Home-ground recruitment to "local" regiments

[Moonraker]

Previous threads have told how early in the war many regiments received recruits from far beyond the county or locality suggested by their titles. And some of the battalions formed as the war progressed and titularly attached to a regiment had little other connection to the county in question.

Prewar, roughly what proportion of a county regiment would have come from within that county's borders?

Did Regular (in contrast to service) battalions strive to keep their recruits "local"?

And by the war's end were there many regiments whose majority of members came from the counties/localities in their title?

(I guess that Scottish, Welsh and Irish were rather more exclusive of "outsiders" than English ones.)

Moonraker

[Hoplophile]

As there was a pronounced recruiting slump in the years just prior to 1914, I suspect that very few (if any) regiments were in a position to reject an otherwise suitable recruit on the grounds of locality of origin. I also suspect that shifts in population - particularly from the countryside to cities - that had taken place in the years since the Cardwell Reforms (which set up the county regiment system) also made it hard to limit enlistment to local lads.

That said, the proportion of 'foreigners' in the regular battalions of county regiments seems to have been a function of the local supply of underemployed young men. In places where economic opportunities were relatively scarce, the regular battalions of the local regiment filled up quickly. However, in places where the local economy was soaking up the talent, recruits had to be imported.

By the way, both the Germans and the French had similar problems maintaining the local character of their regiments. Thus, when war broke out in 1914, there were lots of boys from Hamburg and Essen in 'East Prussian' regiments and quite a few Parisians serving in North African (zouave) units.

[Clive Maier]

A 1915 poster by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee shows the recruiting grounds of the regiments but I suspect it is indicative rather than precise.

I am indebted to Michaeldr for this source.

[Owen D]

According to mac's book on Wilts Regt,

6th(Service) Bn were 1/3 Wilts, 1/3 Cockneys, 1/3 from Birmingham.

Which looking at SDGW is indicative alot of Wilts Regt men.

7th Bn was made up of men from Wiltshire, South Wales (mostly coalmners from Hirwain), London, Wolverton (LNW Railway works), Birmingham and Yorkshire.

The Wolverton draft were intended for Ox & Bucks LI but were stolen by Lt-Col Rocke the 7th Wilts CO.

For comparison, I asked one member on here to look up Wilts Regt on the WW2 Roll of Honour CD-ROM. There were about 1050 casualties with only 100 giving Wilts as birthplace or resisidence.

[Bernard_Lewis]

Top of the head by 1917 most of the Swansea Battalion were no longer 'local' men from Swansea and its surrounds - most of the originals were dead or wounded. And over the war about 70% of the Battalion's fatalities were Swansea and its surrounds men, the rest from all over including a sizeable influx of former East Surrey men, a number of who were killed in action.

Bernard

[Andrew Hesketh]

Clive,

I would be interested to see that poster, but the link you give results in the error message 'Temporary file open error. Display failed'. I've tried going through the link in Michael's thread but then get lost as to what to look for!

[Graham Stewart]

The dilution of what we term as "County Regiments" in regards to the British Army began as early as the Napoleonic Wars and the Regiments of Foot. Although the regiment may have had a begining within a County and certainly Coloneled by it's raiser, usually landed gentry they sufferd the same problems as their predecessors would in later life and casualties would have to be replaced. I would think of all the Foot Regiments that saw service throughtout this period were eventually diluted by the influx of Militiamen.

Although used for Home Defence the role of the Militia wasn't a static one and once embodied they could serve anywhere within the UK. The notion that they, the Militia were ill trained, undisciplined and badly officered isn't exactly true, as it was to these men that the Army turned when in need of replacements and they weren't recruited as one or two individuals but by whole Companies. This method would dilute a regiment very quickly, especially if more than one Militia Regiment provided large sources of manpower, which had no connection what-so-ever with the original County from whence the regiment was raised.

The defining lines of Cardwells 1881 Reforms and the "territorialisation" of the Regiments of Foot into County Regiments, did infact exasperate the problem, especially for those regiments with no large urban or industrialised population from which to extract possible recruits. The recruiting achievements of the Northumberlands Fusiliers hides the fact that prior to 1914 many of it's recruits were actually from the Home Counties and over the years they had actually been banned from recruiting in London due to the popularity of the regiment amongst it's residence. Infact during the collapse of the Nottingham Lace Industry at the turn of the century many men from here found there way into the Northumberlands.

You also have to remember a regiment never served in it's home garrison, although a Depot remained there. As a result good regiments garrisoning towns many miles from home would prove popular to those who intended on a career in the Army and these new recruits on becoming a member of the regiment would act as a catalyst for others from their old home area to join.

In reality I don't think a single regiment pre-1914 of the British Army, Scots, Irish or Welsh included, were not diluted down with many men from other parts of the country. The change to county regiments with an abundance of local men in my own research begins post-WWI.

Graham.

[Charles Fair]

To give an example of a TF battalion, the 1/19th Londons:

1914 and 1915 up to Loos - 100% of the men had enlisted within the Borough of St Pancras at the drill hall in Camden High St. The 1914 officers seem to have been mainly residents of Hampstead, Highgate, Kensington and Chelsea.

1918 Hundred Days - 7% had enlisted in the Borough, another 23% had enlisted within the County of London, and another 55-60% came from the home counties and Southern/SE England. The remaining 10-15% came from North of the line between the Severn and the Wash, particularly Wales and Scotland. The officers of 1918 came from all over the country, with perhaps as much as 30% coming from Glasgow.

[SMG65]

Around 1800 the 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers), a 'London Regiment', raised a 2nd Battalion.

Its recruiting ground was Yorkshire, in the main West and North Riding.

My Gt x 6 Grandfather from just outside Darlington served for 10 years with them, and like a lot of his comrades he served in the 1st Battalion in the Peninsular War. I have a copy of his records/muster rolls.

Sean

[Moonraker]

Thanks for these interesting replies. Dilution appears to have been more widespread - even prewar - than I had thought.

Moonraker

[Clive Maier]

Clive,

I would be interested to see that poster, but the link you give results in the error message 'Temporary file open error. Display failed'. I've tried going through the link in Michael's thread but then get lost as to what to look for!

Andrew,

Sorry, I have only just seen your post. Too many threads!!

Try this. It is working for me at the moment.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?ils:...temp/~pp_s60j::

Once there, click on the image and download the huge TIFF version for a map that you can study in detail.

[Clive Maier]

And now it's not working for me ...

So, try this link, then enter is your home here in the search box. Select match this exact phrase then run the search and it should find the elusive poster.

[Martin Felstead]

I have always been of the belief that there was a disproportionately high percentage of Irishmen in the ranks of the Regular British Army. Indeed, wasn't it their sterling service in the Boer War, and the recognition of that fact, that led to the creation of the Irish Guards?

My great Uncle Frank Adamson came from Isleworth in Middlesex but joined the Dorset Regiment in 1897. He was KIA Oct 1914. His family were in the Isleworth area for several previous generations so I have idea why the Dorsets appealed to him.

Martin

[Martin Felstead]

A large number of men from the Manchester area volunteered for the Manchester Scottish, but eventually became a significant part of 15th Bn Royal Scots (1st City of Edinburgh). Some of these men would have had scottish connections but many would have just fancied themselves in a kilt. Ironically the 15th Royal Scots didn't wear kilts.

My own grandfather being a scot was reason enough for me to decide to join the London Scottish in the 1970s. I too rather fancied myself in a kilt!

"It was ever thus"

Martin