Pte John Davidson: 262482 : Unusual Reg. of Soldiers' Effects entry.

[rolt968]

I wonder if anyone could help me with the entry in the Registers of Soldiers' Effects for Pte John Davidson. I have never seen one withtwo red stamped War Gratuity enties before.

It is a bit confusing. Although he was serving in 172 372 Agricultural Company, Labour Corps at the time of his death, 262482 is his 5 Black Watch (renumber) serial number. He doesn't seem to have been allocated a Labour Corps number.

(He was serving in 3/5 Black Watch on 27 February 1916 (Serial Number 3413 3513), but probably not on 23 May 1915 (from birth and death certificates of one of is children.

(He was awarded the BWM and Victory Medal via the Labour Corps but the MRIC mentions both the Black Watch and the Labour Corps.)

Can anyone suggest when he enlisted, please?

Thank you,

RM

 

 

Edited 11 February , 2023 by rolt968

[TullochArd]

2 hours ago, rolt968 said:

It is a bit confusing. Although he was serving in 172 Agricultural Company, Labour Corps at the time of his death, 262482 is his 5 Black Watch (renumber) serial number. He doesn't seem to have been allocated a Labour Corps number.

I'm seeing '372 Ag Co' not '172 Ag Co' Rolt. 372 Company was was formed in Autumn 1917 and designated 'Labour/Agricultural' and is curiously recorded as located in 'London/Aberdeen'.  I suspect we are looking at Agricultural/Aberdeen whatever the Labour/London connection was. 

I'm currently reading Starling and Lee's very readable 'No Labour, No Battle' and note that page 69 of the Home Service chapter tells us "research suggests that men transferred to these Labour Corps Agricultural Companies in June 1917 were allocated numbers in the range 230000 - 290000" 

That seems to be a 262482 Labour Corps number possibility - are we 100% sure the 262482 number is 5BW?

372 Ag Co was Home Service only so I'm thinking his BWM/BVM is for his time with BW?

Edited 11 February , 2023 by TullochArd

[rolt968]

10 minutes ago, TullochArd said:

I'm seeing '372 Ag Co' not '172 Ag Co' Rolt. 372 Company was was formed in Autumn 1917 and designated 'Labour/Agricultural' and is curiously recorded as located in 'London/Aberdeen'.  I suspect we are looking at Agricultural/Aberdeen whatever the Labour/London connection was. 

I'm currently reading Starling and Lee's very readable 'No Labour, No Battle' and note that page 69 of the Home Service chapter tells us "research suggests that men transferred to these Labour Corps Agricultural Companies in June 1917 were allocated numbers in the range 230000 - 290000" 

That seems to be a 262482 Labour Corps number possibility - are we 100% sure the 262482 number is 5BW?

Oops (Twice!) very many thanks.

I have corrected 171/371. Having looked through various sections of No Labour No Battle I found the bit about 371 Agricultural Company but failed to notice the bit about the serial numbers! Having now found it (Many, many thanks.) I think it is much more likely to be a Labour Corps serial number. It would make sense of the MRIC:

and the Medal Roll:

The death was registered by a/the wardmaster from 1 Scottish General Hospital, Aberdeen. It gives the seriel number as 262482 but the unit as Black Watch.

On 17 April 1917 John Davidson himself registered the birth of his youngest daughter. He had not been present at the birth on 31 March. He gave his unit as 3/5 Black Watch - alas no serial number.

RM

 

[RussT]

3 hours ago, rolt968 said:

He was serving in 3/5 Black Watch on 27 February 1916 (Serial Number 3413),

From where did you get the information that he was 3/5th? And do you mean 3513?

Regards

Russ

Edit - OK I now see you stated that 3/5th was on a birth certificate.

[RussT]

I can't recall I've seen a double Type 1 WG stamp before.

The stamps have different dates, so my first reaction is that they underpaid his WG first time round. It's interesting that the first amount is a multiple of 5 shillings which indicates home service only because the minimum multiple for overseas service was 10 shillings.

So perhaps they corrected that error with a further amount (indicated by the term "supp" for supplementary), the total now being £7 and 10 shillings.

But it seems there is still something not correct because a 5th Battalion Black Watch service number of 3513 would have been allotted mid November 1915. Assuming he first enlisted at that time, then his total WG of £7 10s is still too small for a Private who had served overseas and who died on 27/11/1918. I make it that he should have received a WG of £14.

I can't see any other additional entries for him in the SER, so it's a bit of a mystery (at the moment)!

Of course the provenance of the Battalion (3/5th) and the number (3513) is not the same - so that might be the root of the issue somehow.

Regards

Russ

 

[rolt968]

46 minutes ago, RussT said:

I can't recall I've seen a double Type 1 WG stamp before.

The stamps have different dates, so my first reaction is that they underpaid his WG first time round. It's interesting that the first amount is a multiple of 5 shillings which indicates home service only because the minimum multiple for overseas service was 10 shillings.

So perhaps they corrected that error with a further amount (indicated by the term "supp" for supplement), the total now being £7 and 10 shillings.

But it seems there is still something not correct because a 5th Battalion Black Watch service number of 3513 would have been allotted mid November 1915. Assuming he first enlisted at that time, then his total WG of £7 10s is still too small for a Private who had served overseas and who died on 27/11/1918. I make it that he should have received a WG of £14.

I can't see any other additional entries for him in the SER, so it's a bit of a mystery (at the moment)!

Of course the provenance of the Battalion (3/5th) and the number (3513) is not the same - so that might be the root of the issue somehow.

Regards

Russ

 

Thanks Russ

I was certainly not at my best when  I typed the numbers in the original post too busy checking that I got the 6 digit number right and got the other numbers wrong. He was indeed 3513.

You are seeing the problems I am having. The £7.10/- War Gratuity wouldn't even work if he had just enlisted in late February 1916 when he was on active service and could not register his son's death. I think it's probable that 3/5 BW is probably right - presumably his wife knew with which unit he was serving. Certainly he said that he was serving with 3/5 BW (although it must have been called something else by then) when he registered the birth of his daughter on 31 March 1917.

RM

[RussT]

I think he was from Montrose, so the 5th Battalion would make sense in being his local TF region.

Even if the Battalion was incorrect, it doesn't look like it would make much difference to the WG problem because all the Battalions of the Black Watch had reached similar enough numbers in 1914 - meaning I think that the number 3513 would likely have been reached by 1915 regardless of the Battalion - (from Nixon's site):

Regular Series (1st and 2nd Battalions): 2652 in Jan 1914

Special Reserve (3rd Battalion): 3425 in Aug 1914

4th (TF) Battalion: 2036 in Aug 1914

5th (TF) Battalion: 1978 in Aug 1914

6th (TF) Battalion: 1827 in Aug 1914

7th (TF) Battalion: 2086 in Aug 1914

And his number/Regiment is also unlikely to be incorrect as it is on his Medal Roll alongside others from the Black Watch who also have 4-digit numbers.

So I would conclude that the root of the problem lies in the WG, not with the Regiment/Battalion/service number.

Perhaps they have still calculated his WG (even with a supplement) on the basis of home service only, not realising he had actually served overseas. A very simple look at that on the basis that for home service, the WG was only awarded for service greater than 6 months and then for 5/- per month thereafter, means his approximate total 36 months service (enlisted Nov 1915 & died Nov 1918) would result in a WG of (36 - 6) x 5/- = 150/- = £7 10/-, which matches what he was awarded. So a possible explanation, although a Type 1 WG would normally be the nett amount (of the Service Gratuity).

Regards

Russ

 

[TullochArd]

Nice to put a face to a story.

Entry from Aberdeen Evening Express, Friday 29 November 1918, p2 records "ROLL OF HONOUR. DAVIDSON – Died at Central School Hospital, Aberdeen (of pneumonia), on 27th inst, Private John Davidson, second son of Mr and Mrs Davidson, Wheywell, Durris, and beloved husband of Martha Johnstone, Lochside, St. Cyrus. Funeral on Saturday, 30th inst at 2 o’clock from Wheywell to Durris Churchyard. All friends respectfully invited."

Born 16 Jan 1884 at Kirkton of Durris, Aberdeenshire.

Both resources 'Find a Grave' - photo Linda Jones.......we now know he was in Ripon at some point with BW as shown at the bottom of the photo.  LLT tells us "3/4th, 3/5th, 3/6th and 3/7th Battalions. Formed at home bases in March and April 1915. All moved to Bridge of Earn and later in 1915 to Ripon. 8 April 1916 : renamed 4th to 7th Reserve Bns; on 1 September 1916 these units were all absorbed into 4th (City of Dundee) Reserve Battalion.

All these units are Home based so it appears that his service overseas, as supported by the BWM/BVM, remains a mystery.

 

Edited 11 February , 2023 by TullochArd

[rolt968]

19 hours ago, RussT said:

I think he was from Montrose, so the 5th Battalion would make sense in being his local TF region.

Even if the Battalion was incorrect, it doesn't look like it would make much difference to the WG problem because all the Battalions of the Black Watch had reached similar enough numbers in 1914 - meaning I think that the number 3513 would likely have been reached by 1915 regardless of the Battalion - (from Nixon's site):

Regular Series (1st and 2nd Battalions): 2652 in Jan 1914

Special Reserve (3rd Battalion): 3425 in Aug 1914

4th (TF) Battalion: 2036 in Aug 1914

5th (TF) Battalion: 1978 in Aug 1914

6th (TF) Battalion: 1827 in Aug 1914

7th (TF) Battalion: 2086 in Aug 1914

And his number/Regiment is also unlikely to be incorrect as it is on his Medal Roll alongside others from the Black Watch who also have 4-digit numbers.

So I would conclude that the root of the problem lies in the WG, not with the Regiment/Battalion/service number.

Perhaps they have still calculated his WG (even with a supplement) on the basis of home service only, not realising he had actually served overseas. A very simple look at that on the basis that for home service, the WG was only awarded for service greater than 6 months and then for 5/- per month thereafter, means his approximate total 36 months service (enlisted Nov 1915 & died Nov 1918) would result in a WG of (36 - 6) x 5/- = 150/- = £7 10/-, which matches what he was awarded. So a possible explanation, although a Type 1 WG would normally be the nett amount (of the Service Gratuity).

Regards

Russ

 

 

19 hours ago, TullochArd said:

Nice to put a face to a story.

Entry from Aberdeen Evening Express, Friday 29 November 1918, p2 records "ROLL OF HONOUR. DAVIDSON – Died at Central School Hospital, Aberdeen (of pneumonia), on 27th inst, Private John Davidson, second son of Mr and Mrs Davidson, Wheywell, Durris, and beloved husband of Martha Johnstone, Lochside, St. Cyrus. Funeral on Saturday, 30th inst at 2 o’clock from Wheywell to Durris Churchyard. All friends respectfully invited."

Born 16 Jan 1884 at Kirkton of Durris, Aberdeenshire.

Both resources 'Find a Grave' - photo Linda Jones.......we now know he was in Ripon at some point with BW as shown at the bottom of the photo.  LLT tells us "3/4th, 3/5th, 3/6th and 3/7th Battalions. Formed at home bases in March and April 1915. All moved to Bridge of Earn and later in 1915 to Ripon. 8 April 1916 : renamed 4th to 7th Reserve Bns; on 1 September 1916 these units were all absorbed into 4th (City of Dundee) Reserve Battalion.

All these units are Home based so it appears that his service overseas, as supported by the BWM/BVM, remains a mystery.

 

Thank you both.

I had noticed the photo attached to an ancestry tree. I haven't had a detailed look at it yet. (I have only just noticed the Ripn photographer's name.)

His family came from Durris, Aberdeenshire, but he and his wife and children were living in St Cyrus, Kincardineshire (a parish on the southern edge of Kincardineshire; the village nearer to Montrose than any town in Kincardineshire). In practice the local TF battalion would have been 5 Black Watch, although "officially" it would have been 7 Gordon Highlanders.

John Davidson was forester (possibly working for the Lauriston estate). November 1915 seems a very likely enlistment date since there was a term day (when agricultural workers could change employers at the beginning of the  month.

Russ, thank you for your calculations and suggestions about the WG. They look very likely to me.

I assume that his medals had Labour Corps engraved on them. The MRIC and Medal Roll imply overseas service in both the Black Watch and the Labour Corps.

I'm curious that no TF 6 figure serial number appears anywhere.

RM

[RussT]

43 minutes ago, rolt968 said:

I assume that his medals had Labour Corps engraved on them.

You assume wrong.

His medals are engraved with the unit/number his first served with overseas - so 3513 Royal Highlanders.

The only reason he is on the LC medal roll is because that is the last unit with whom he served and they administered the issuing of his medals.

43 minutes ago, rolt968 said:

I'm curious that no TF 6 figure serial number appears anywhere.

He would have had one - but putting it on his Medal Roll is unnecessary and superfluous for his medals. Sometimes unit Roll compilers did do that but very rarely with the Labour Corps administered Rolls.

Russ

[Coldstreamer]

actually they are stamped/impressed not engraved

[TullochArd]

On 12/02/2023 at 15:49, RussT said:

You assume wrong.

His medals are engraved with the unit/number his first served with overseas - so 3513 Royal Highlanders.

Agreed.

We have evidence to support Davidson's Home Service in 3/5 BW (Birth Certificate and Ripon photo).  As 3/5 BW is a Home Service Reserve unit there are no medals there so there must be active service elsewhere. 

It is recognised that 3/5 BW, and similar Home Service Reserve battalions, regularly combed out individuals for active service. 12th (Labour) Battalion BW moved to France in June 1916.  12 BW had been allocated four figure numbers numbers 3001-3600 when it became 6 Labour Company in early-ish 1917. Davidson's number BW 3513 fits within this group along with his former BW Reserve service and future Labour Corps service.

It looks to me that Davidson's initial enlistment number(s) with 3/5 BW for Home Service is/are lost along with his Service Record.  His BW medal earning number is 3513, likely 12 BW using their Labour Company series, and as supported by the MIC/Medal Roll.  All these soldiers were re-numbered a little later with  Labour Corps numbers as seems to be the case here. 

At some point after this I can see his prior experience as a forester further targeted combing him out of general Labour Corps duty and for return to this occupation in his local area, under the administrative wing of 372 Ag Co.  Starling and Lee's 'No Labour, No Battle' explains in detail several similar cases. Agricultural Companies are clearly loose and flexible structures by 1918.

Edited 18 February , 2023 by TullochArd

[rolt968]

On 12/02/2023 at 19:58, TullochArd said:

Agreed.

We have evidence to support Davidson's Home Service in 3/5 BW (Birth Certificate and Ripon photo).  As 3/5 BW is a Home Service Reserve unit there are no medals there so there must be active service elsewhere. 

It is recognised that 3/5 BW, and similar Home Service Reserve battalions, regularly combed out individuals for active service. 12th (Labour) Battalion BW moved to France in June 1916.  12 BW had been allocated four figure numbers numbers 3001-3600 when it became 6 Labour Company in early-ish 1917. Davidson's number BW 3513 fits within this group along with his former BW Reserve service and future Labour Corps service.

It looks to me that Davidson's initial enlistment number(s) with 3/5 BW for Home Service is/are lost along with his Service Record.  His BW medal earning number is 3513, likely 12 BW using their Labour Company series, and as supported by the MIC/Medal Roll.  All these soldiers were re-numbered a little later with  Labour Corps numbers as seems to be the case here. 

At some point after this I can see his prior experience as a forester further targeted combing him out of general Labour Corps duty and for return to this occupation in his local area, under the administrative wing of 372 Ag Co.  Starling and Lee's 'No Labour, No Battle' explains in detail several similar cases. Agricultural Companies are clearly loose and flexible structures by 1918.

I've been thonk that suggestion over for a few days. There are a numbr of problems with it, I thnk.

• Since he had enlisted under TF terms he would have had to effectively re-enlist to join 12 (Labour) Black Watch in order to go to France with them in June 1916. Joined 12 BW under different terms why would he say that he was serving in 3/5 Black Watch as late as 17 April 1917 when he registered the death of his son. (It's on the death certificate.) I wonder if he was still officially on the roll of 5BW in 1917 but was attached somewhere else.
• There might be problems about his serving in France about June 1916. A daughter ws born on 31 March 1917.

I wonder if we can make anything from what his original War Gratuity was? If I've got it right £3. 5/- = 13 + 6 = 19 months home service, which was originally thought to be his totsl service. That would give a date in about April 1917. He was certainly in the UK on 31 March 1917.

Could he have served overseas with 1/5 Black Watch and been sent home as unfit and eventually transerred to the Labour Corps?

RM

 

[TullochArd]

4 hours ago, rolt968 said:

• Since he had enlisted under TF terms he would have had to effectively re-enlist to join 12 (Labour) Black Watch in order to go to France with them in June 1916. Joined 12 BW under different terms why would he say that he was serving in 3/5 Black Watch as late as 17 April 1917 when he registered the death of his son. (It's on the death certificate.) I wonder if he was still officially on the roll of 5BW in 1917 but was attached somewhere else.
• There might be problems about his serving in France about June 1916. A daughter ws born on 31 March 1917.

All fair points Rolt.  It's a good brain teaser isn't it.

I've certainly no idea why he was saying he was still in 3/5 (Res) BW on his son's Death Certificate in 17 Apr 1917.  3/5 (Res) BW had been amalgamated, along with 3/6 (Res) and 3/7 (Res) BW, to form 4 (Res) BW on 8 Apr 1916 so 3/5 (Res) BW did not exist in Apr 1917. 

The 12 BW connection is based on his curious four digit (medal earning) number of 3513.  Sure thing, 12 BW was in F&B in June 1916, but the later allocation of new Labour Company numbers to the later Battalion split of 12 BW into 5 Labour Company (2601-3000) and 6 Labour Company (3001-3600), did not come about until early 1917.  This  suggests to me that he must have arrived in F&B around the formation of 6 Labour Company, and therefore much later than June 1916, or he would surely have had a 12 BW medal earning number before his "early 1917" 3513 medal earning number.  This scenario may also fit more comfortably with his daughter's birth in Mar 1917?

Edited 18 February , 2023 by TullochArd

[rolt968]

18 hours ago, TullochArd said:

All fair points Rolt.  It's a good brain teaser isn't it.

I've certainly no idea why he was saying he was still in 3/5 (Res) BW on his son's Death Certificate in 17 Apr 1917.  3/5 (Res) BW had been amalgamated, along with 3/6 (Res) and 3/7 (Res) BW, to form 4 (Res) BW on 8 Apr 1916 so 3/5 (Res) BW did not exist in Apr 1917. 

The 12 BW connection is based on his curious four digit (medal earning) number of 3513.  Sure thing, 12 BW was in F&B in June 1916, but the later allocation of new Labour Company numbers to the later Battalion split of 12 BW into 5 Labour Company (2601-3000) and 6 Labour Company (3001-3600), did not come about until early 1917.  This  suggests to me that he must have arrived in F&B around the formation of 6 Labour Company, and therefore much later than June 1916, or he would surely have had a 12 BW medal earning number before his "early 1917" 3513 medal earning number.  This scenario may also fit more comfortably with his daughter's birth in Mar 1917?

It is indeed.

There are so many odd pieces of information - notably a number of odd dates when we know he was at home. (When between them did he serve overseas?)

RM

[TullochArd]

1 minute ago, rolt968 said:

.......... (When between them did he serve overseas?)

...... my money remains on a fuzzy "early 1917" as a reinforcement to 12 (Labour) BW on their transition to 5 Labour Company and 6 Labour Company at that time ....... hence 3513 on his MiC.

[kenf48]

On 11/02/2023 at 11:12, rolt968 said:

Can anyone suggest when he enlisted, please?

3482 Donaldson enlisted 4/5 on the 30th October 1915 renumbered 241078; LC 406264  He was posted to the BEF on 10.6.1916. I can't see which Battalion he joined but when wounded in September (faded but around 5.9.1916) he was admitted to 132 FA i.e. 39th Division 1/5th - 4/5th Black Watch

3510 Taylor enlisted in the 3/5 on the 9th November 1915 renumbered 241089; Labour Corps 262374; RE Roll WR 305599

3513 Davidson enlisted in the 3/5 ? November 1915  renumbered  24109?;

3518 Bruce enlisted in the 3/5 on the 26th November 1915 (discharged before renumbering of TF)

As 3513 Davidson was shown on the Medal Roll we can assume that was the number he held when he landed ina theatre of war, presumably France.

The fact Pte Davidson enlisted under TF terms is irrelevant after the promulgation of A.O. 204/1916 which allowed for the transfer of TF  soldiers to Regular or Service Battalions, but I'd suggest he was posted to the 1st line 5th Battalion in France.

Full wording of AO 204  scanned here

The LC Rolls show a number of soldiers from the 4th (Reserve) Battalion Royal Highlanders and other Regiments in the Scottish Command who were posted  to 477 Home Service Employment Company on the 23 July 1917. 

Pte Davidson, as were many other men posted to this Company on that date, was then moved on to other units within the LC.

We don't know exactly what happened to Davidson but consider these records, in brief:-

262486 William Barclay.

He enlisted in the 4th BW Regimental number 4040

Embarked for France 16 July 1916

Posted to Base Details 21.9.1916.

Allotted Regtl No 201345  ACI 2414/16

Repatriated to UK 17.3.1917

Transferred 477 HS Coy Labour Corps ACI 837 of 1917

And renumbered  23.6.1917.

Posted 437 Agricultural Company  3.November 1917

The Roll shows the 6 Digit TF number as that first landing in theatre whereas it should be the 4 digit number

or

Pte 262489 Leith

3/7th 3916

291158

4th Bn Black Watch

Posted 477  HS Employment Coy 23.6.1917

Home Service only

or

262498 Kelly Enlisted 1.10.1914 2810

30.7 16 to France posted 1st Bn BW

Renumbered 200479 BW

Wounded September 3.9.16 repatriated    

Transferred LC 23.6.1917

On RE Roll 60568

The three examples above show one man who joined the TF and was posted to France but did not get beyond the base; another who enlisted on TF terms posted to the 1st Battalion wounded in just a few weeks and one who did not serve overseas.

I can’t find him in the casualty lists.

 

[kenf48]

The war diary for the 4/5 Composite Battalion for the 10th June 1916 shows Pte 3482 Donaldson (although none are named) was in a draft of 50 other ranks from the 3/5th Black Watch. 

WO95/2591/3

It is a possibility Davidson may have been in that draft.

[TullochArd]

12 hours ago, kenf48 said:

The war diary for the 4/5 Composite Battalion for the 10th June 1916 shows Pte 3482 Donaldson (although none are named) was in a draft of 50 other ranks from the 3/5th Black Watch. 

WO95/2591/3

It is a possibility Davidson may have been in that draft.

........  a most plausible observation.  I've also tried the Casualty Lists but come up nothing.

[kenf48]

On 21/02/2023 at 09:23, TullochArd said:

I've also tried the Casualty Lists but come up nothing.

As you are probably aware would not appear if repatriated due to sickness.

Although the war diary for the 4/5th Composite Battalion describes the men in the 10th June draft as "a fine set of men", it does seem they were training hard.  There is an entry for August in which it is claimed the 1/5th retained their identity within the Composite Battalion and notes two very large drafts arriving that month.  It's not clear (to me) whether or not these were drafts to the Black Watch.  However, the second part of the diary records a draft of 60 men arriving in August under the "new system" of reinforcements and included men from the 7th.

I also thought it was interesting the cover page to the first part referred to the 4/5th as "Composite and Reinforcemenrt Battalion".

It's a difficult diary to interpret as there seem to be two entries for the month of June.  A little nugget I found gave a list of those involved in a raid on the 16/17th June, Davidson is not listed but posted as it may be of interest to other researchers.  The numbers of those involved are in the range of that allotted to Private Davidson.  It takes us no nearer to the date he landed in France but I think we can safely say his first port of call was the 4/5th, probably under the "new system".  Lots of avenues for @rolt968 to explore in greater depth.

Nominal Roll

 

The report itself is very long and is fascinating, even describing  a "war crime" which might be found shocking today

That said, it would be great if all war diaries were as detailed, it even includes citations for the MM as originally submitted.

 

 

[rolt968]

On 20/02/2023 at 21:08, kenf48 said:

The war diary for the 4/5 Composite Battalion for the 10th June 1916 shows Pte 3482 Donaldson (although none are named) was in a draft of 50 other ranks from the 3/5th Black Watch. 

WO95/2591/3

It is a possibility Davidson may have been in that draft.

 

1 hour ago, kenf48 said:

As you are probably aware would not appear if repatriated due to sickness.

Although the war diary for the 4/5th Composite Battalion describes the men in the 10th June draft as "a fine set of men", it does seem they were training hard.  There is an entry for August in which it is claimed the 1/5th retained their identity within the Composite Battalion and notes two very large drafts arriving that month.  It's not clear (to me) whether or not these were drafts to the Black Watch.  However, the second part of the diary records a draft of 60 men arriving in August under the "new system" of reinforcements and included men from the 7th.

I also thought it was interesting the cover page to the first part referred to the 4/5th as "Composite and Reinforcemenrt Battalion".

It's a difficult diary to interpret as there seem to be two entries for the month of June.  A little nugget I found gave a list of those involved in a raid on the 16/17th June, Davidson is not listed but posted as it may be of interest to other researchers.  The numbers of those involved are in the range of that allotted to Private Davidson.  It takes us no nearer to the date he landed in France but I think we can safely say his first port of call was the 4/5th, probably under the "new system".  Lots of avenues for @rolt968 to explore in greater depth.

Nominal Roll

 

The report itself is very long and is fascinating, even describing  a "war crime" which might be found shocking today

That said, it would be great if all war diaries were as detailed, it even includes citations for the MM as originally submitted.

 

 

Thank you for all of this. It is very useful.  I had been thinking very very vaguely that John Davidson might have gone to France sometime in the summer of 1916 based on enlistment in late 1915.

If I remember rightly 1/4 and 1/5 retained base establishments for some time after the formation of 4/5 Black Watch. I will need to to look back at my notes. I think that the base establishments continued to administer men of their respective battalions for some time - hence some men killed serving with 4/5 BW are listed as still serving with 1/5 or 1/4.

At the time of the formation of 4/5 BW (2 companies from each) the remaining men were sent back to the base establishments. Eventually they were posted on to another unit(s?). I must look back at which. (I can't remember if I got this from the war diaries or Wauchope or both.)

RM