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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Surrey Recruitment Registers


ChrisC

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Any more for look ups in the Surrey Recruitment Registers

Andy

Hi Andy

I know you offered look-ups a long time ago, but am hoping you're still feeling generous.

I'd be very grateful if you would look up my g-grandfather for me please - Charles George Munden. I have a photo of him in a group wearing West Surrey Regiment capbadges, though he went to France with the ASC in Oct 1915 . The family story is that he signed up at the end of 1914 (don't know if that is a useful clue for you?). I understand that at that time the ASC was desperately short of people so the Army was busy transferring over anyone with experience of horses and machines - and he was a farmer used to working with machinery, so seems to fit the bill.

Hope you can help - many, many thanks.

James

PS are there any other Mundens listed, please?

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Michael

There is 1 H Hemmings listed although it doesn't look like your man.....

H.A. HEMMINGS born WIMBLEDON

Andy

Thanks all the same,Andy.

Michael

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Hi James

C.G. Munden is not listed although other Mundens are.

I have posted a screen shot of all the Mundens, let me know if you want the details of one or even all of them.

Andy

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Hi Andy

Thanks for going to that trouble. Shame my ggf not on the register - but please would you send me details for Ebenezer John (a fifth cousin twice removed)?

Many thanks for all your help.

James

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As requested.

I have also included another Munden as they both attested at the same time and both gave the same address. Hope this helps

Andy

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  • 2 months later...

hi chris i have written to u before just asking if you can relook at the cd as i know now that the donovans were in the queens royal west surrey regiment thanks to the uniform any help would be great

tasha

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Hi Andy, would be grateful for a look up on any recruits with Mandeville surname (probably born Pyrford or Byfleet)

Thanks in advance

Nigel

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I'm intrigued by the 30 consecutive men of Surrey who were assigned to the Lincolnshire regt (round about message 46f.)

I suppose:

EITHER They all came in together and insisted on joining the Lincolnshires.

OR The War Office told the Surrey recruitment office to enrol the next 30 men or so in the Lincolnshires, which was short of men, instead of, as would be normal, in one of the Surrey regiments.

I'd guess the second was more likely. But maybe other people have better insight than me.

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Hi Andy, would be grateful for a look up on any recruits with Mandeville surname (probably born Pyrford or Byfleet)

Hi Nigel

Capture29-05-2008-000042.jpg

Capture29-05-2008-000854.jpg

Capture29-05-2008-001424.jpg

I have included the Woking birth as this is very close to Pyrford

Hope they are of help

Andy

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.....can relook at the cd as i know now that the donovans were in the queens royal west surrey.....

Tasha

Please remember that the registers DO NOT cover all attestations in Surrey, only attestations from the 2nd and 31st regimental recruiting districts were kept. Although this covers most of Surrey, any attestations not made in these districts were (to the best of my knowledge) destroyed as per post war instructions.

Also please remember that it was more than possible for a man to be placed in a specific county regiment even though his place of enlistment was far from that county. See Bart150's post above as a good example of this. Surrey men, attesting in Surrey yet being placed in the Lincolnshire regiment.

Andy

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only attestations from the 2nd and 31st regimental recruiting districts were kept. Although this covers most of Surrey,

Andy or anyone, what does the term "regimental recruiting district" mean?

What practical effect did it have on the way the recruitment system worked?

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Hi, could you possibly look up Percy William Lee (think Middlesex regiment?) and James Frank Lewis Lee (Queens Royal West Surreys) They are variously listed under Croydon and Thornton Heath. Percy was killed in the battle of Arras, James in the Somme..

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Tasha

Please remember that the registers DO NOT cover all attestations in Surrey, only attestations from the 2nd and 31st regimental recruiting districts were kept. Although this covers most of Surrey, any attestations not made in these districts were (to the best of my knowledge) destroyed as per post war instructions.

Also please remember that it was more than possible for a man to be placed in a specific county regiment even though his place of enlistment was far from that county. See Bart150's post above as a good example of this. Surrey men, attesting in Surrey yet being placed in the Lincolnshire regiment.

Andy

hi andy i do understand but the donovans from west surrey and their uniform are the royal queens west surrey regiment we had this checked is there any other way of obataining the records that you no off

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Andy

The register shows a run of Surrey men being placed in the Lincolnshires in September 1914 (message 46f.)

Have you noticed any other cases of a sudden burst of men going to some unexpected regiment?

Bart

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In an attempt to reply to all in one post. . . . . .

Bart150

Recruiting District

Capture29-05-2008-225952.jpg

Yes there are many examples of men being posted in groups over 10 to non Surrey teritorial regiments. I have to admit though to not having read it as a book, I use it as a reference source so any observations are ones that I have come accross whilst looking for individual men. There are 44 volumes, each volume is approx 200 pages, each page contains on average 26 attestations although there are some blank pages. 44x200x26 = 228,800 attestations (minus the blank pages), hence why I have not read it as a book.

Tasha

In all likelyhood the people you are looking for attested outside the 31st Recruiting District. I have a Surrey man who I know attested into the East Surrey's in Berkshire and others who joined the QRWS in London recruiting centres. Sorry I can't help more as I know of no other recruitment recods that have survived. It doesn't mean that there aren't others, just that I have not heard of them surviving. Have you tried Ancestry to see if there service records survived?

Redorchestra

Percy William Lee, not listed. The only 2 P Lee's are:

P Lee, b Wimbledon, enlisted in to Royal Field Artillery

Percy George Lee, b Kingston, enlisted into East Surrey Rgt

There are 3 J Lee's listed

J Lee, no birth place, enlisted in to 6th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers

J Lee, b Nutfield, enlisted in to Royal Flying Corp

J Lee, Windlesham, enlisted in to Royal Field Artillery

It is always possible that one of the above men could be the one you are looking for and they enlisted in to one regiment and were later transfered in to another.

You probably know but just incase you have not come accross it, there is a good book on Croydon in the Great War and the men from there who served. I'm sorry but I am unable to see if they are listed there as i do not have it.

Hopefully this answers all the questions but if I have missed any let me know

Andy

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Could I ask for a look-up, please?

Nimrod Henry GRAHAM, Served with two Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regt. numbers - L/6530 & L/13670

I believe the L prefix indicates a "Local" enlistment, so fingers crossed...

Thanks,

Ken

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Ice tiger> Thanks for your help. Is the book you mention 'Croydon and the Great War' by H.Keatly Moore, W.C.Berwick Sayers?

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Thanks Andy.

It sounds to me then:

. For volunteers (during the War) the notion of regimental district was irrelevant. A volunteer could turn up at any recruitment office in the country. He wouldnt be turned away just because he happened to live outside that office's district.

. A conscript on the other hand would receive a letter summoning him to the office of the district in which he lived.

. At the district office the man would normally be assigned to the local regiment for the district, eg at Kingston the East Surreys.

. But for short periods an office might assign all or most new men to some quite different regiment that was particularly short of men, eg at Kingston for a few days in September 1914 the Lincolnshires.

. If a volunteer wanted to join some regiment other than the local regiment (or, if applicable at that moment, the short-term shortage regiment), then he could opt to do so. In that case he'd be formally inducted into the army at Kingston and get a travel warrant to go off to the office for that regiment, perhaps at the other end of the country.

I'd be glad to hear of anything that contradicts the above.

One thing I don't understand is what happened if a volunteer at Kingston in September 1914 wanted to join (eg) the Somerset LI, was given a travel warrant, and went to Taunton; and there the Somerset LI rejected him (eg for some physical ailment or because they didnt need any more men at that moment). So he'd be in the army but without a regiment. What then?

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Ken

Sorry, despite your belief regarding the "L" prefix, he's not listed, just to be sure I checked all spellings of Graham and permutations of christian names.

Redorchestra

Yes

Bart150

"he'd be in the army but without a regiment. What then?"

I have no idea how the system did or didn't work, I am far from an expert on recruitment, my very limited knowledge is taken from the introduction on the cd.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Chris

Nothing under either spelling I'm afraid.

Steve

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Ken

Sorry, despite your belief regarding the "L" prefix, he's not listed, just to be sure I checked all spellings of Graham and permutations of christian names.

Thank you for taking the time to look. Much appreciated.

Ken

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