Former Militia men joining the Territorial Force rather than the Special Reserve after 1908?

[rolt968]

Is there any evidence that former Militia men joined the Territorial Force rather than the Special Reserve after the 1908 reforms?

Although the traditions of the battalions were different, the terms of engagement (home defence) seem to me to have been similar.

RM

[ss002d6252]

Of the first 600 6th DLI men about 80 records survive - I've just scanned through them (I only keep the front page) and every one was a former Volunteer Battalion man.

 

Craig

[rolt968]

23 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

Of the first 600 6th DLI men about 80 records service - I've just scanned through them (I only keep the front page) and every one was a former Volunteer Battalion man.

 

Craig

Thank you, Craig,

 

I think that is what I expected. Possibly it would take some time for former Milita men to reject the blandishments(?) of the Special Reserve and notice if any did that the Tf was nearer to what they wanted to do.

 

I have wondered about this for some time. I suppose for former Militia men to join the TF they were going against the traditions of their battalions. Also I wonder if the apparent similarity between the terms of the new TF and the former Militia is only apparent to us looking back.

 

Would they have lost anything by doing it?

 

RM

[ss002d6252]

Men could, in some cases, continue under militia terms after April 1908  - there were 8,385 militia men still serving at 01 Oct 1908. This was down from 82,331 on 01 April 1908.

 

The Special Reserve as of 01 Oct 1908 was 61,286.

 

48,293 militia men had re-enlisted to the Special Reserve by 1 Oct 1908 - so there were, at most, 25,653 old militia men who dropped out of them between April and Oct 1908 and who could have  immediately joined the TF. (82,331 -48,293 - 8,385).

 

The TF figures don't unfortunately clarify the number of former militia men who joined. We know 150,581 TF men in Oct 1908 had prior service of some sort in the 'auxiliary forces' prior to 01 April 1908 but it doesn't break this down, or tell us when this service was.  Typically, later returns do break down new joiners to the TF by prior service in militia/special reserve.

 

Newspaper reports around the new TF don't really mention the militia, but do mention the large numbers of volunteers who moved across, so it would appear that there were not large numbers of militia men who had moved across.

 

 

 

 

Craig

[Chris_Baker]

Just an additional detail ... from "London Evening Standard" of 13 April 1908.

 

 

[Keith_history_buff]

I came across the surviving service record for William Martin. He reenlisted in the South Wales Borderers militia on 3 Jun 1898 and was allocated a service number of 3180. He consented to serve under Special Reserve terms of service on 5 Aug 1908, and was allocated a service number of 10277.

Within his records is the following form that he completed, courtesy FindMyPast.
 

[Keith_history_buff]

Some interesting comments from Hansard

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/1908-02-18/debates/499fb38b-4e81-43ae-8368-420b8eb218c0/ReturnsReportsEtc

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/1908-02-18/debates/46fa6d24-3bc0-453a-b8cc-416c82436060/TheTerritorialForcesAct—TheMilitia

[Keith_history_buff]

Harry Mann, a shoemaker, born 1884 in St Martin at Oak, Norwich, Norfolk.

Had enlisted in the Norfolk Regiment militia, 5001, on 24 Apr 1903. Continued to serve under Militia terms of service during 1908 & 1909. His Time was Expired in Apr 1909. Interesting that he had no intention of extending his service under Special Reserve terms of service but was content to see out his 6 years of Militia service.

Enlisted at Norwich under Special Reserve terms of service in March 1915, served in the South Wales Borderers, 15518. Embarked on 24 May 1915, disembarked at Gallipoli on 10 Jun 1915 to join 2nd Battalion, according to the medal roll. Died in the UK of wounds inflicted in France on 9 Jul 1916.