RFA special reserves

[davidfegga]

Hi all

Am researching a 2Lt Mervyn Fellows who died of wounds while with 173Bde RFA in 1917. His death certificate states his unit as RFA special reserves, I've never come across these before, so what were they?

Dave

James Edwin Fellows 7th South Lancs kia 10/06/1917

James Fellows 1/6th South Staffs kia 13/10/1915

Job Fellows 2nd Worcs kia 1/11/1916

Mervyn Fellows 173Bde RFA 25/06/1917

Fight, fight wherever you may be ,we are the boys from the Black Country

[Wienand Drenth]

Hello Dave,

The Special Reserve was created in 1908 out of the Militia. Special Reserve units were found in the cavalry, artillery, infantry and some other corps. Generally speaking they were some sort of reserve pool for the regulars. (The former Militia was organised to provide entire battalions in the field. )

Coming to your question, my guess is that men could be commissioned into the Special Reserve, in the latter's role as a reserve pool, and be posted to a unit serving overseas. I am sure someone more knowledgable on this subject can give you more details.

Cheers,

Wienand

[Muerrisch]

Can I just say that "created out of the Militia" is economical with the truth. "Successor to the Militia" would be nearer, but even then the purpose and roles were very different. It is not true to infer that a soldier was Militia one day and SR the next, by an automatic process. All individuals were invited to sign on as SR, but formed units of the Militia did not simply change title.

The SR was seen as a cut above the TF. Lord Reith [as he became] was advised by his father, a clergyman of the manse, that the SR was a bit above his station in life. All SR soldiers of all ranks were automatically senior to all nominally equal ranks in the TF, no matter their seniority in that rank.

The SR was designed to provide individual reinforcements to the regular battalions, and indeed they relied heavily on the SR to fill up the regulars when war broke out, as the regular reserve was simply too small.

[rflory]

In World War I, Royal Artillery officers, and officers of most other units, were commissioned in a number of categories including: Regular, Territorial Force and Special Reserve - the majority in the last category. Most were commissioned during the war and demobilized in 1919 and most lost their commissions under the Royal Warrant of 31 March 1920.

The good thing about SR officers is that the service papers for all most all of them are available at the National Archives. Service papers for an officer with the name "M Fellows" are available under WO339/70197.

Regards. Dick Flory

[davidfegga]

Thanks for your help

dave

[Muerrisch]

In World War I, Royal Artillery officers, and officers of most other units, were commissioned in a number of categories including:  Regular, Territorial Force and Special Reserve - the majority in the last category.  Most were commissioned during the war and demobilized in 1919 and most lost their commissions under the Royal Warrant of 31 March 1920.

Regards.  Dick Flory

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you SURE that SR officers were in a majority? And that they were demobbed in 1919 and lost their commissions in 1920?.

I paraphrase from the Guide to a commission in the SR 1912:

..... liability for active service and training for one year from completion probationery period, and unless officer gives notice of wishes to resign one month before end of the year, remains subject to liability a year at a time and so on. In any case, I would be intrigued for a quote from the Royal Warrant, in that I can imagine an SR officer, probably promoted several times, and possibly decorated, wishing to enjoy peacetime strutting around at negligible risk!

[Wienand Drenth]

Hello Langley,

Since the units of the SR were true lineal successors to the units of the Militia, "created out of" is indeed a little too heuristic (and vague), to put it mildly, and I was a little sloppy with the definitions. I realise I need to be careful here

Cheers,

Wienand

[rflory]

LangleyBaston1418 wrote:

Are you SURE that SR officers were in a majority? And that they were demobbed in 1919 and lost their commissions in 1920?.

I paraphrase from the Guide to a commission in the SR 1912:

..... liability for active service and training for one year from completion probationery period, and unless officer gives notice of wishes to resign one month before end of the year, remains subject to liability a year at a time and so on. In any case, I would be intrigued for a quote from the Royal Warrant, in that I can imagine an SR officer, probably promoted several times, and possibly decorated, wishing to enjoy peacetime strutting around at negligible risk!

I was incorrect in my use of the term majority, but by 1918 they were the largest category of RA officers. In the November 1918 Army List the lists of the various categories of RA officers result in the following number of pages:

Regular officers: 34 pages

Temporary officers: 24 pages

Special Reserve of Officers: 50 pages

Territorial Force officers: 40 pages

You are correct that prior to the war Special Reserve RA officers were very small in number but during the war large numbers of officers were commissioned in the Special Reserve of Officers, Supplementary to Regular Units or Corps, and these made up greatest portion of wartime SR officers. I have the service papers for over 230 Royal Artillery SR officers and all but one of them was demobilized in 1919 or January 1920 and all but five of them were required to relinquish their commissions under the Royal Warrant of 31 March 1920. I do not have the Royal Warrant but in the file of each of these SR officers is a printed form letter that states:

"I am commanded by the Army Council to inform you that, in accordance with the Royal Warrant of 31st March, 1920, published in Army Order 101 of 1920, the relinquishment of your commission in the Special Reserve will be carried out with effect from 1st April 1920 and that the requisite notification will appear in the Gazette of ______________. (a handwritten date is always written in on the underlined space).

You will retain the rank of _________________ (a handwritten rank here) but such grant does not confer the right to wear uniform except when attending ceremonials and entertainments of a military nature, and occasions when the wearing of uniform would appear appropriate.

I am to convey the thanks of the Council for the services you have rendered during the War, and their regret that they cannot make use of those services any longer.

I am to add that should you wish to be considered for a commission in the newly constituted Militia you should submit to ______________________ (on most forms "The Secretary War Office MS4D" is hand written here) an application to have your name recorded for consideration when the detailed conditions of service therein are determined."

The above form letter would seem to indicate that the Royal Warrant contemplated that the Special Reserve of Officers was being done away with and that a newly constituted Militia was planned to replace it.

Regards. Dick Flory

[Muerrisch]

Many thanks. Very illuminating, and I will lookup the AO on my next trip to Cambridge Uni Library and post it.

[Muerrisch]

I had the AO in stock!

'...... all officers commissioned into SR after 5 Aug 1914 .... shall cease to hold their commissions [a few exceptions] ....

in order to reduce SR to peacetime establishment .......

those commissioned earlier not substantially affected'.

So the SR of O was continued, albeit in a shrunken and wrinkled form.