Carlisle and the East Lancs

[Guest winstonsmith]

Hello

My GG was in the East Lancs (enlisted at Burnley). His adress in SDGW is given as Carlisle. Does anybody know which Bn of the East Lancs was based at Carlisle?

[PhilB]

That would be his private address, winston, would it not? Not where his battalion was based. Phil B

[Guest winstonsmith]

Hi Phil

no when the war started he was in camp at workington. He was a reservist at the time.

[PhilB]

I`ve checked through Brig James list and I can`t see any EL Bn based at Carlisle. Perhaps Croonaert will have more info!

[CROONAERT]

There were no battalions of the ELR based at Carlisle at any time throughout the war.

The 3rd (reserve) Battalion was doing it's annual training at a camp at Workington from 20th July 1914 untill it got recalled back to Preston on the 3/4th August. As a reservist he wouldn't have actually been a serving soldier ,as such ,untill he was mobilised, so his address wouldn't have matched that of any particular battalion. It would have been a civilian address.

On the 4th August, the locations of the battalions of the ELR were as follows:

1st Bn. - Colchester (except for one company at Felixtowe)

2nd Bn. - Wynberg Camp/Simonstown/Capetown , S.Africa.

3rd Bn - Workington, Cumberland

4th Bn. - Blackburn, Darwen and Clitheroe

5th Bn. - Burnley, Accrington, Bacup, Haslingden and Padiham

No other battalions were in existance at this date.

Dave.

[Guest winstonsmith]

Thanks so much Dave. I guess that places him firmly in the 3rd Bn then. Excelent.

[Guest winstonsmith]

Quote from CROONAERT 'Seeing as he'd spent 3 periods in France by the time of his discharge in Aug.1915, he'd have to have been

in either the 1st or the 2nd Battalion. (None of the other battalions had had enough service in France by

this time to be considered as possibilities).'

This leaves me with the problem of this contradiction. He was definately in camp at Workington at the outbreak of war - It's mentioned in his death notice in the Burnley Express.

He is definately a reservist in the East Lancs. And he definately did 3 stints in France. Are you sure that the 3rd Bn isn't a possible Dave?

Sorry to pester but it's very perplexing.

[CROONAERT]

Quote from CROONAERT 'Seeing as he'd spent 3 periods in France by the time of his discharge in Aug.1915, he'd have to have been

in either the 1st or the 2nd Battalion. (None of the other battalions had had enough service in France by

this time to be considered as possibilities).'

This leaves me with the problem of this contradiction. He was definately in camp at Workington at the outbreak of war - It's mentioned in his death notice in the Burnley Express.

He is definately a reservist in the East Lancs. And he definately did 3 stints in France. Are you sure that the 3rd Bn isn't a possible Dave?

Sorry to pester but it's very perplexing.

As a reservist, he'd have been a part-time member of the 3rd battalion pre-war (don't forget that when they went to Workington on July 20th, that this was a pre-war "annual camp" of a similar thing encountered with the territorials).

The 3rd bn remained in the UK throughout the war and simply supplied drafts of soldiers to the 1st and 2nd battalions.

As a definitive answer, he started the war in the 3rd Bn and was then transferred (it could have been as early as 5th August seeing as they were already fully mobilised) to either the 1st or 2nd battalion.

Dave.

[Guest winstonsmith]

Dave

That all makes perfect sense. Thanks for puting me straight.

This means he was regular army at some point before the war yes?

How long did a soldier usually serve with the regulars before becoming a reservist?

[CROONAERT]

This means he was regular army at some point before the war yes?

How long did a soldier usually serve with the regulars before becoming a reservist?

In answer to your questions...

Yes, he was a pre-war regular who had served his time

and

Not too sure on this. I think the minimum might have been 7 years (though 3 also sticks in my head for some reason).

Dave.