Stunning photo. 3rd Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment MI Section.

[FROGSMILE]

21 minutes ago, toast said:

Sorry to bump this, but my great-grandfather joined the 3rd Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment in 1903, is this photo still available? 

The 3rd Battalion was a ‘Militia’ (one of two separate auxiliary forces at that time) Battalion of the regiment.  The 3rd ‘Volunteer’ Battalion (referred to in this thread) was a part of the other auxiliary force that made up the regiment as a whole (i.e. regulars, militia and volunteers).  Because the battalions’ numerical designations were the same, it often causes confusion for researchers until they are familiar with the differences.  The Militia Battalion was invariably based at the regimental depot, where its arms were also kept, usually in a large ‘keep’.  Conversely, the Volunteer Battalion(s) had it’s companies dispersed throughout local towns within the regiment’s territorial area at small barracks known as drill halls, within which their arms were secured.

Edited 15 January , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Muerrisch]

3 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

The 3rd Battalion was a ‘Militia’ (one of two separate auxiliary forces at that time) Battalion of the regiment.  The 3rd ‘Volunteer’ Battalion (referred to in this thread) was a part of the other auxiliary force that made up the regiment as a whole (i.e. regulars, militia and volunteers).  Because the battalions’ numerical designations were the same, it often causes confusion for researchers until they are familiar with the differences.  The Militia Battalion was invariably based at the regimental depot, where its arms were also kept, usually in a large ‘keep’.  Conversely, the Volunteer Battalion(s) had it’s companies dispersed throughout local towns within the regiment’s territorial area at small barracks known as drill halls, within which their arms were secured.

I am no expert on that regiment but were there really two battalions with the same number at the same time, one Militia and on Volunteer?

[FROGSMILE]

6 hours ago, Muerrisch said:

I am no expert on that regiment but were there really two battalions with the same number at the same time, one Militia and on Volunteer?

Yes. There was also a 3rd (Militia) Bn RWF and a 3rd (VB) RWF....at the same time.  3rd VB RWF was formed 26th May 1897 and made up from the eight Caernarfonshire companies of 2nd VB RWF.  It existed until 1908, when it reformed as a TF Battalion.  This duplication of numbers was common throughout the post Cardwell period concerned, until Haldane’s creation of the Territorial Force.

 

NB.  There was a period when the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment had 4 Regular battalions, when two extra battalions were raised in 1900, and that nudged all the successive battalion’s numbers up by two. The 3rd and 4th regular battalions were disbanded between the end of the 2nd Anglo/Boer War and the outbreak of WW1.

Edited 15 January , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Muerrisch]

Thank you ................ I had no idea.

Absurd way of going about matters.

[FROGSMILE]

12 minutes ago, Muerrisch said:

Thank you ................ I had no idea.

Absurd way of going about matters.

A lot of it was to do with the rivalry and one-upmanship between the Militia (formed and maintained by the Constitution, and older than even the regular army) and the Johnny-come-lately’s of the Rifle Volunteers, and due to their substantially differing terms and conditions of service, they had to remain discrete bodies within each regiment.

Edited 15 January , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[David_Underdown]

Sorted out in 1908 when militia became special reserve and the volunteer battalions became TF, and were renumbered in sequence following the special reserve (and occasionally extra special reserve)

[FROGSMILE]

4 hours ago, David_Underdown said:

Sorted out in 1908 when militia became special reserve and the volunteer battalions became TF, and were renumbered in sequence following the special reserve (and occasionally extra special reserve)

Indeed.