Sergeant John Baxter Royal Scots

[brian burns]

Sergeant John Baxter Royal Scots seems to have three regimental numbers issued in 1914 , is this normal ?

 

regards 

 

Brian

[chaz]

not necessarily from 1914, its not unusual for soldiers to have multiple numbers, Ive seen 3 or 4 numbers and officer ranks as well.

[brian burns]

Thank you

[kenmorrison]

John served with the 7th Battalion of the Royal Scots which was was a Territorial Army Unit. His original 4-digit number (1112) was changed to the 6-digit (300125) in 1916/17. The 7-digit number (3045512) was a post war number which he had when he was awarded a Territorial Force War Medal on 24 November 1923.

The Long, long Trail notes that the 1/7th Battalion's  "A and D Companies were involved in a rail accident at Quintinshill near Gretna on 22 May 1915 while en-route to Liverpool from Larbert in Stirlingshire. 210 men were killed and 224 injured, forming the majority of the 473 casualties of the worst disaster in British railway history."

 

Ken

 

[brian burns]

Thanks Ken for your input , i have just discovered that John Bennet Baxter 1112 ,  7th Royal Scots was indeed a survivor of the Quintinshill rail disaster as was his younger brother James Thomson Baxter 1358 ,  7th Royal Scots .

James went on to join the Army service corps M/334919 .

Their older brother Charles Thomson Baxter 134178 Royal Engineers was awarded the Military Medal and bar .

Their cousin Charles Baxter 7070 Royal Artillery was also awarded the Military Medal .

Charles father  , Henry Thomson Baxter 1432 Cameron Highlanders was decorated in the Egpytian and South african campaigns .

What a proud family they must have been .

 

Regards 

 

Brian

[Stevend]

Hope you dont mind me asking do you have his medals