TF enlistment/mobilization/number question

[Skipman]

I have photographs that show 6th Black Watch soldier Ian MacLaren at a pre-war camp, probably 1912-1914, it's definitely him. His number, 1961 suggest he enlisted on the 13th or 14th August 1914. He was working in London when war broke out and returned to Aberfeldy.

 

Could he have been in the TF before the war and left, then re-enlisted on the outbreak of war, or renumbered. What other explanations might there be?

 

Mike

Edited 15 February , 2021 by Skipman

[ss002d6252]

If he broke service then he'd get a new number. It's certainly possible to have left and enlisted.

 

A lot of my 6th DLI men did that, which makes it a pain when earlier numbers aren't known as it would fill a lot of gaps in my records.

 

Craig

[rolt968]

1 hour ago, ss002d6252 said:

If he broke service then he'd get a new number. It's certainly possible to have left and enlisted.

 

A lot of my 6th DLI men did that, which makes it a pain when earlier numbers aren't known as it would fill a lot of gaps in my records.

 

Craig

THank you Craig. You have answered a question I was about to ask.

 

I am researching a man who acording to his number enlisted in the TF in late 1910 very early 1911. The local newspaper reports of his death imply that he joined up in August 1914. I tend to distrust that kind of report in some newspapers as they do not always seem to have been clear about the difference between enlisting and being mobilised.

RM

[Skipman]

Excellent, thank you very much Craig.

 

Mike

[Muerrisch]

One needs to be careful with regimental numbers of TF men and SR men ................. when the VF recruiting ceased and its members were encouraged to enlist in the TF, some successor units are believed to have retained VF regimental numbers. Likewise when the Militiamen were encouraged to join the SR.

It is not true to say that all TF and SR units began numbering with 0001 in 1908. A very complicated subject. All this from memory ....... I wrote the articles for MHS Bulletin a long time ago!

[rolt968]

18 minutes ago, Muerrisch said:

One needs to be careful with regimental numbers of TF men and SR men ................. when the VF recruiting ceased and its members were encouraged to enlist in the TF, some successor units are believed to have retained VF regimental numbers. Likewise when the Militiamen were encouraged to join the SR.

It is not true to say that all TF and SR units began numbering with 0001 in 1908. A very complicated subject. All this from memory ....... I wrote the articles for MHS Bulletin a long time ago!

Thank you that's a useful point.  I wonder if some TF units did not issue new numbers to men who had returned after a relatively short time away even although the regulations indicated they should.

RM

[Muerrisch]

6 hours ago, rolt968 said:

Thank you that's a useful point.  I wonder if some TF units did not issue new numbers to men who had returned after a relatively short time away even although the regulations indicated they should.

RM

 

Unlikely but not impossible. The regulations on numbering were based on a man owning a regimental number throughout his continuous service on his contract. Enshrined in King's Regulations, it became very complicated but a lot of effort was devoted to keeping the system clean.

 

Graham Stewart and I had a series published on the subject of Numbering. Paull Nixon's subsequent work also needs to be considered: a massive but as yet incomplete bible.

 

I append what we wrote on the VF/TF problem. Be warned, it is complicated. I fear the scatter diagrams referred to do not reproduce.

 

 

The Volunteer Force (VF) and the Territorial Force (TF)

 

The regimental numbers of these, the least glamorous and officially most junior of the three tiers of the army (in every case, rank for rank, and regardless of seniority in rank, a soldier or officer of the Regular Army was senior to one of equal rank in the Militia/ Special Reserve, who in turn was senior to his equivalent in the Volunteer Force/ Territorial Force), are an exceptionally difficult study. This is partly because of merger upon merger upon merger, partly because they were, at best, semi-autonomous and went their individual ways as often as not, and partly because of the loosely worded regulations. Nevertheless, there was indeed an official framework of regulations, which we attempt to describe below.

 

Volunteer Force Regulations 1861 do not specifically order the issuing of numbers, but page 104 ‘Rifle Practice Return’ requires a soldier’s regimental number to be entered against his name and score. Again, the regulations of 1863 make no formal mention. The edition of 1878 paragraph 399 said that a number was to be allocated to each Volunteer on enlistment, and vacant numbers were not to be used ‘When a Corps is incorporated in another, the men will receive fresh numbers, with the old numbers and Corps shown against their names in the Muster Roll’. The substantially revised and recognisably ‘modern’ edition of 1881 reiterated this. The implication is that it is the imported men who receive fresh numbers. There is clear evidence that this was not universally followed, a cause for subsequent muddle. VF Regulations 1891 makes a similar point, but in a way that makes a possible interpretation that all men, merged into or original to the unit, were to receive new numbers. 1892 made no significant change, and 1901 added, for the first time, that when the series reached 9999 a new series was to be commenced. The last issue, the provisional 1904 one, is substantially the same.

 

The Demise of the Volunteer Force and birth of the Territorial Force, 1908.

 

Against a background of history as described above, one might hope for a new order, a brave new world, with Territorial Force numbers stating afresh at number 1. for each unit. Each County Association responsible for a TF battalion was quasi-autonomous and it is unfortunate that the first TF regulations have no mention of numbering. Some units did not start a new series: these include the London Rifle Brigade and the 5th South Staffords. By contrast, the 6th Sherwood Foresters did indeed start at number 1. (Sergeant Broomhead), as did the Inns of Court Regiment. There was nothing to stop the several TF battalions affiliated to a regiment each taking different decisions: they could all or none start at number 1., for example, raising the distinct possibility that the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th ‘Blankshires’ might all be running series in parallel: fine and acceptable in peace, but the stirring and churning of war would throw up many pairs, trios and even larger multiples of numbers queueing at the same Pay Parade. 5th (TF) Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, established by the amalgamation of 3rd (Dumfries) Volunteer Battalion, KOSB, and the Galloway (Kikudbright and Wigtown) Volunteer Rifle Corps less C Company Stranraer, hit on a novel, hopefully unique, numbering technique. The new battalion covered three counties, so what more logical, they thought, than to allocate blocks of numbers to each county:

Dumfries, companies A to D starting at number 1.,

Kirkudbrightshire, companies E to G, starting at 2000, and

Wigtownshire, H company, starting at 4000.

This continued until spring or summer 1910, when a Kirkudbrightshire man received 2332.

The awards of the Territorial Force Efficiency medal, first sanctioned in 1908, can be useful for analysis of sequences, but allowance has to be made for war-time service counting double, and one must assume a man obtained the award at the first possible date. Qualification was 12 years service and ‘trainings’. The attached scatter diagram (Figure 9) of the senior RWF TF battalion, the 4th, is typical. Allowing for a backlog in 1897, a fairly clear trend line can be drawn by eye, and an annual recruiting figure (about 300 per annum) derived. It is highly suggestive that a new series was not started in 1908 because, by the end of the war, men enlisted after that date might reasonably be expected to appear on the lists of awards.

A goodly number of TF units received the 1914 star or the 1914-1915 star. Whereas the presence of low numbers will tell us nothing, the presence of high regimental numbers, say over 5000, would be strongly suggestive that the pre-1908 VF number series continued after that date. Figure 9. shows that 4th (TF) RWF did not start at number 1. in 1908, whereas Figure 10. shows that 5th (TF) Gordon Highlanders did so. This latter also gives cumulative numbers by years up to and including 1916.

 

 

Figure 9. Scatter diagram of 4th RWF (TF) from Territorial Force Efficiency Medal.

 

Figure 10. Scatter diagram showing cumulative numbers issued, 5th (TF) Gordon Highlanders up to 1916

 

TF Regulations 1912, paragraph 146 said, for the first time,  that  “…….. The NCOs and men of the TF will be numbered by units, and each man when posted or transferred to a unit will receive a number in that unit. The series of numbers will run from 1 to 9999; when the latter number is reached a fresh series will be commenced ……..If he is transferred, deserts, is discharged, or dies, the number will not be given to any other man”

 

 

TF Numbering in the Great War.

 

The pre-war (and for a short time after the outbreak of war) territorial recruit to the TF enlisted for Home defence exclusively. Whereas he was encouraged to sign the Imperial Service commitment asserting his readiness to serve with his own unit overseas in time of war, this was entirely voluntary and carried no advantage except for a rather smart white metal badge. Only if a large percentage of a unit signed the commitment could a unit be sent overseas, and no soldier could be compelled to serve in a unit other than his own.

The exigencies of war soon sent willing formed TF units to fight, and pressure was brought, often successfully, to add to their number. Nevertheless, the system was inflexible, and was rendered not of the highest priority by the preference to build ‘New Armies’ rather than grow on to the TF stock. ACI 294 of 1915:

“Ref L.9/Gen. No.4201 TFI of 15th September 1914, notifying that Officers i/c TF records offices will be responsible during the period of embodiement (sic) for allotting regimental numbers to units of the TF, it is notified that men transferring from an Imperial Service unit to its linked home service unit will retain their old number, and that recruits enlisting into the home service unit, whether for service at home or abroad will be numbered in continuation of the existing series as the parent unit.”

The coming of conscription in 1916 ended the TF’s (sometimes violated) legal immunity from involuntary active service, and also ended the lack of genuine distinction between, on the one hand the grouping together of regular soldier, special reservist and New Army man, reiterated by AO 123 of 1915 and quoted elsewhere, and on the other hand the Territorial. This meant that cross-posting from regular or Service battalions to TF battalions and the converse was possible, and this at a time in 1916 when the need for a flexible system of reinforcements, notionally trained and able to be posted to any needy unit, was paramount. Army Circular Instruction (ACI) 1499 of 31st July 1916 dealt with the numbering aspects:

“1. Owing to the change in the system of transferring and posting of infantry drafts on arrival in France, the following procedure will be adopted and carried out forthwith: -

1.Each Regular Infantry Record Office, and each TF Record Office will issue to the Officer i/c Base Records, through the DAG 3rd Echelon, blocks of regimental numbers in extension of the present series, in the case of regulars 5000 for each regiment, and in the case of TF 1000 for each TF battalion (including 2nd and 3rd Lines) affiliated to TF Record Office, further blocks being issued as required.

2. Under arrangements to be made by the DAG 3rd Echelon, these numbers will be allotted by the OC Base Depot to regular soldiers transferred to other corps, or to TF soldiers who are posted to other regular or TF units of their own corps, or who are transferred to regular or TF units of other corps. ……………”

This was not the best drafted Instruction of the war, but its import is clear: a TF man could be sent anywhere, and he would, if sent away from his unit, receive a new number, either in his own regiment’s regular series, or that of another regiment, or a new number in a TF battalion of his own regiment, or in that of another. Examples of this process from the East Yorkshire (EY) regiment include: 4/5483 became 13th battalion EY 28065, 4/6629 became 8th EY 28253, 4/5227 became 7th EY 30841, 4/5172 became 7th EY 30923, 4/5133 became 7th EY 30863 etc. It should go without saying that these changes impacted on the regular numbering series, and caused a lot of ‘scatter’ in the distribution. Another example was in the Sherwood Foresters, the renumbering of 4-digit TF men with 'new' 4-digit numbers which took place when the (3/5th - 3/6th) & (3/7th - 3/8th) battalions merged to form 5th Reserve and 7th Reserve respectively in June 1916.

The next utterance was a very verbose ACI 1840 of 23rd September 1916, entitled Procedure in connection with the Attachment, Posting, Transfer and Drafting of soldiers of the Regular Army and the Territorial Force. Only the parts dealing directly with numbering will be quoted here.

“ATTACHMENTS. ‘The attachment of a man to another unit’ does not involve any change …..

 

POSTINGS. …defined as ‘from one unit to another of the same Corps’ ……

A TF soldier posted to TF unit is allotted a regimental number in his new unit ….

A TF soldier posted to a Regular unit … is given a new Regular number …..

A Regular soldier posted to a TF unit …. A TF number will be allotted to him ….

A Regular soldier posted to another regular unit ….. (Ed. No mention of change of number in this case, and one can understand why)

A TF soldier re-posted from a Regular unit to his original TF unit, or vice-versa …. Will resume his original regimental number.

 

TRANSFERS.defined as  ‘Permanent movement of a soldier from one Corps to another’.

TF soldier to be transferred to a Regular unit of another Corps …will be transferred to a Corps containing both TF units or soldiers and the Regular unit which it is desired he should join. Then posted to the Regular unit. Receives a regimental number in the new Corps.

TF soldier to be transferred to a TF unit of another Corps, to receive a number in his new unit.

 

COMPULSORY DRAFTING. Treat as Posting”.

 

One is tempted to quote “when in a hole stop digging”!

The authorities finally confronted the TF numbering question in a major ACI, 2414 of 23rd December 1916; indeed it is surprising that such a major change was promulgated in the (lesser) ACI series rather than the (major) AO series. As it is, the instruction follows 2412 ‘Manure – the importance of utilizing on land’! Although 2414 was the military administration equivalent to an earthquake, it was to be followed by aftershocks nevertheless.

“Infantry of the TF – Re-numbering of Personnel, and Alterations in Administrative Arrangements.

1. Owing to the amalgamation of reserve Infantry units of the TF, to drafting exigencies and to the general necessity of employing personnel to the best advantage, it has become increasingly necessary to post TF Infantry soldiers from and to the Regular and TF Battalions of their Corps. As under the present system each TF Battalion (ie the comprehensive unit comprising the 1st, 2nd and 3rd lines) has its own series of regimental numbers, postings between Battalions (other than between lines of the same original TF Battalion) involve the allocation of fresh numbers (see ACI 1840 of 1916) (Ed. Entitled ‘Procedure in connection with the Attachment, Posting, Transfer and Drafting of soldiers of the Regular Army and the Territorial Force and quoted above) with resultant clerical labour and the risk of confusion and error. In order to obviate the necessity for this change in numbering on posting, it has been decided to allot new regimental numbers to the personnel of all TF Infantry Battalions in accordance with the arrangements indicated below.

2. The re-numbering to be carried out under this ACI will apply to all TF Infantry soldiers (except those of the Royal Defence Corps) ie. to all those coming under the following description:-

a. All soldiers serving in infantry units of the TF having either (i) enlisted direct into such units, or been posted direct thereto from Army Reserve Class B, or (ii) been transferred or posted thereto from a unit of another corps of the TF, or from any unit of the Regular Army not later than 28th February 1917.

b. All soldiers belonging to infantry units of the TF who may be temporarily attached to any unit other than their own, without having been posted or transferred thereto.

3. Soldiers of infantry units (other than the Royal Defence Corps) who do not come under the description given in paragraph 2 will, for the purpose of this ACI be regarded as Regulars, no matter on what form of attestation – Regular or TF – they may have been enlisted. These soldiers will be identified as Regulars by their regimental numbers, which will in every case run from 1 to 200000 (see paragraph5).

 

A.  RENUMBERING

4. In order to carry out the decision referred to in paragraph 1 every infantry soldier who on 1st March 1917, falls under the description in paragraph 2 will be given a new TF regimental number on one series running throughout the whole of the TF battalions comprised in each infantry corps as defined in the Corps Warrant (AO 250 of 1916 as amended by AOs 258 and 325 of 1916) subject, however, to the following modifications: -

a. The whole of the battalions of the London Regiment taken together will, for the purposes of this ACI, be regarded as a distinct TF Corps of Infantry, and all the personnel will accordingly be re-numbered on one corps series for that Regiment, regardless of the corps to which the various battalions are affiliated under the Corps Warrant; and

b. the 10th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment will be re-numbered on the TF series belonging to that Regiment.

5. This re-numbering will commence on a series beginning at 200001 in every case. In view of this re-numbering the allotment of regimental numbers to soldiers which was prescribed by paragraph 146A, TF Regulations (AO 228 of 1915) (Ed. This described how, for the purpose of TF numbering, the unit was the infantry battalion) will be in abeyance for the remaining period of the war.

6. The new number thus allotted to a TF soldier will be retained by him so long as he continues to serve with a unit of the same corps of Infantry (as defined in paragraph 4) even though he may be posted to a regular unit of that corps or another TF unit of the same corps. So long as he continues to serve in the same corps of infantry (see paragraph 4) he will, for the purpose of the issue of separation allowance and allotment of pay, continue in the administration of the TF Association responsible for the unit to which, under the Appendix (printed as Appendix 207 to these ACIs) to this instruction, is assigned the block of numbers which includes that allotted to him.

7. If, however, a soldier who has received a regimental number on the TF series is transferred after 28th February 1917, from a unit of his present Infantry Corps to a TF or Regular unit of another infantry corps, he must be allotted a new number by the Officer i/c Records of his new unit from the series belonging to that part of the corps, Regular or TF, to which he is transferred. As indicated in Appendix 207 to this instruction, the number so assigned to a soldier posted to a TF unit will be taken from the block of numbers allocated to that unit.

8. All soldiers who on the 1st March 1917, are serving as Regular soldiers (see paragraph 3) will remain serving on their present regular numbers, and will be dealt with as regular soldiers so long as they continue to serve with a battalion of the same corps of infantry even though they may be posted to a TF unit of that corps or re-posted to a regular unit of the same corps.

9. A regular soldier who after 28th February 1917 is transferred from a unit of his present infantry corps to a Regular or TF unit of another corps, whether of infantry or another arm of the Service, will receive a number from the regular series of numbers of the corps to which he is transferred.

10. The only men who can join infantry units and be dealt with as TF soldiers on and after 1st March 1917, will be (i) men directly enlisted into such units from among those men who do not come under the provision of the Military Services Acts, 1916, (ii) soldiers serving on TF attestations who may be transferred to TF infantry units from units of other arms of the TF, and (iii) men directly posted to TF infantry units from Army Reserve Class B as their first unit. Such men will be given numbers on the TF series from the first unallotted numbers of the block assigned to the unit to which they are posted or transferred.

11. The series of numbers referred to in paragraph 4 will be allocated as shown in the Appendix to this instruction. It will be seen that a block of numbers has been selected for each TF battalion mentioned in Column 1 of the Appendix. The block of numbers will in each case comprise men serving in 1st, 2nd and 3rd lines of the unit, and the depot, and in the TF Reserve, or temporarily demobilized. It will also include men attached but not posted or transferred to other units or corps. The last 5000 numbers of each block will be reserved for the use of Officers i/c Base Records. See paragraph 1 of ACI 1499 of 1916.

12. Soldiers of the battalions shown in the first column of the following table having been renumbered on the TF series belonging to the infantry corps shown in the second column of the table, it is immaterial in these cases whether the name of the regiment to be used in conjunction with the new regimental number is that shown in column 1 or that shown in column 2 (see paragraph 18). In the case of shoulder titles and identity discs however the name of the regiment shown in Col. 1 will continue to be used.

Edited 15 February , 2021 by Muerrisch

[Ken Lees]

1 hour ago, Muerrisch said:

 

Unlikely but not impossible. The regulations on numbering were based on a man owning a regimental number throughout his continuous service on his contract. Enshrined in King's Regulations, it became very complicated but a lot of effort was devoted to keeping the system clean.

 

Graham Stewart and I had a series published on the subject of Numbering. Paull Nixon's subsequent work also needs to be considered: a massive but as yet incomplete bible.

 

I append what we wrote on the VF/TF problem. Be warned, it is complicated. I fear the scatter diagrams referred to do not reproduce.

 

 

The Volunteer Force (VF) and the Territorial Force (TF)

 

The regimental numbers of these....

 

Fascinating and very useful. This helps clarify my understanding of 'my' TF battalion and the numbering systems used. I have plenty of data of numbers, enlistment dates, previous units, etc. but didn't have this overview to explain the whys and wherefores.

 

Thank you, Muerrisch, much appreciated.

[rolt968]

15 hours ago, Muerrisch said:

 

Unlikely but not impossible. The regulations on numbering were based on a man owning a regimental number throughout his continuous service on his contract. Enshrined in King's Regulations, it became very complicated but a lot of effort was devoted to keeping the system clean.

 

Graham Stewart and I had a series published on the subject of Numbering. Paull Nixon's subsequent work also needs to be considered: a massive but as yet incomplete bible.

 

I append what we wrote on the VF/TF problem. Be warned, it is complicated. I fear the scatter diagrams referred to do not reproduce.

 

 

The Volunteer Force (VF) and the Territorial Force (TF)

 

The regimental numbers of these, the least glamorous and officially most junior of the three tiers of the army (in every case, rank for rank, and regardless of seniority in rank, a soldier or officer of the Regular Army was senior to one of equal rank in the Militia/ Special Reserve, who in turn was senior to his equivalent in the Volunteer Force/ Territorial Force), are an exceptionally difficult study. This is partly because of merger upon merger upon merger, partly because they were, at best, semi-autonomous and went their individual ways as often as not, and partly because of the loosely worded regulations. Nevertheless, there was indeed an official framework of regulations, which we attempt to describe below.

 

Volunteer Force Regulations 1861 do not specifically order the issuing of numbers, but page 104 ‘Rifle Practice Return’ requires a soldier’s regimental number to be entered against his name and score. Again, the regulations of 1863 make no formal mention. The edition of 1878 paragraph 399 said that a number was to be allocated to each Volunteer on enlistment, and vacant numbers were not to be used ‘When a Corps is incorporated in another, the men will receive fresh numbers, with the old numbers and Corps shown against their names in the Muster Roll’. The substantially revised and recognisably ‘modern’ edition of 1881 reiterated this. The implication is that it is the imported men who receive fresh numbers. There is clear evidence that this was not universally followed, a cause for subsequent muddle. VF Regulations 1891 makes a similar point, but in a way that makes a possible interpretation that all men, merged into or original to the unit, were to receive new numbers. 1892 made no significant change, and 1901 added, for the first time, that when the series reached 9999 a new series was to be commenced. The last issue, the provisional 1904 one, is substantially the same.

 

The Demise of the Volunteer Force and birth of the Territorial Force, 1908.

 

Against a background of history as described above, one might hope for a new order, a brave new world, with Territorial Force numbers stating afresh at number 1. for each unit. Each County Association responsible for a TF battalion was quasi-autonomous and it is unfortunate that the first TF regulations have no mention of numbering. Some units did not start a new series: these include the London Rifle Brigade and the 5th South Staffords. By contrast, the 6th Sherwood Foresters did indeed start at number 1. (Sergeant Broomhead), as did the Inns of Court Regiment. There was nothing to stop the several TF battalions affiliated to a regiment each taking different decisions: they could all or none start at number 1., for example, raising the distinct possibility that the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th ‘Blankshires’ might all be running series in parallel: fine and acceptable in peace, but the stirring and churning of war would throw up many pairs, trios and even larger multiples of numbers queueing at the same Pay Parade. 5th (TF) Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, established by the amalgamation of 3rd (Dumfries) Volunteer Battalion, KOSB, and the Galloway (Kikudbright and Wigtown) Volunteer Rifle Corps less C Company Stranraer, hit on a novel, hopefully unique, numbering technique. The new battalion covered three counties, so what more logical, they thought, than to allocate blocks of numbers to each county:

Dumfries, companies A to D starting at number 1.,

Kirkudbrightshire, companies E to G, starting at 2000, and

Wigtownshire, H company, starting at 4000.

This continued until spring or summer 1910, when a Kirkudbrightshire man received 2332.

The awards of the Territorial Force Efficiency medal, first sanctioned in 1908, can be useful for analysis of sequences, but allowance has to be made for war-time service counting double, and one must assume a man obtained the award at the first possible date. Qualification was 12 years service and ‘trainings’. The attached scatter diagram (Figure 9) of the senior RWF TF battalion, the 4th, is typical. Allowing for a backlog in 1897, a fairly clear trend line can be drawn by eye, and an annual recruiting figure (about 300 per annum) derived. It is highly suggestive that a new series was not started in 1908 because, by the end of the war, men enlisted after that date might reasonably be expected to appear on the lists of awards.

A goodly number of TF units received the 1914 star or the 1914-1915 star. Whereas the presence of low numbers will tell us nothing, the presence of high regimental numbers, say over 5000, would be strongly suggestive that the pre-1908 VF number series continued after that date. Figure 9. shows that 4th (TF) RWF did not start at number 1. in 1908, whereas Figure 10. shows that 5th (TF) Gordon Highlanders did so. This latter also gives cumulative numbers by years up to and including 1916.

 

 

 

Figure 9. Scatter diagram of 4th RWF (TF) from Territorial Force Efficiency Medal.

 

 

Figure 10. Scatter diagram showing cumulative numbers issued, 5th (TF) Gordon Highlanders up to 1916

 

TF Regulations 1912, paragraph 146 said, for the first time,  that  “…….. The NCOs and men of the TF will be numbered by units, and each man when posted or transferred to a unit will receive a number in that unit. The series of numbers will run from 1 to 9999; when the latter number is reached a fresh series will be commenced ……..If he is transferred, deserts, is discharged, or dies, the number will not be given to any other man”

 

 

TF Numbering in the Great War.

 

The pre-war (and for a short time after the outbreak of war) territorial recruit to the TF enlisted for Home defence exclusively. Whereas he was encouraged to sign the Imperial Service commitment asserting his readiness to serve with his own unit overseas in time of war, this was entirely voluntary and carried no advantage except for a rather smart white metal badge. Only if a large percentage of a unit signed the commitment could a unit be sent overseas, and no soldier could be compelled to serve in a unit other than his own.

The exigencies of war soon sent willing formed TF units to fight, and pressure was brought, often successfully, to add to their number. Nevertheless, the system was inflexible, and was rendered not of the highest priority by the preference to build ‘New Armies’ rather than grow on to the TF stock. ACI 294 of 1915:

“Ref L.9/Gen. No.4201 TFI of 15th September 1914, notifying that Officers i/c TF records offices will be responsible during the period of embodiement (sic) for allotting regimental numbers to units of the TF, it is notified that men transferring from an Imperial Service unit to its linked home service unit will retain their old number, and that recruits enlisting into the home service unit, whether for service at home or abroad will be numbered in continuation of the existing series as the parent unit.”

The coming of conscription in 1916 ended the TF’s (sometimes violated) legal immunity from involuntary active service, and also ended the lack of genuine distinction between, on the one hand the grouping together of regular soldier, special reservist and New Army man, reiterated by AO 123 of 1915 and quoted elsewhere, and on the other hand the Territorial. This meant that cross-posting from regular or Service battalions to TF battalions and the converse was possible, and this at a time in 1916 when the need for a flexible system of reinforcements, notionally trained and able to be posted to any needy unit, was paramount. Army Circular Instruction (ACI) 1499 of 31st July 1916 dealt with the numbering aspects:

“1. Owing to the change in the system of transferring and posting of infantry drafts on arrival in France, the following procedure will be adopted and carried out forthwith: -

1.Each Regular Infantry Record Office, and each TF Record Office will issue to the Officer i/c Base Records, through the DAG 3rd Echelon, blocks of regimental numbers in extension of the present series, in the case of regulars 5000 for each regiment, and in the case of TF 1000 for each TF battalion (including 2nd and 3rd Lines) affiliated to TF Record Office, further blocks being issued as required.

2. Under arrangements to be made by the DAG 3rd Echelon, these numbers will be allotted by the OC Base Depot to regular soldiers transferred to other corps, or to TF soldiers who are posted to other regular or TF units of their own corps, or who are transferred to regular or TF units of other corps. ……………”

This was not the best drafted Instruction of the war, but its import is clear: a TF man could be sent anywhere, and he would, if sent away from his unit, receive a new number, either in his own regiment’s regular series, or that of another regiment, or a new number in a TF battalion of his own regiment, or in that of another. Examples of this process from the East Yorkshire (EY) regiment include: 4/5483 became 13th battalion EY 28065, 4/6629 became 8th EY 28253, 4/5227 became 7th EY 30841, 4/5172 became 7th EY 30923, 4/5133 became 7th EY 30863 etc. It should go without saying that these changes impacted on the regular numbering series, and caused a lot of ‘scatter’ in the distribution. Another example was in the Sherwood Foresters, the renumbering of 4-digit TF men with 'new' 4-digit numbers which took place when the (3/5th - 3/6th) & (3/7th - 3/8th) battalions merged to form 5th Reserve and 7th Reserve respectively in June 1916.

The next utterance was a very verbose ACI 1840 of 23rd September 1916, entitled Procedure in connection with the Attachment, Posting, Transfer and Drafting of soldiers of the Regular Army and the Territorial Force. Only the parts dealing directly with numbering will be quoted here.

“ATTACHMENTS. ‘The attachment of a man to another unit’ does not involve any change …..

 

POSTINGS. …defined as ‘from one unit to another of the same Corps’ ……

A TF soldier posted to TF unit is allotted a regimental number in his new unit ….

A TF soldier posted to a Regular unit … is given a new Regular number …..

A Regular soldier posted to a TF unit …. A TF number will be allotted to him ….

A Regular soldier posted to another regular unit ….. (Ed. No mention of change of number in this case, and one can understand why)

A TF soldier re-posted from a Regular unit to his original TF unit, or vice-versa …. Will resume his original regimental number.

 

TRANSFERS.defined as  ‘Permanent movement of a soldier from one Corps to another’.

TF soldier to be transferred to a Regular unit of another Corps …will be transferred to a Corps containing both TF units or soldiers and the Regular unit which it is desired he should join. Then posted to the Regular unit. Receives a regimental number in the new Corps.

TF soldier to be transferred to a TF unit of another Corps, to receive a number in his new unit.

 

COMPULSORY DRAFTING. Treat as Posting”.

 

One is tempted to quote “when in a hole stop digging”!

The authorities finally confronted the TF numbering question in a major ACI, 2414 of 23rd December 1916; indeed it is surprising that such a major change was promulgated in the (lesser) ACI series rather than the (major) AO series. As it is, the instruction follows 2412 ‘Manure – the importance of utilizing on land’! Although 2414 was the military administration equivalent to an earthquake, it was to be followed by aftershocks nevertheless.

“Infantry of the TF – Re-numbering of Personnel, and Alterations in Administrative Arrangements.

1. Owing to the amalgamation of reserve Infantry units of the TF, to drafting exigencies and to the general necessity of employing personnel to the best advantage, it has become increasingly necessary to post TF Infantry soldiers from and to the Regular and TF Battalions of their Corps. As under the present system each TF Battalion (ie the comprehensive unit comprising the 1st, 2nd and 3rd lines) has its own series of regimental numbers, postings between Battalions (other than between lines of the same original TF Battalion) involve the allocation of fresh numbers (see ACI 1840 of 1916) (Ed. Entitled ‘Procedure in connection with the Attachment, Posting, Transfer and Drafting of soldiers of the Regular Army and the Territorial Force and quoted above) with resultant clerical labour and the risk of confusion and error. In order to obviate the necessity for this change in numbering on posting, it has been decided to allot new regimental numbers to the personnel of all TF Infantry Battalions in accordance with the arrangements indicated below.

2. The re-numbering to be carried out under this ACI will apply to all TF Infantry soldiers (except those of the Royal Defence Corps) ie. to all those coming under the following description:-

a. All soldiers serving in infantry units of the TF having either (i) enlisted direct into such units, or been posted direct thereto from Army Reserve Class B, or (ii) been transferred or posted thereto from a unit of another corps of the TF, or from any unit of the Regular Army not later than 28th February 1917.

b. All soldiers belonging to infantry units of the TF who may be temporarily attached to any unit other than their own, without having been posted or transferred thereto.

3. Soldiers of infantry units (other than the Royal Defence Corps) who do not come under the description given in paragraph 2 will, for the purpose of this ACI be regarded as Regulars, no matter on what form of attestation – Regular or TF – they may have been enlisted. These soldiers will be identified as Regulars by their regimental numbers, which will in every case run from 1 to 200000 (see paragraph5).

 

A.  RENUMBERING

4. In order to carry out the decision referred to in paragraph 1 every infantry soldier who on 1st March 1917, falls under the description in paragraph 2 will be given a new TF regimental number on one series running throughout the whole of the TF battalions comprised in each infantry corps as defined in the Corps Warrant (AO 250 of 1916 as amended by AOs 258 and 325 of 1916) subject, however, to the following modifications: -

a. The whole of the battalions of the London Regiment taken together will, for the purposes of this ACI, be regarded as a distinct TF Corps of Infantry, and all the personnel will accordingly be re-numbered on one corps series for that Regiment, regardless of the corps to which the various battalions are affiliated under the Corps Warrant; and

b. the 10th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment will be re-numbered on the TF series belonging to that Regiment.

5. This re-numbering will commence on a series beginning at 200001 in every case. In view of this re-numbering the allotment of regimental numbers to soldiers which was prescribed by paragraph 146A, TF Regulations (AO 228 of 1915) (Ed. This described how, for the purpose of TF numbering, the unit was the infantry battalion) will be in abeyance for the remaining period of the war.

6. The new number thus allotted to a TF soldier will be retained by him so long as he continues to serve with a unit of the same corps of Infantry (as defined in paragraph 4) even though he may be posted to a regular unit of that corps or another TF unit of the same corps. So long as he continues to serve in the same corps of infantry (see paragraph 4) he will, for the purpose of the issue of separation allowance and allotment of pay, continue in the administration of the TF Association responsible for the unit to which, under the Appendix (printed as Appendix 207 to these ACIs) to this instruction, is assigned the block of numbers which includes that allotted to him.

7. If, however, a soldier who has received a regimental number on the TF series is transferred after 28th February 1917, from a unit of his present Infantry Corps to a TF or Regular unit of another infantry corps, he must be allotted a new number by the Officer i/c Records of his new unit from the series belonging to that part of the corps, Regular or TF, to which he is transferred. As indicated in Appendix 207 to this instruction, the number so assigned to a soldier posted to a TF unit will be taken from the block of numbers allocated to that unit.

8. All soldiers who on the 1st March 1917, are serving as Regular soldiers (see paragraph 3) will remain serving on their present regular numbers, and will be dealt with as regular soldiers so long as they continue to serve with a battalion of the same corps of infantry even though they may be posted to a TF unit of that corps or re-posted to a regular unit of the same corps.

9. A regular soldier who after 28th February 1917 is transferred from a unit of his present infantry corps to a Regular or TF unit of another corps, whether of infantry or another arm of the Service, will receive a number from the regular series of numbers of the corps to which he is transferred.

10. The only men who can join infantry units and be dealt with as TF soldiers on and after 1st March 1917, will be (i) men directly enlisted into such units from among those men who do not come under the provision of the Military Services Acts, 1916, (ii) soldiers serving on TF attestations who may be transferred to TF infantry units from units of other arms of the TF, and (iii) men directly posted to TF infantry units from Army Reserve Class B as their first unit. Such men will be given numbers on the TF series from the first unallotted numbers of the block assigned to the unit to which they are posted or transferred.

11. The series of numbers referred to in paragraph 4 will be allocated as shown in the Appendix to this instruction. It will be seen that a block of numbers has been selected for each TF battalion mentioned in Column 1 of the Appendix. The block of numbers will in each case comprise men serving in 1st, 2nd and 3rd lines of the unit, and the depot, and in the TF Reserve, or temporarily demobilized. It will also include men attached but not posted or transferred to other units or corps. The last 5000 numbers of each block will be reserved for the use of Officers i/c Base Records. See paragraph 1 of ACI 1499 of 1916.

12. Soldiers of the battalions shown in the first column of the following table having been renumbered on the TF series belonging to the infantry corps shown in the second column of the table, it is immaterial in these cases whether the name of the regiment to be used in conjunction with the new regimental number is that shown in column 1 or that shown in column 2 (see paragraph 18). In the case of shoulder titles and identity discs however the name of the regiment shown in Col. 1 will continue to be used.

Thank you, very much. That is very very useful.

I have a great admiration for adjutants and others who had to work with those orders and instructions!

RM

[Keith_history_buff]

Some very interesting info from this link, courtesy of Ken
http://gordonhighlanders.carolynmorrisey.com/Recruitment.htm

 

Recruitment under the Group scheme was to have ended on Saturday 11th December but due to the late rush of recruits was extended to midnight Sunday 12th December 1915.  The Times reported:

After the latter date [12th December] enlistment could only be be for immediate service without the intervention of the group system. As December 12 drew near the rush  of recruits completely overwhelmed the arrangements made for dealing with it.  Just as in the early days of the war, men waited for many hours in vain outside the recruiting offices. (It was decided at the last moment to take the names of men still unattested at midnight on December 12 and keep open the group system for them alone for a further three days.) In some cases no attempt could be made to carry out a medical examination.  The recruiters' instructions appeared to be to attest anyone who presented himself, leaving it to the future to decide whether he had or had not justified his sojourne in Section B of the Army Reserve.

The situation regarding Territorial recruitment was unclear in late November.  The Scotsman of 11th December outlined the confusion:

 At a meeting of the Glasgow Territorial Force last Thursday [9th December] it was reported that the deputation from the West of Scotland Territorial Associations which had waited upon Lord Derby ... had been unable to obtain any concession on the decision that after 4th December enlistment for the Territorial Force would stop and that the Territorial battalions would have men allocated to them from the general pool enlisted on the the general service attestation.  Much regret was expressed at the meeting at the adoption by the authorities of a course which was regarded as the equivalent of the extinction of the Territorial Force on its present basis.

 

On the following day however the Glasgow Association was agreeably surprised to receive a letter ... that stated that " direct enlistment into the Territorial Force will continue for the present, Army Form E.501 being still used for this purpose." This was hailed with satisfaction in Territorial circles...Their satisfaction however has been short-lived, a telegram being received yesterday to the effect that after the close of Lord Derby's campaign today, recruits cannot be taken directly into the Territorial units.

It was soon realised however that in order to maintain enlistments during the interval between the end of the Derby Scheme and the seemingly inevitable introduction of compulsion, and/or the calling up of the first Groups, direct recruitment would have to continue. A War Office announcement of 12th December 1915, published in The Scotsman the following day explained that direct recruitment was still possible:

Although enlistment under the group system in accordance with Lord Derby's scheme ceased today, yet direct enlistment into both Regular units and the Territorial force continues for the present. It is most important that there should be no cessation in the number of men offering for direct enlistment. In this connection it may be pointed out that men who have been attested under the group system can at any time, if they so desire, exercise their right to enlist for immediate service ...instead of waiting for their group to be called up.

 

This seeming contradiction regarding Territorial enlistment was clarified by The Scotsman when on 15th December, under the heading Enlistments : Territorial Force it published the details of a War Office telegram: 

No. 1965 T.F.2 11th December - "Direct enlistment for units of the Territorial Force which are open to enlistment will continue after today and until further orders.  Such enlistment will be carried out on the Territorial form of attestation." TERRIFOR. Scottish Command Order No. 3119 may therefore be considered cancelled.

  

On 11/09/2010 at 07:57, Graham Stewart said:

As of January 1916 there was to be no more recruitment for "New Army" units and enlistments would be for Regular Army or Territorial Force service only.

Taken from the following thread