Can you choose your Regiment in late 1917/1918? (Artists Rifles)

[fitz_merc]

I am looking at a relative of a student coming on a forthcoming trip.  Christopher Whitehead Bagot joined the 1/28 County of London Battalion, better known as the Artists Rifles. in October 1917.   Luckily his Service Record is accessible.  My question is how did the Manchester working and living 27 year old get into the Artists Rifles? He signed up in London.  After Conscription could individual soldiers select their own Regiment?  Did he travel to London and deliberately seek to join this well known Regiment?  His home address was the same as his parents. His occupation is given as book keeper. Somewhere in the distant past I remembered reading that you had to be recommended by a serving Officer to be allowed to join the Artists Rifles but that is a secondary point. 

[kenf48]

33 minutes ago, fitz_merc said:

After Conscription could individual soldiers select their own Regiment?

This was unlikely, never say never but generally they were sent where it was considered most appropriate for medical category, skills etc

35 minutes ago, fitz_merc said:

Did he travel to London and deliberately seek to join this well known Regiment? 

His record is not complete but we can see he was medically examined on the 29th August 1917 at No.2 Medical Examining Board Manchester.  This was when he was mobilised or called up for service having either attested under the Derby or Group Scheme or 'deemed to have enlisted' under the terms of the Military Service Act.  As the A.F.B 103 shows enlistment 11.10.1917 he was in all probability a conscript. Either way he, or his employer, had appealed to the Local Tribunal and secured previous exemption from military service. The same form as annotated below shows he was posted to the OTC

Image courtesy of FMP

In his records there is another document that confirms he was attached to 2nd Artists Rifles OTC (also designated 28 Bn. OTC) E Company.  Near number sampling shows men from Hereford/Bristol etc all recruited at the Central Recruiting Board Whitehall.  Some of the men wen on to earn a Commission, it appears though for whatever reason, and we don't know whether it was his own request or whatever he reverted to the ranks and was posted to the BEF and an active service Battalion as shown on the record.

He appears on the Artists Rifles Roll of Honour as killed at Bourlon Wood

https://archive.org/details/regimentalrollof00highiala/page/38/mode/2up

As ever biographical information helps unpick military service but I suspect a grammar school education at least and he was selected for officer training hence his enlistment in London. 

 

[fitz_merc]

Thank you for your points.  So through applying for exemption he may have stalled his enlistment from August 29 1917 to October 11?  Interesting point you spotted that he joined the OTC but served as a Private. From arriving in the trenches he served only a month before he died of his wounds. 

A small mystery appears in the roll call you linked to. Bagot is listed with 11 Privates and 1 Corporal as dying on the 27 September 1918.  But the Official Diary has 4 2nd Lt's and 2 captains killed but they are not listed on the roll call. The Official Diary does not list any non Officers killed that day or close to......

Edited 27 April by fitz_merc

[fitz_merc]

The good news is that I have included a visit to his grave for the July trip so that his GG nephew can pay his respects. Have also found a photograph of him.

[kenf48]

1 hour ago, fitz_merc said:

So through applying for exemption he may have stalled his enlistment from August 29 1917 to October 11?

No that's not what I meant

His declared age in October 1917 was 27 years and two months which according to my arithmetic means he was 26 years old in August 1916, or aged 25 in March 1916.  In 1917 he also declared he was single.

Under the terms of the Military Service Act 1916 as a single man born in 1890 he would have been placed in the 8th Class and liable for call up from March 3 1916 (Classes 2 -12).

The Derby Scheme had reopened but again he would have been in Group 8 and liable for call up in February 1916.

He had therefore sought exemption from military service but was already on the Reserve either as a Derby attestation or as a conscript when his class meant he had 'deemed to have enlisted'.  Unfortunately the deliberations of Local Tribunals with a couple of exceptions were destroyed after the war.  He, or his employer could have applied for exemption which in his case is most likely to have been conditional.  This exemption was usually granted in 3 month blocks.  In 1917, following amendments to the original Act The Military Service (Review of Exceptions) Act east from April 1917 the power of the Tribunal to grant exemption was severely curtailed.

He would not have attended a medical board until he had been notified of his call up.  

What happened in that month between his medical and his enlistment in the Artists Rifles we don't know but I suspect he was given a rail warrant to London to formally enlist for officer training.  

Throughout the war the Artists Rifles provided 10,256 commissioned officers.  They were the ones who made it through training which by 1917 had become a little more rigorous than before.  In November 1914 French asked the Artists Rifles to send him fifty subalterns to replace the officer losses in 7th Division.  Fifty two privates were selected, given cursory training in leadership and two pips and sent to the Front. They were known as (another) 'Suicide Club'.  

Although a Territorial formation the Artist  Rifles continued to supply junior officers for the Army, even after the formation of the Officer Cadet Battalions when officer training was put on a more secure footing.

1 hour ago, fitz_merc said:

Have also found a photograph of him.

Always good to but a face to a name - a nice picture.

[fitz_merc]

I follow this now. Impressive detail eg the 3 month blocks. Thank you again. 

[kenf48]

The plot thickens and gets more intriguing:-

He was neither a Derby recruit nor a conscript as he was not 'ordinarily resident in Great Britain' and therefore outside of the Military Service Act

Image from BNA on FMP

 

There are  references on the GWF to South American expats returning to the UK to enlist need to find out more but I'd suggest he was originally seeking a commission.  Harold Macillan joined the Artists Rifles but got fed up with the training and used family connections to secure a commission in the Guards. I guess we will never know but we can speculate he perhaps wanted to see some action.

It appears Duncan Fox and Co were the most successful trading Company in Chile and Peru. Clearly to come back to the UK and enlist shows a high degree of motivation and patriotism.

 

[fitz_merc]

Great find.  Indeed it does.  Christopher was a patriot true and true.  My respect for him has multiplied.
I had expected knowing his occupation as a bookkeeper for a successful company that Probate would show a healthy legacy but he left only £196. 
 
 

[kenf48]

Look forward to the account of your visit

regards

[fitz_merc]

Thank you.  I did take the students brother to this cemetery 5 years ago but I didn’t have the  fruits of your expertise then. 

[fitz_merc]

He joined the Artists Rifles in 11 October 1917 but only reached France in 28 August 1918.  I would think that with 10 months training something unexplained made the switch from being an Officer to serving as a Private- I don't think it would have made sense to switch only after he arrived in France.  His date of death is recorded as the 30 of September 1918 by the Advanced Dressing Station- 3 days after the official date. I presume like the other 10 Privates killed that day he was wounded and died 3 days later from those wounds. 

[fitz_merc]

Kenf48 suggested a line of enquiry that has turned out to be 100% accurate.  A letter has turned up which explains Christophers reasons for leaving a safe job in Chile. Patriotism. 

He understood he might be killed or wounded and he had a terrible death with an exploding  German machine gun bullet entering his spine and blowing "out his intestines".  This detail was given to his family. He was taken by captured German prisoners to a Dressing station but he was to die of his wounds. 

Letter from Christopher Bagot.pdf