Alan_J Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Apologies if this has been asked before, searching on acronyms is not so easy. In the Orders of Battle in the Official Histories are some abbreviations I'd like clarification on. For example, some battalions are listed as (T.F.) - which I'm assuming is Territorial Force? Others are listed as (S.R.), which I'm struggling to assign a meaning for. This is from early in the War, specifically the Order of Battle for Neuve Chapelle. Can anyone enlighten me as to what SR stands for? Many thanks Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Robertson Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 T.F - Territorial Force S.R - Special Reserve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Derek - SR would normally be as you say, but at Neuve Chapelle? Perhaps we should be told exactly which battalion we`re talking about! Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_J Posted 20 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Derek, Thanks! Phil, The battalions at Neuve Chapelle marked S.R in the Official History are: - R. Angelesey RE in the 8th Division in the "Field Coys RE section" and 4/Kings in the Sirhind Brigade, Lahore Division Would you not expect Special Reserves so early in the War? Thanks Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Generally speaking a Reserve unit would not have gone to France, but the Royal Anglesey RE were a Special Reserve unit and the 4th Kings were an Extra Reserve Bn. And they did! Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_J Posted 20 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Also - as I forgot to ask before - what exactly was a Special Reserve battalion? I understand what the Territorials were, but were the SR analogous in some way, or completely different? Thanks Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Also - as I forgot to ask before - what exactly was a Special Reserve battalion? I understand what the Territorials were, but were the SR analogous in some way, or completely different? Thanks Alan <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I`m not aware that there were any Special Reserve infantry battalions - I`ve only come across Reserve and Extra Reserve Bns. I`d be glad to hear of any. Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_J Posted 20 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Phil, I've probably used "battalions" where I shouldn't - but my question was really what was the nature of these Reserve Forces? Were these reservists time-expired men (such as Frank Richards, who joined up on the outbreak of war but in a regular battalion)? Or were the whole reserve units in any way analogous to the Territorials? Just a bit confused about what they actually were, and in what way different to the Territorials or Regulars? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 This should answer a few questions. Link from the mother site. http://www.1914-1918.net/reserve.htm Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Quote:- The reserve battalions of the regular army, usually the 3rd Battalion of each regimanet with certain exceptions, were for the Special Reserve. In all, including the 'Extra Reserve' battalions that some regiments had, there were 101 Rserve battalions in existence in August 1914. Their job was to provide reinforcement drafts for the active service battalions. Thanks for the link, Andy, but how do we explain the 4th (Extra Reserve) Bn Kings going to France? Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 The Royal Anglesey RE is unusual too. The RE Special Reserve (Sept 1915) consisted of Royal Anglesey, Royal Monmouthshire, Postal Section, Motor Cyclist Section and a list of supplementary officers. This seems to be quite separate from the RE TF. I don`t know why these units are separated! Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_J Posted 20 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2005 This should answer a few questions. Link from the mother site. http://www.1914-1918.net/reserve.htm Andy <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks Andy, Just what I was looking for. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Hello Alan Thank Terry Reeves, hes the one who wrote the piece and made simple something that has always confused me. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Fisher Posted 20 May , 2005 Share Posted 20 May , 2005 Having had a flick through my Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2A, I notice Becke used the notation Sco. Rif. for the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), who were represented at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in the 23rd Brigade, 8th Division as follows; 2nd Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (joined September 1914, left February 1918) 1/6th Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (joined March 1915, left June 1915) ( a T.F. unit!) http://www.1914-1918.net/8div.htm Does this cover the S.R. annotation a little more comfortably? Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 21 May , 2005 Share Posted 21 May , 2005 Does this cover the S.R. annotation a little more comfortably? Graeme <{POST_SNAPBACK}> How would that account for the 4 Kings SR Graeme? Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Fisher Posted 21 May , 2005 Share Posted 21 May , 2005 Ah..... Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wienand Drenth Posted 22 May , 2005 Share Posted 22 May , 2005 Dear all, Following this topic on the Special Reserve I would like to add something which I hope might help. The Special Reserve was created in 1908, alongside the Territorial Force, as a reorganisation of the Militia. As such the Special Reserve comprised cavalry (North Irish Horse for example), artillery (Antrim RGA), engineers (Monmouthshire RE), infantry (like the 4th Kings), and several specialist units. Where the Territorial Force units were not required to serve overseas, unless being invited to do so, the Special Reserve was organised somewhat differently. For the infantry the main task of the Special Reserve was to provide recruits. These were the "Reserve" battalions, in most cased the 3rd battalion of a regiment. Some battalions had more than one Special Reserve battalion. In some cases these were called "Extra Reserve". In case of the King's Regiment, 3rd battatlion was "Reserve", and the 4th "Extra Reserve". However, the two Special Reserve battalions of the Middlesex Regiment (5th and 6th) were both "Reserve". For the cavalry, artillery and engineer units of the Special Reserve, their role was not to provide reinforcements, since they were not linked to some regular "regimental" grouping. Thus, these units would be mobilised for service anywhere in the world. This is the main difference with the TF, who were intended for Home Defence only. Upon outbreak of war, my best guess is that is would be possible for a Special Reserve unit to be mobilised for active service. Thus, several squadrons of the North Irish Horse went to France in August 1914, and the Anglesey and Monmouthshire RE provided Works and Siege Companies for overseas service. Likewise I would say it was possible for the "Extra Reserve" battalions to be mobilized and to serve overseas. Charles Messenger in his new book writes something on them (page 63 for example). According to what I can derive from that book, one reason to send a "Extra Reserve" unit overseas, apart from the need of menpower, was the amount of fit and trained men in such a battalion. Going to pre-war times, my guess is this depended for some part on the amount of reservists that could be re-called. But that is only guessing from my part, so I might be terribly wrong. I hope the above clarifies a bti. Cheers, Wienand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_J Posted 22 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2005 Thanks to all for the info - I think it's a little clearer to me now! Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 22 May , 2005 Share Posted 22 May , 2005 I think you must be right, Wienand. The SR units were not designed for active service and generally weren`t used as such. However, in an emergency they were used and so we have the 4 Kings going to France along with the RE units. I suspect they were the only SR units so used. Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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