diverted from their regiments." "Faced with the task of getting reservists back to England, the governor general's office cheerfully approved."

It seems most of the men were British-born, whilst the officers were Canadian.

[brownag]

Re the PPCLI - the story goes that all but one of the Regiments and Corps of the British Army were represented in the ranks of this regiment. Does anyone know if this is true and if so which regiment was it?

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

As an add on to my last post a lot of ASC men involved in dock work were also early war volunteers to France. Their service numbers are prefixed SS- (Supply Specialists).

Ian

[Jonathan Saunders]

For those interested in the Patricias I read a book "Letters of Agar Adamson" a year or so ago. He served as a Captain in the Regiment from 1914 and later as Lt-Col, staying in the trenches until the end of 1917 and winning a DSO at Loos I think (sorry memory gone so please correct me if Im wrong) but the book is well worth the read.

Sorry I dont think it answered brownag's question though.

[Broznitsky]

Some more facts (from ppcli.com):

"Only 10% of the "Original" Patricia's were of Canadian birth.

Princess Patricia, for whom the Regiment was named, was granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and Daughter of the Duke of Connaught, the Governor-General of Canada.

When the Regiment was inspected by Colonel Hughes in Ottawa before its departure for Europe, there were 545 war medals being worn by the troops.

By August 19th 1,098 ranks had been accepted from 3,000 applicants, and of them 1,049 had seen previous service throughout the British Empire. It is said that all but one unit in the British Army was in the ranks of the new Regiment, as well as men from the Royal Navy and Marines."

Still no answer for brownag . . .

[Hedley Malloch]

I read somwhere that the first UK Pals batallion to see action as a unit was the 6th Yorkshire Regiment at Suvla Bay Gallipoli in August 1915. Lale Baba, the site of a CWGC cemetery was named York Hill after them.

[Yorts]

Hi,

Motor Owner Drivers who volunteered their services and private vehicles crossed to France almost immeadiately after their temporary commissions. At least sixteen of those attached to the Royal Naval Division (as temporary 2/Lieut or Lieut. RM) landed in F & F early enough to qualify for the 1914 Star & bar. Overall approximately 55 qualified for the Star. At least one of these volunteers was serving at Antwerp before the battle of Mons.

ASC personnel also landed in F & F with very little training. Often the wartime job they undertook was the same as their peacetime employment e.g. drivers, mechanics etc.

Regards,

Alex.

[Staffsyeoman]

Just to amplify the above; Brigadier General Christopher Baker-Carr went to France in August 1914 as a civilian, driving senior officers as a chauffeur. (He had been a regular officer in the Rifle Brigade in South Africa). He was prevailed upon to re-enlist and played a pivotal role in the formation of both the MGC and the Tank Corps (commanding 1 Tank Brigade later in the war). His memoirs "From Chauffeur to Brigadier" are very entertaining.

His 1914 Star is named 'RAC' - for Royal Automobile Club.

Incidentally - weren't the London Scottish the first TF battalion to get to the front in 1914?

[Terry_Reeves]

An interesting story appeared in todays Times about Aubrey Herbert who has been awarded the (Albanian) Silver Order of Naim Frasheri 80 years after his death. Herbert was the brother of the 5th Earl of Carnaervon, of Tutenkhamun fame, and a champion of Albanian independence. Such was his standing in Albania he was twice offered the throne.

Turned down for a commission in the Irish Guards because of poor eyesight, he simply tagged along with them when they went to France in 1914 in a uniform that he had had specially made. His initiative was rewarded with a commission and he served with them during the retreat from Mons during which he was captured and escaped. Fluent in Turkish, he subequently served as an interpreter with the ANZAC and later in Mesopotamia. He was also involved in a secret mission with TH Lawrence at one stage. As a result of this, John Buchan modelled Sandy Arbuthnot on him in his spy thriller "Greenmantle".

Terry Reeves

[armourersergeant]

I had heard of Baker-Carr but had never seen much in the way of his career it sounds a fascinating one and know i know how he progressed to high command. I wondered how he had gone from private to general in so short a time, i never realised he was a previous officer.

I have had more questions answered regarding little tit bits ive picked up over the years in the last three weeks than in the last ten years.

Cheers Staffs for that, oh any works or books (other than the one mentioned) you can suggest on him i would be grateful.

Arm.

[Fleur]

There is a piece in the Armourer this month about the Waggoners who were a volunteer force pre WW1 set up just in case there ever was a war to provide waggons to move supplies around.

They were out right from the off more or less (some being awarded the mons star and clasp) making sure our boys were fed and watered. They later got sucked into the ASC moving alsorts around.

I can do a scan of the article if anyone is interested and post it as a PDF.

Fleur

[Paul Reed]

The difference with the Wolds Wagoneers is that they were part of the Territorial Force and so not strictly speaking "wartime volunteers".