BEF 1914 Reinforcement Chain and the Rule of 93

[ss002d6252]

Off the top of my head I think it was March 1915 when they stopped accepting new T.F. enlistments for home service only.

Craig

[Guest]

Whilst doing my 1914 books on Ypres I came across a comment (can't lay hands on it at the moment) by Kitchener in November about the available reserves for the BEF and the figure was disastrously low - somewhere less than 10,000 IIRC: this because, of course, at that stage there was no obligation for the territorials to serve overseas (not sure when that changed - someone on the Forum will doubtless spring in with that information.

Nigel, I would dearly love to find that quote.

The TF were already in France at this date, albeit in small numbers. London Scottish were the first TF infantry to disemark as early as Sep 1914. Kitchener's distrust of the TF was so great that he used them piecemeal, initially as L of C Troops and eventually (in 1914) embedding single battalions with the regulars. 19 TF battalion in France by end 1914.

Also by November hundreds of thousands of the TF had signed the Overseas Sevice Obligation and wanted to go. It was Kitchener who was resisting. There were six TF units who had pledged to serve overseas even before the War. Two of these - the 1/7th and 1/8th Middlesex (from memory) were dumped in Gibraltar to release regular battalions. The Home Counties Div, East Lancs Div and other units had also departed for India and Egypt in 1914.

MG

[spof]

Martin

FWIW, from doing a search on "draft" this is from the 2nd Argyll's war diary from when they landed in France in mid-August.

15.11.14
LT HdeB PURVES rejoined with draft of 97 men.

21.11.14
Draft of 150 men under CAPT KENNEDY and LT HUTCHISON arrived.

23.11.14
First Draft of 50 men joined.

7.12.14
Draft of 204 men under 2ND LT MOIR and 2ND LT LYLE arrived.

9.12.14
Draft of 20 men under 2ND LT BANKIER arrived. This officer had orders to returm next day.
5pm.
80 men of draft of 7th December went out to dig supporting trench behind PONT BALLOT.

17.12.14
Draft of 21 men (includes 12 for machine gun) arrived at 5.30pm.

8.1.15
Draft of 70 men from 4th Battalion arrived.

25.1.15
Draft of 95 men under 2ND LT IM MILLER arrived.

16.2.15
Draft of 33 men arrived. (12th Reinforcement)

14.4.15
Draft strength 25 joined.

It is interesting to see they tried to stick to "93" even in Jan 1915. The other item of interest is the 7th Dec draft seem to be reported as still being separate from the Companies when selected for digging duties.

And for 2 Rifle Brigade from arrival in early November

12.1.15
4pm. Draft inspected by GOC Brigade.

2.2.15
A draft of 30 NCOs and Riflemen joined the Battalion.

5.2.15
CO inspected new draft of 30 men.

16.2.15
Draft of 62 NCOs and Riflemen joined the Battalion - about 20 of them men who had left the Battalion sick.

11.3.15
A draft of 1 Officer and 20 others arrived.

12.3.15
A draft of 1 officer and 72 others arrived.

14.3.15
A draft of 1 officer and 95 men arrived.

19.3.15
A draft of 3 officers and 295 Riflemen arrived.

23.3.15
A draft of six officers arrived.

27.4.15
Draft of one officer and 103 men joined.

11.5.15
CAPTAIN BLIGH and LTS YOUNG and BOSWELL also arrived and a draft of 70 NCOs and men.

They lost a lot of men to the winter which may be why they had several small groups arriving in early 1915. They also took in 3 officers and 187 ORs in March 1915 during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle while suffering from 10-14 March casualties of 12 officers and 365 OR before receiving another 3 officers and 295 OR on the 19th.

There was one more large draft and then the Battle of Aubers Ridge on 9th May where they suffered badly. 3 officers and about 195 men returned to billets after the battle and losses were recorded as 21 officers and about 630 ORs killed, wounded, missing or wounded and missing. The draft of 3 officers and 70 men 2 days later seems almost laughable.

[nigelcave]

Nigel, I would dearly love to find that quote.

The TF were already in France at this date, albeit in small numbers. London Scottish were the first TF infantry to disemark as early as Sep 1914. Kitchener's distrust of the TF was so great that he used them piecemeal, initially as L of C Troops and eventually (in 1914) embedding single battalions with the regulars. 19 TF battalion in France by end 1914.

Also by November hundreds of thousands of the TF had signed the Overseas Sevice Obligation and wanted to go. It was Kitchener who was resisting. There were six TF units who had pledged to serve overseas even before the War. Two of these - the 1/7th and 1/8th Middlesex (from memory) were dumped in Gibraltar to release regular battalions. The Home Counties Div, East Lancs Div and other units had also departed for India and Egypt in 1914.

MG

I tried the obvious - eg the OH and one or two other single volume accounts of First Ypres but not there and yet I know I have read it somewhere and relatively recently - the problem being that my books are in Italy and I am in the UK. he was referring to waht was left of the reservists and special reservists, of course - because he had promised ten TA battalions at about that time. The point he was making was that was as many TA units over and above the Yeomanry as they could deploy at that stage, whilst the 8th Division was still forming, getting to France at the fag end of First Ypres. Will continue to look when I get the chance.

[hazelclark]

Tried to upload weekly and monthly reinforcement numbers for the Indian Corps. and Meerut division for 1914 from October when the arrived and the first few months of 1915 but the "document is too big". So, if anyone is interested they can PM me with an email address.

H

[Keith_history_buff]

On 08/05/2014 at 14:18, Guest said:

The more I think about it, when the system was bursting with Reservists and casualty expectations were low, sending drafts of 93 would seem sensible. The 20% within the first 6 weeks seems to have been achieved as the 2nd and 3rd Reinforcement drafts arrived within a month of the actions at Mons.

Looking across my spreadsheets for the Battalions in I and II Corps, there are very distinct bands of dates:

1st Reinforcements arrived in the first week of Sep with a high concentration (72%) around 5th Sep 1914

2nd Reinforcements arrived ........

[snip]

MG

Official History, Volume 1, pages 262-3

'It was impossible to expect that the deficiencies in men and material could be immediately made good. Practically all units received their first reinforcements the " ten per cent reinforcements " on the 4th and 5th September, and these, added to the replacement of the Munsters in the 1st (Guards) Brigade by the Cameron Highlanders (hitherto  Army Troops), brought the I. Corps more or less up to strength.'