Roy Evans Posted 17 January , 2003 Share Posted 17 January , 2003 Before the introduction of conscription, could a man choose which regiment to serve in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robwilliams Posted 22 January , 2003 Share Posted 22 January , 2003 Roy, Basically, yes. Men enlisted into a Regiment/Corps rather than into the army itself. I have mentioned it elsewhere but there is evidence that a bunch of Birmingham policemen hawked themselves round various regiments until they found one prepared to take them as sergeants! Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 24 January , 2003 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2003 Thanks Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Bosano-Andrews Posted 10 November , 2003 Share Posted 10 November , 2003 Hi Rob I'm curious about this my Great Grandfather Served in the 2nd Northamptonshires and his brother in the 5th Connaught Rangers. Both born and bred Londoners with no connection to either locale, both were volunteers. I've often been curious as to why they ended up in these regiments, I had always assumed that wherever there was a shortage in manpower a reccruiting office would assign a man were he was most needed. My G Grandfather joined at the Marylebone Recruiting Office a stones throw away from where he lived but a long way from Northamptonshire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_davies Posted 11 November , 2003 Share Posted 11 November , 2003 Eddie, With regard to the 5/Connaught Rangers. When did your relative join them and what was his service number ? This battalion had a large number of non-local lads serve in it in late 1914 onwards (ie when a man could chose which unit to serve in). Most are Yorkshire men, who having enlisted in the Y&L Regt, only to be transferred to the Rangers in Jan 1915, there are however a fair amount of Londoners, Scoucsers and from Glasgow. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Bosano-Andrews Posted 11 November , 2003 Share Posted 11 November , 2003 Hi Jim Re: The 5th Connaughts, my Great Grand Uncle was 4923 Sergeant George Frederick Andrews, I haven't been able to track down his service record so I'm not sure exactly when he joined, I'm hoping to make it to Kew in the new year. I attach a photo of my Uncle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_davies Posted 11 November , 2003 Share Posted 11 November , 2003 Eddie, Good luck with your search. My oen g-g-uncle served with the 5/Connaught Rangers, being KIA in Gallipoli. He was from Rutland and I'm also having difficulty working out why he served with them. From your uncle's service number I would suspect (not entirely sure) that he was not an original member of the unit, and is likely to have joined them either later in Gallipoli or in Salonkia. Is it possible he served with the 1st battalion previously. All the best, Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Bosano-Andrews Posted 12 November , 2003 Share Posted 12 November , 2003 Hi Jim Thanks for the info, hopefully a bit of research at Kew will reveal some more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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