Extra Reserve?

[Retrac]

Reading round about Army Organisation I came across a reference to the fact that 7 R.Fus as an Extra Reserve Bn was made up of former soldiers who, for a sixpence a week consideration had signed on to maintain contact and be available for service. Comprised of older men the Bn was to be used for training recruits to be sent out to other Bns and for Home Defence. In return for their pay they attended some training and an annual camp. At the outbreak of war they were in camp on the East Coast, they were then sent to Cornwall on coastal defence.

So far so good. Now to relate to my quest. My grandfather John Edwin Carter had been in R Fus in the Boer War, got medal so got evidence. In 1912 he moved from London to Nottingham and in 1913 married when in his 30's. His Mic has him as in 7RFus.

The questions are, could he have been in this particular bit of the Reserve, which from my reading seems to differ from the other forms of Reserve where colour and Reserve Service added up to 12years? Could he have maintained contact with 7RFus having moved from London to Nottingham? Where might I find out? The RFus museum at the Tower appears to have no documentation, unless I've been asking the wrong questions to them.

David

[steve fuller]

Hi David

Personally, I would look for his Medal Rolls and service record for evidence. Both at Kew of course.

The fact he has an MIC suggests there is something held there to explore. Post it on here and see what comes up as a result?

[Retrac]

Thanks Steve, I've had his Mics for a while. All they seem to give is 7th R Fus, and MGC entered theatre of war 9th June 1915 in area 3. This matches closely to the 2nd RFus war diary which has a draft of men arriving in Gallipoli on 9th June. This is supported by his writing on the back of a photo of his son 'received in Gallipoli 25th June 1915'. He got the three war medals. If more can be gleaned from the MiC I'm happy to be pointed in the right direction. I can't post it from here I'm on the wrong machine. Service record is not in the surviving parts of the Burnt Collection. I didn't look for his medal rolls last time I was in Kew. I'll do that next time.

The purpose of this post was to try to balance what I've just been reading with the info, I think from the Long Long Trail that 7th RFus was raised at Finsbury on 4th August 1914. I hadn't appreciated the significant difference between Extra Reserve and the other bits of Reserve, particularly the bit about payment and the annual camps. I had assumed that there must have been some sort of tie to get him to leave Nottingham in his mid-thirties, 2 days after the birth of his second son to sign on in London. Until last night I had thought it was emotional rather than contractual.

There appears to have been little discussion of the war between grandfather and the rest of his family, so anything pre war has been lost in the mists and I'm reconstructing from limited evidence.

Help!!

David