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Remembered Today:

Interpretation of 'Attached'


Guest a.booth@tgis.co.uk

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Guest a.booth@tgis.co.uk

The war diary of the 18th Battalion, Kings Liverpool Regiment states that on 9 - 11 September 1916 they were 'In billets , provided working parties in front line.'

On 11 September my uncle is listed as: Killed in Action 35940 Pte J Graham (Attd 254th Tunnelling Coy).

Is 'Attached' more permanent than being part of a working party at the front line ?

Any clarification would be much appreciated.

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Hi Anthony,

I would interprete it as being a more permenant roll than that of being part of a working party. The soldier sharing dug-outs, rations etc with the 254th T Coy and not returning to the 18th Battn. until his attachment was over,

cheers, Jon

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Army's definition of 'Attach' Army Act Section 82

means removing temporarily a soldier either with or without his consent from his own unit and placing him with another unit, without affecting in any way his status in the first-mentioned unit.

Regards Charles

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I would suggest that it's the same as being "on loan" from one football club to another.

Presumably a soldier "attached" to another unit would take his orders from that unit, and would only resume being subject to the orders of his original unit when his period of attachment finished.

[unfortunately, I suspect that we're a little loose with the use of the word "attach." We often say that such-and-such a battalion was "attached to X Brigade" when we really mean "was part of..." I know that I'm guilty of that in my writings, mainly to avoid repetition.]

Noel

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and attached meant 'on the ration strength', which mattered a great deal.

Yeah - means exactly same today. You are detached to a theatre of operations, potentially to a different unit temporarily. The key differemce is that there is an expectation that you will return to your original unit.

Posted/drafted etc means a more permanent move.

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Or from a Battalion History

"Towards the end of October,Officers of the 16th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles(Pioneer Battalion),of the 36th Ulster Division,were attached to the Battalion for training."

George

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