19th Fusiliers

[machin]

What actions involved the 19th Fusiliers on the western front between November 1915 and their dissolution in April 1916?

[Hambo]

The history of the Royal Fusiliers devotes an entire sentence to them (not exclusively) so here it is.

"They went to France in November 1915 and after a short acquaintance with trench warfare, the demand for officers still continuing, the 18th 19th and 21st Battalions were disbanded in April 1916, the bulk of the men going to various cadet schools and the remainder as drafts to other Royal Fusilier battalions."

It's quite a long sentence but adds almost nothing to what you already know I'm afraid

However, British Regiments gives the following

Raised at Epsom as the 2nd Public Schools June 1915 to Clipstone Camp Notts in 98th Brigade 33rd Division

They were at GHQ on the 27th and 28th of Feb 1916. They were disbanded 24.4.16 and many of the men were commissioned. It says they had a similar history to the 18th Battalion who landed in France 27.11.15

It's worth tracking the movements of the Brigade and Division in this period as a possible line of enquiry

Sorry not to be more help Good hunting

[machin]

The history of the Royal Fusiliers devotes an entire sentence to them (not exclusively) so here it is.

"They went to France in November 1915 and after a short acquaintance with trench warfare, the demand for officers still continuing, the 18th 19th and 21st Battalions were disbanded in April 1916, the bulk of the men going to various cadet schools and the remainder as drafts to other Royal Fusilier battalions."

It's quite a long sentence but adds almost nothing to what you already know I'm afraid

However, British Regiments gives the following

Raised at Epsom as the 2nd Public Schools June 1915 to Clipstone Camp Notts in 98th Brigade 33rd Division

They were at GHQ on the 27th and 28th of Feb 1916. They were disbanded 24.4.16 and many of the men were commissioned. It says they had a similar history to the 18th Battalion who landed in France 27.11.15

It's worth tracking the movements of the Brigade and Division in this period as a possible line of enquiry

Sorry not to be more help Good hunting

Thanks for your help!

Best wishes

Tim

[Hambo]

Tim

I just had a look at SDGW and the battalion lost 33 other ranks during the period they were in France the first on the 4th of December 1915 and the last on the 29th of March 1916. Not too much clustering of dates so it looks like attritional losses from "routine" type trench warfare.

Hambo

[terryd]

Tim

Coincidentally I have posted a query re 6th Off Cadet Battln and MacKereth.

He served with the 21 Royal Fus and last week I got their War Diary from the PRO covering period Dec15 to Feb 16. The 19 Royal Fus were in the same Brigade.

The 21st were in the Festubert/Annequin area and nothing much happened except for a few patrol actions towards the end of the period. They mainly spent their time on trench instruction and cleaning up!!.

Suspect same for 19th.

Terry