Charles Davis .Dorset Volunteers 1909-16

[Purbecksteve]

Interested in information on the Dorset Regiment VolunteerSoldiers circ 1909.

My grand father enlisted in this regiment in 1909 and was discharged time served in 1916 but was reacalled to the colours just after the commencment of the Somme battles 1916.

Sadly later on he was with the Dorset regiment in Mesopitania and was severly wounded by shrapnel and was discharged in 1919 not fit for service.I have traced a lot of info and even have his medals including the Mons Star.

Can any one advise if there are also records for the wounded . I know he wore a brace on his badly shattered left arm for the rest of his life and I remember he was assessed every few years.

Thanks team.

[SPotter]

Steve,

I am a little confused as to the Regimental designation you use in your title, as the Volunteers were changed vastly after the Haldane reforms of 1907. Simply put, under these reforms the Militia became the Special Reserve and the Volunteers the Territorial Army.

However I believe some of your questions are answered by studying the medal rolls - assuming I have the right man.

There is only one C. DAVIS on the 1914 Star Roll for the Dorsetshire Regiment, a 3/5642 Pte C. DAVIS. This man was a pre-war Special Reservist, belonging to the 3rd Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment. His number would indicate an enlistment around the 10th January 1909.

Pte DAVIS entered France on the 12th September 1914 and was discharged, Time Expired on the 20th January 1916.

I am still looking through Ancestry.com to see if I can find his service records, but this assumes I have identified the right man from the Roll?

Regards

Steve

[Purbecksteve]

Steve,

I am a little confused as to the Regimental designation you use in your title, as the Volunteers were changed vastly after the Haldane reforms of 1907. Simply put, under these reforms the Militia became the Special Reserve and the Volunteers the Territorial Army.

However I believe some of your questions are answered by studying the medal rolls - assuming I have the right man.

There is only one C. DAVIS on the 1914 Star Roll for the Dorsetshire Regiment, a 3/5642 Pte C. DAVIS. This man was a pre-war Special Reservist, belonging to the 3rd Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment. His number would indicate an enlistment around the 10th January 1909.

Pte DAVIS entered France on the 12th September 1914 and was discharged, Time Expired on the 20th January 1916.

I am still looking through Ancestry.com to see if I can find his service records, but this assumes I have identified the right man from the Roll?

Regards

Steve

Thanks Steve ,

Great Stuff, Yes, confirm that's my grandfather, The service number on the 1914 Star is the same.

The Volunteers came from a group photo #43 in a book titled. An Album of Old Poole. by Derek Beamish 1975, my grandfather is in this photo.

I remember as a child that I viewed his medals and think there was a bar on the 1914 Star! Is it posible to confirm if he was awarded the bar and was under fire at any time and was he France all the way through untill 1916?

Would you know of any actions that he may have been involved in ?

You are correct in the enlistment date, I have an Army Form B2079 with his enlistment date was 12-1-09 at Poole into the Dorsetshire Regiment. It also indicates he was discharged after an enlistment of 7 years and 9 days in the special reserve.

Charles Davis was recalled to service 15-8-16 and his new service number was 24138 , (this is the service number on the other 2 Great War medals) he was discharged 16-9-19. after seving 3 years and 33 days, unfit for service. Wounded by shrapnel in left arm and possibly his back.

As a foot note , family rumour has it that his father also was in same regiment with same name ?

Once again . Thank you for your assistance.

Steve P

PS: I note on his final discharge form(B 2079) s/n XB 7411 that he had one wound stripe and 2 Chevrons, on discharge. What do the chevrons indicate?

PPS. I have a King and Empire Badge here to #B312730 (the B could be an 8)

[SPotter]

Steve,

Picking up on a few of your comments:

I am not familiar with the book you mention - it sounds like a local history/interest sort of thing, but a goldmine for you!

The 1914 Star Roll does not record the award of the 'Aug-Nov' bar to your GF, but that is not to say he wasn't entitled - perhaps he simply never claimed it.

As for the events he would have witnessed during his time in France, I can only recommend visiting 'The Long, Long Trail', the mother-site for this Forum, which can be accessed from the link at the top left of the page: From the Home Page select 'army' from the top menu, then 'infantry regiments', then 'Dorsetshire Regiment'. From the 1st Battalion menu you will have to look at both the 5th Divn and 32nd Divn records, as th Battalion was transferred to 'stiffen-up' the New Army in 1916.

I would love to have a scan of his Army Form B2079 if you are able to obtain one. If so, I can PM you my email address.

I'll have another look at Ancestry armed with his new number.

There are a number of Charles or C. Davis's in the Dorset's history:

Regt No...

792 / Charles / Born: Chiswick, London / Enlisted: 16.1.1884

2961 / Charles / 1st Vol:Bn: Dorset Regt / Re-numbered mid-Nov 1884 on prolonging after 21 years service.

4685 / Only initial 'C' is recorded / Fought in Boer War with 2nd Bn Mounted Infantry and entitled to QSA

6274 / Only initial 'C' is recorded / Fought in Boer War with 2nd Bn and entitled to QSA

8189 / Born Motcombe, Dorset / 2nd Bn Regular / KIA 14.4.15 in Mesopotamia...interesting but too young to be your GGF.

The Chevrons are probably those issued for Good Conduct. A search on the Forum will bring a multitude of posts on this topic. They could also refer to Overseas Service Stripes. It is not clear which the comment refers to unless they are specifically given a colour, which would confirm them as being the latter. Again a search on the Forum for 'Overseas Service Stripes' or similar combination will kick up a little night time reading!

I can confirm that Charles DAVIS is recorded on the War Badge Roll for the Dorsetshire Regiment as follows:

Regt No: 24138

Rank: Pte

Badge No: B.312730

Enlisted: 15.8.16

Discharged: 16.9.19

Cause: Wounds

Kings Regs Para: 392 (XVI) 2.a.

Age: 27

Served Overseas: Yes

So, nothing you didn't know already, but invaluable to someone like me who wouldn't necessarily have been able to link the two service numbers without this sort of 'insider' knowledge, so thank you!

Steve

[Purbecksteve]

Steve,

Picking up on a few of your comments:

I am not familiar with the book you mention - it sounds like a local history/interest sort of thing, but a goldmine for you!

The 1914 Star Roll does not record the award of the 'Aug-Nov' bar to your GF, but that is not to say he wasn't entitled - perhaps he simply never claimed it.

As for the events he would have witnessed during his time in France, I can only recommend visiting 'The Long, Long Trail', the mother-site for this Forum, which can be accessed from the link at the top left of the page: From the Home Page select 'army' from the top menu, then 'infantry regiments', then 'Dorsetshire Regiment'. From the 1st Battalion menu you will have to look at both the 5th Divn and 32nd Divn records, as th Battalion was transferred to 'stiffen-up' the New Army in 1916.

I would love to have a scan of his Army Form B2079 if you are able to obtain one. If so, I can PM you my email address.

I'll have another look at Ancestry armed with his new number.

There are a number of Charles or C. Davis's in the Dorset's history:

Regt No...

792 / Charles / Born: Chiswick, London / Enlisted: 16.1.1884

2961 / Charles / 1st Vol:Bn: Dorset Regt / Re-numbered mid-Nov 1884 on prolonging after 21 years service.

4685 / Only initial 'C' is recorded / Fought in Boer War with 2nd Bn Mounted Infantry and entitled to QSA

6274 / Only initial 'C' is recorded / Fought in Boer War with 2nd Bn and entitled to QSA

8189 / Born Motcombe, Dorset / 2nd Bn Regular / KIA 14.4.15 in Mesopotamia...interesting but too young to be your GGF.

The Chevrons are probably those issued for Good Conduct. A search on the Forum will bring a multitude of posts on this topic. They could also refer to Overseas Service Stripes. It is not clear which the comment refers to unless they are specifically given a colour, which would confirm them as being the latter. Again a search on the Forum for 'Overseas Service Stripes' or similar combination will kick up a little night time reading!

I can confirm that Charles DAVIS is recorded on the War Badge Roll for the Dorsetshire Regiment as follows:

Regt No: 24138

Rank: Pte

Badge No: B.312730

Enlisted: 15.8.16

Discharged: 16.9.19

Cause: Wounds

Kings Regs Para: 392 (XVI) 2.a.

Age: 27

Served Overseas: Yes

So, nothing you didn't know already, but invaluable to someone like me who wouldn't necessarily have been able to link the two service numbers without this sort of 'insider' knowledge, so thank you!

Steve

Many Thanks Steve for your support and information that you have confirmed for me. You have provided me extra information that I did not have before. Great.

I only discovered this site a few days ago and I am humbled at the support you all give to novices like myself. Thank you.

I will scan a few of the documents I have and will PM you later in weekend. I will be speaking to my father in Bournemouth later today. I check in on him once a week from here in the states. I am sure he might be able to answer a few more of my Q's now you have confirmed info for me.

My other grandfather was in the Wiltshire regiment during the Great War, now that's a project for another day.

Respectfully and Thanks Steve for your assistance,

PS> Steve can you send PM and I send over some docs for you view.Thanks