2/28(county of london)battalion artists rifles

[birdofprey]

hi ..can anybody help me with this...i know the history of the 2/28 and how they where absored into the 1/28 and went to france in oct 1914 and set up an officers traing corps...they didnt seem to doing anything till they where transfered to 63 division in june 1917..my question is..they where a territoral force and it seems odd that they would set up a training corps in france, was it for other newly arrived but not quite finished troops, was it for all ranks,or just officers...in which case what did everybody else do,....3years seems along time for this amount of men to be doning not alot esp as they where in france, i have propaply missed something...so when your stuck ask for help,..my general interest in this is i have just recently aquired a compass complete with its leather pouch and straps in very good condition, inside the flap is stamped 2 and underneath 28 lon in large letters...the compas pouch has the makers name and date of manufactor..1916....so there is a good chance that i am the very proud posesser of a peice of history...so i am trying to get as much information as i can...hope you can help..jim

[walrus]

As I understood matters (and is just my perception):

When the Artists Rifles became an Officer training unit they became a holding/training unit for potential officers promoted from the ranks (ie: already trained soldiers* earmarked as 'Officer Material'), so soldiers draughted in (or seconded) to the Bn would undergo officer selection/training and then be shipped out to be commissioned to a batallion or be RTU-ed.

As I said, this is my take on matters, I may well be totally wrong - I'm sure that there are a lot of people here who know much more on this matter than I.

Tom t W

* Whether the men concerned were experienced NCOs and men from battalions destined for commissions or men selected during their training as officer candidates, I've no idea.

[birdofprey]

hi tom...have been looking on the internet...but cant find any more about them...i tend to agree with your view, although it seems strange that they should be unused for so many years....then get chucked into the deep end with the 190 brigade, 69th division in1917...or maybe thats why??

thanks for your time and thoughts...regards..jim

[gRANdson]

hi tom...have been looking on the internet...but cant find any more about them...i tend to agree with your view, although it seems strange that they should be unused for so many years....then get chucked into the deep end with the 190 brigade, 69th division in1917...or maybe thats why??

thanks for your time and thoughts...regards..jim

I'm glad it's not just me who finds the whole set-up confusing!

According to the (infuriatingly vague at times) journal that my grandfather kept, he walked into the New Scotland Yard recruiting office on seeing the newspapers announce the death of Kitchener (6th June 1916). Being underage (and looked it) plus nearly blind in his right eye, he wasn't accepted immediately. But a few weeks later had learnt the eye test card perfectly so he could recite it by rote and fool the recruiting officer & finally took the King's Shilling.

In January 1918, he joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (16th Btn) as a 2nd Lt. From then on, I have been able to match up his journal with the official RWR War Diary.

However...I've got a massive gap of knowledge from June 1916 to January 1918. He certainly saw action in France - he talks about being in an assault on a farmhouse plus also how he missed the slaughter of Passchendale by being left behind as 'dump personnel'. He was also promoted to corporal at some point during 1917.

My question is (as it has been fro many years now)....Would he have joined the Artist's Rifles from the start and would he have seen action in the trenches with them during 1917 or would he have been with a totally different Regiment, until pulled out to go through Officer Training with the Artist's Rifles, then joining the RWR at the start of 1918?

He lived in Warwickshire when he enlisted - so it would make sense that he could have joined the RWR from the start....but there is no record of him in the official RWR records until 1918.

Any thoughts?

[Nigel Marshall]

Hi Jim,

I cant answer your question directly but I point you in the direction of a website where you are able to download the The regimental roll of honour and war record of the Artists' Rifles (1/28th, 2/28th and 3/28th battalions, the London Regiment T. F.) Commissions, promotions, appointments and rewards for service in the field obtained by members of the corps since 4th August, 1914. It's a very detailed book and might just contain the information you require.

Internet Archive Just follow the link.

Cheers,

Nigel