Spec.Res

[Guest NZMel]

Hi there! Could anyone tell me what the 3/ from the service no 3/2761 means?

Also does Spec.Res mean Special Reserve? The Spec.Res comment is followed by

a date 11.4.19, that would be quite late in WW1 and it was also the year his first

child was born.

And in the remarks column does anyone know what 23/8/61 and 29/9/65 mean?

My Gr.Grandfather was Sgt David Clark of the Royal Highlanders I assume? that

this is the Black Watch...

[Terry_Reeves]

The pre-fix 3, was the 3rd (Reserve) battalion of his regiment . However, 3rd Black Watch never served in a theatre of war, seeing the war out in Scotland, and Ireland from 1917, so he must have been sent to another battalion, probably to make up a regular battalion to war strength or as a casualty replacement.

It looks as though he remained in the reserve in 1919, hence the annotation. The other dates indicate there was some correspondence during those years about his medals, but I'm afraid you are unlikely to find ot what this was about.

Terry Reeves

[Guest NZMel]

Thankyou Terry, on his medal card it says Theatre of War first served in (1) France, Date of entry there in 19.1.15. He was awarded a 1915 Star. Do you think that with the Date of entry anyone could make an

educated guess of what battalion he was posted to? I was a little suspicious of the 3/ I thought that indicated 3rd BlackWatch but you have explained why he received a 1915 Star. Now I can read about

3rd Black Watch....

[Max]

Hello NZMel

The 3/ prefix to your mans number would indicate to me that he was in fact a pre-war reservist. At the outbreak of hostilities he would have been called to the colours with the 3rd Bn and then drafted abroad to a front line battalion as and when he was required. The following link gives you potted movements of the various Black Watch battalions.

http://www.1914-1918.net/blackwatch.htm

Andy

[9th Black Watch]

Hi NZMel,

I agree with Andy. Most Black Watch soldiers with a 3- prefix number were reservists - almost certainly those landing in France as early as January 1915.

It's not always the case. For example, in my experience soldiers enlisting in the weeks immediately before war was declared were also allocated 3- numbers. I was recently researching a young lad of 18, Pte. Thomas France, 9th R.Highrs., who was killed in action at Loos in September 1915. He enlisted the week before war was declared, sent to the 3rd battalion and given a 3- series number before being transferred to the 9th - a new army battalion.

All the best,

Derek

[Guest NZMel]

The pre-fix 3, was the 3rd (Reserve) battalion of his regiment . Howver 3rd Black Watch never served in a theatre of war, seeing the war out in Scotland and Ireland from 1917, so he must have been sent to another battalion, probably to make up a regular battalion to war strength or as a casualty replacement.

It looks as though he remained in the reserve in 1919, hence the annotation. The other dates indicate there was some correspondence during those years about his medals, but I'm afraid you are unlikely to find ot what this was about.

Terry Reeves

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Terry, Of course the numbers 23/8/61 and 29/9/65 are correspondence about his medals! They were written strangely so I didn't twig I know he didn't have his 1914-1915 Star. He must have wanted it but a month after the correspondence he died (heart attack). His Victory Medal and British War Medal were passed on ... thankyou

[FredJCarss]

Hi

He was in the wounded lists

Published Date list compiled

13/04/1915 27/03/1915 As Pte

05/06/1915 19/05/1915 As Pte

15/08/1916 Under Various Dates As Cpl

24/11/1917 Under Various Dates As Cpl

Regards

Fred

[Muerrisch]

All Special Reserve battalions of all regiments were 3rd, apart from those few with four regular battalions. Not all used the prefix 3/, although the War Office asked them to "if they thought it would help avoid confusion".

The role of 3rd battalions was to provide trained men to supplement the two regular battalions in war: they were not trained as fighting battalions. They also had to absorb the under-age, the under-trained, and the wounded/ sick among the two regular battalions. SR battalions grew rapidly in the early days [from about 500 to 2500 men] and were allocated extra officers and Sgt Majors etc in proportion. [Fancy having two or more sergeant majors to contend with!]

Each SR man pre-war was given 5 to 6 months full-time training and then a modicum of continuation training.

They were totally distinct from Regular Reservists, who were men contracted to serve a fixed period [usually five years] at half pay once they were out of uniform. The Regular Reservists necessarily were the main body of men who supplemented the regular battalions in the early days of the war.

SR officers and men were considered a cut above the TF, and indeed automatically out-ranked their notional equals in the TF until this was ended later in the war.

[Guest NZMel]

Hi

He was in the wounded lists

Published                  Date list compiled

13/04/1915 27/03/1915  As Pte 

05/06/1915 19/05/1915  As Pte 

15/08/1916 Under Various Dates  As Cpl

24/11/1917 Under Various Dates  As Cpl

Regards

Fred

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Fred, Thankyou - My family will be very happy to see this as far as I know he

appears in no other publications associated with fife. I looked in the wounded lists

and found his name and service number under 2 battalion Black Watch on only one of the lists I could find.