Henry T Lawrie 40891 17 Royal Scots: Which battalion before?

[rolt968]

I have been trying to work out as much as I can of Henry T Lawrie's service - with very little to go on. According to the local newspaper reports when he was killed (on or after 25 March 1918) he been “three years with the colours”. I was a bit suspicious of this. Using the calculator based on the gratuity suggests enlistment about  April 1916 (sorry Craig, I used the excel version so possibly not quite accurate).

 

Henry Lawrie's record has not survived, but some of the record for James Ainslie, 40892, briefly 17 Royal Scots has survived. Ainslie joined (enrolment changed to joining on form) 10 (Cyclist) Royal Scots in mid April 1916 {error corrected] being allocated the number 3021. He was transferred to 17 Royal Scots on 13 January 1917 (BEF from 11 January 1917). he was transferred to the RE on 12 April 1917.

 

Presumably having the number immediately previous, Henry Lawrie joined 17 Royal Scots about the same time and was given the number 40891, having enlisted in another battalion and been given a different number in April 1916. Is this reasonable?

 

I suspect he enlisted via the Derby Scheme. He was born in 1890 and was married - Group 31 - mobilised on 7 April 1916.

 

17 Royal Scots was originally a Bantam battalion. I suspect that a number of men were drafted in from home battalions in January 1917, since there had been a second purge of unfit men in 35 Division in December 1916.

 

Henry Lawrie enlisted in Galashiels (SDGW - ancestry, assuming that all the above is reasonable can anyone suggest in which battalion he originally enlisted. (Was there a big draft from 2/10 Royals Scots?)

 

RM

Edited 15 November , 2018 by rolt968

[rolt968]

The War Diary of 17 Royal Scots is interesting:

The first "purge" of unfit men in 35 Division was on 9 to 16 December 1916. According to Westlake (Kitchener's Army) more men were ordered to be removed from the Division "later". I had not realised that the changeover was still going on in mid January 1917. That was huge turnover of men in one battalion. No wonder extra instructors were allocated to the battalion.

RM