Transfer of men from one Regiment to another

[Thomas Tidswell]

I'm researching my Gt. Uncle Miles Moulson Pte 291663 who died whilst serving with the 1/7th Gordon Highlanders. His date of death 14th Nov 1916 seems to indicate he was killed in the Battle of Ancre. What is baffling is that Miles was a Bradford lad through and through and I have no recollections of Scots Battalions recruiting in the area. But I have inherited a photo of him in Battle dress including the cover over the Kilt to protect it from mud, and his Bonnet Badge is that of The Gordons. I have a sign-up form showing a Miles Moulson joining the Prince of Wales Own West Riding Regiment, the Bradford Battalion in 1914, but nothing to show how ,if it was him,he got into the Gordons. Are there any sources that can shed any light on the bolstering of tough, fighting units from enthusiastic but lesser experienced units?

Thank you,

Thomas Tidswell

[jay dubaya]

Welcome to the forum Thomas

Do you have a copy of Miles' MIC? (clickety click) You'll need to download the actual card to hopefully get some more information.

1/7th (Deeside Highland) Battalion (T.F). 153rd Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division:

Arrived Halloy (15/7). To Berneuil (16/7). Entrained at Candas for Mericourt (20/7)and from there marched to Dernancourt. To Caterpillar Wood (21/7), Mametz Wood (26/7), front line Bazentin-le-Grand (30/7), High Wood (31/7). Relieved and to bivouacs north-east of Meautle (1/8). To Lavieville (6/8). Entrained at Mericourt for Longpre (9/8) and from there marched to Citerne. Entrained at Longpre for Armentieres sector (11/8). Arrived Doullens from Bailleul (30/9). To Beauval (1/10), Authie (2/10), Bois de Warnimont (4/10), Louvencourt (5/10), Bus Wood (8/10), Colincamps (12/10), Bus Wood (17/10), Forceville (18/10), Mailly-Maillet (19/10), front line Beaumont-Hamel (22/10), Mailly-Maillet (24/10), Forceville (29/10) , Raincheval (5/11), Mailly-Maillet Wood (11/11), front line (12/11). Attack on Beaumont-Hamel (3/11) - led assault with 1/6th Black Watch - 2 companies cleared German front line, passed eastern end of Y Ravine and consolidated gains. Casualties - 320. To Mailly-Maillet Wood (5/11), Raincheval (18/11).

from Westlake's 'Battalions on the Somme'

There is a Miles Coulson on the pension records who enlisted into the 16th (Service) Battalion PWO West Yorks on 29th August 1914, he was AWOL on 15th March 1915 and fraudulently enlisted into the 155th West Yorks Brigade RFA, the trial was dispensed with on 27th March 1915 and he was held to serve in that corps. He was married to Alice and had a son called Jack b. 20th October 1913.

Do the above details hold any clues to your family? It's not unusual for soldiers to end up in regiments that appear to be far away from home. 2 of my Great Uncles both Sheffield lads saw service with Scottish regiments having volunteered in 1914,

Hope this helps,

cheers, Jon

[Greenwoodman]

Are there any sources that can shed any light on the bolstering of tough, fighting units from enthusiastic but lesser experienced units?

Hello Thomas

Allocation of men was not quite as the question you pose above. If for any reason your great uncle became separated from his battalion (because of a wound, or illness), or was surplus to requirements of his battalion (too many men had been drafted to his battalion, and the battalion had to return some to the Base Depot for instance), he would have been sent on to fill gaps anywhere throughout the Infantry Order of Battle. Many men in the Great War have two or more infantry battalions on their record of service because of this need for manpower. And there are several stories of hassle when the reverse to your great uncle's case took place. Scottish soldiers often did not take kindly to being rebadged in such a cavalier fashion.

[sotonmate]

Thomas

This reminded me of a paragraph I read in one of Richard Holmes' books last night (The Western Front):

"For conscripts,or wounded returning to the front through a replacement system which filled gaps in the roster without much thought for a man's regimental identity,the regiment often meant little. But even they formed part of a complex world of loyalties and responsibilities that started with the infantry section. C.E.Montague was right to say how small a man's world really was:'all that mattered to him was the one little boatload of castaways with whom he was marooned on a desert island making shift to keep off the weather and any sudden attack of wild beasts'.

At it's best,this spirit could produce a spirit of corporate identity which went well beyond polished boots or bright badges. 'We were bonded together by a unity of experience that had shaken off every kind of illusion,and which was utterly unpretentious' wrote Charles Carrington,who earned his Military Cross at Passchendaele. 'The Battalion was my home and my job and the only career I knew'."

I have seen many questions here which were in a similar vein,the answer is that the drafting of replacements into the next available unit was very widespread indeed,the logic of the soldier's origin didn't come into it !

Best wishes

Sotonmate

[Scalyback]

Sorry to add slightly off topic question.

If a man had a "blighty" with X Btn and was sent home and then that X Btn was then disbanded (1916) at what point would that man be realocted a new regiment?

At home when recovering?

Etaples?

Other?

[Alan Tucker]

A total of 11725 Royal Warwicks died in the Great War. Of these 22% had transferred in from another regiment - a wide range inc. some Royal Scots

[Thomas Tidswell]

Thomas

This reminded me of a paragraph I read in one of Richard Holmes' books last night (The Western Front):

"For conscripts,or wounded returning to the front through a replacement system which filled gaps in the roster without much thought for a man's regimental identity,the regiment often meant little. But even they formed part of a complex world of loyalties and responsibilities that started with the infantry section. C.E.Montague was right to say how small a man's world really was:'all that mattered to him was the one little boatload of castaways with whom he was marooned on a desert island making shift to keep off the weather and any sudden attack of wild beasts'.

At it's best,this spirit could produce a spirit of corporate identity which went well beyond polished boots or bright badges. 'We were bonded together by a unity of experience that had shaken off every kind of illusion,and which was utterly unpretentious' wrote Charles Carrington,who earned his Military Cross at Passchendaele. 'The Battalion was my home and my job and the only career I knew'."

I have seen many questions here which were in a similar vein,the answer is that the drafting of replacements into the next available unit was very widespread indeed,the logic of the soldier's origin didn't come into it !

Best wishes

Sotonmate