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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Regimental Battalions


cazack

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I would like to know if you can find out on line what battalion servicemen came from with in their regiment. I know sometimes it shows on the MIC but are curious to see if you can located their battalions and if so what is the best way

regards

Caz

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A check on CWGC site would show those that died.

A check on Ancestry might have a service record with the info

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The medal roll books very often show their battalion and the BW & V rolls also indicate if they served with more than one battalion within a regiment sometimes recording whether they transferred to another regiment or corps or whether they were commissioned from the ranks.

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The documents quoted tell only the battalion the man was serving with when he died or earned a medal. Many men served with several battalions of the same regiment and the majority who joined after 1915 served with at least two regiments which you will find only when you get their full records. Once the Kitchener (Service) battalions were full all new recruits went first to a training battalion and later to a training reserve regiment before their final posting to a battalion in France etc. There are plenty of cases of men serving in three different regiments in the same week.- a Training Reserve regiment - the regiment with which the TR was associated and then the regiment to which he was posted for active service

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The documents quoted tell only the battalion the man was serving with when he died or earned a medal...

Not true - I concede the medal rolls can be a bit of a lottery especially for Artillery, ASC and RAMC and for infantry the Star roll books only tend to mention the battalion they were in when they qualified for the star but the BW & V often shows if they were with another battalion when qualifying for these medals so they might show as qualifying for the BW under one and for the V as the last they served with. In the absence of service records and let's face it, most service records are absent, it can be the only lead to work with.

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BWM and Victory rolls do tend to show all battalions an infantryman served with (overseas), in the case of London territorial units, and some Royal Fusiliers rolls, they will even quote the posting dates. Even my gt-gt-uncle's Welsh Regiment roll entry shows his initial postings to an Infantry Base Depot on arrival in France, then to 2nd Bn, back to an IBD, back to 2nd Bn, attached to 26th Field Company RE, and back to 2nd Welsh (see http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/my-tommys-war-an-underage-welsh-brickie-on-the-somme/#more-5391 ) - but in his case sadly no dates (the return to an IBD is a bit of a mystery).

The rolls however are not generally online, and do only show the units served with overseas, so trying to establish what unit they were in in the UK is still difficult.

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BWM and Victory rolls do tend to show all battalions an infantryman served with (overseas), in the case of London territorial units, and some Royal Fusiliers rolls, they will even quote the posting dates. Even my gt-gt-uncle's Welsh Regiment roll entry shows his initial postings to an Infantry Base Depot on arrival in France, then to 2nd Bn, back to an IBD, back to 2nd Bn, attached to 26th Field Company RE, and back to 2nd Welsh (see http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/my-tommys-war-an-underage-welsh-brickie-on-the-somme/#more-5391 ) - but in his case sadly no dates (the return to an IBD is a bit of a mystery).

The rolls however are not generally online, and do only show the units served with overseas, so trying to establish what unit they were in in the UK is still difficult.

In the absence of a service record the medal roll for one of granddad's cousins shows 5 service numbers and 4 different units served with (2 service numbers were for the same unit) these were found in the roll for the last unit he served with (Waterworks and Railways). I have heard repeated rumours that the medal rolls are to be digitised and released.

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Hi

I found checking my local papers a font of knowledge that couldn't be found anywhere else. i.e. many, many listings along with service numbers not only of those that died but those injured etc. as well as letters send from the front home - in fact I made a display of them which at present is in my local library for people to look at.

thanks and take care, Kitty

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thanks all for your input. In regards to medal roll books where can I source these

regards and thanks

Caz

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The Medal Rolls will probably involve a trip to Kew.

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The Medal Rolls will probably involve a trip to Kew.

True dat. Unless a forum pal has the one needed. Or, you pay for a copy of the relevant page(s) to be copied from Kew.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi

I've found several on findmypast which aren't on ancestry.

thanks and take care, Kitty

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Hi

I've found several on findmypast which aren't on ancestry.

thanks and take care, Kitty

Several what, Kitty?

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Hi

I've found several medical cards, military records, medal info and other soldier records on findmypast which aren't on ancestry and of course the other way round too.

Just thought it was another source to look at as it's fairly new.

Also don't forget the British Newspaper site.

Sorry trying to sort out the most important factors of WWI for my display - and having trouble narrowing it down enough.

thanks and take care, Kitty

Edited by Kitty55
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Ah. I wondered if you meant Medal Rolls.

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Hi

sorry about that - will now leave the room due to 11 week old puppy having bad wind - put me off what I was writing. You wouldn't believe the stink.

thanks Kitty

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