Question regarding regimental numbers

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Everyone,

Some of my British WW I medals have a regimental number that starts with a letter prefix. For example:

a medal to an Army Veterinary Corps member is S.E. 30469

to a member of the Royal Field Artillery is L/7593

and to a Cameron Highlander S/30613

Could someone shed some light as to the meaning of these letters?

Many thanks.

Brian

[Tony]

Brian, there are probably hundreds of medal prefix letters and numbers which usually denote a trade, old army, new army etc. I have just started a thread on a soldier with a PS prefix meaning Public Schools battalion.

I have this info in H Williamson's book:

SE is section veterinary Corps

L for RA is local enlistment

S for the Camerons is wartime enlistment for Scottish regiments

Tony

[Brian Wolfe]

Brian, there are probably hundreds of medal prefix letters and numbers which usually denote a trade, old army, new army etc. I have just started a thread on a soldier with a PS prefix meaning Public Schools battalion.

I have this info in H Williamson's book:

SE is section veterinary Corps

L for RA is local enlistment

S for the Camerons is wartime enlistment for Scottish regiments

Tony

Many thanks Tony,

So much to learn and so little time.

Cheers

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Everyone,

I should have asked this question earlier but forgot. When researching my WW I British medals I have noticed that some soldiers have two entries under the heading "Corps" on the Medal Card.

In one case the soldier is listed as Army Cycle Corps 10016 Private and under this is Lancashire Fusiliers 36162 Corporal. The medal was issued to number 10016. Was this fellow transfered from the Lancashire Fusiliers as a Corporal to the ACC as a Private?

My other example is a Serjeant in the Royal Engineers number 162 with the entry below this as number 477144 still as Serjeant in the RE. The discharge document I have in my collection is to number 477144 which would have been his number when he was discharged.

I hope I have not made this question more confusing with my examples. In the first example the first (or top entry) is the number on the medal. However in the second example this is reversed with the second (or bottom entry) being the number on the document.

I'm new new at this research game and any help you can give me would be greatly welcomed.

Cheers

Brian

[Michael Johnson]

Brian, perhaps the best place to get the information you need is http://www.1914-1918.net/ Your RE was undoubtedly a Territorial Army enlistment. They were renumbered during the War, hence the two numbers. Soldiers also acquired new numbers if they changed regiments. All of this should appear on the man's Medal Index Card.

[Graham Stewart]

Brian,

Your R.E. Sgt was a member of the Territorial Force hence the two numbers and his number's 162 & 477144 indicates he served with the Cheshire Field Coy, Welsh Divisional Engineers, which later became 1st Field Coy(Cheshire). In 1917 all members of the Territorial Force were renumbered and their old four figure numbers discarded and new six figure ones issued. In the case of the R.E.(T.F.) under Army Council Instruction 2243 and the 1st Field Coy(Cheshire) were allotted a number range 446001 - 448000.

Transfers during the Great War were common place hence more than one unit on many Medal Index Cards. Regimental numbering is dealt with in detail in Queens(Victoria)Regulations, Kings Regulations, Militia Regulations, Special Reserve Regulations, Volunteer Force Regulations, Territorial Force Regulations, Army Council Instructions and Army Orders, but many people find it a daunting subject to tackle although the guide lines given by these regulations are easy enough to follow.

Those collectors who find numbering hard to grasp are usually ex-Army lads, whose number followed them throughout there careers and they find it difficult to understand that this didn't happen in the Army of 1881 through to 1920. Your number changed whenever you moved unit. In 1920 a new regimental block numbering system was introduced and under this system your number moved with you during transfer. This numbering system remained in place until the 1960's when the current general numbering was introduced.

Also don't be fooled into thinking the word "Corps", is used soley by none fighting units. You'll find in KR's reference to a "Corps" relating to infantry units i.e. the Northumberland Fusiliers would be regarded as an Infantry Corps.

Graham.

[Brian Wolfe]

Brian,

Your R.E. Sgt was a member of the Territorial Force hence the two numbers and his number's 162 & 477144 indicates he served with the Cheshire Field Coy, Welsh Divisional Engineers, which later became 1st Field Coy(Cheshire). In 1917 all members of the Territorial Force were renumbered and their old four figure numbers discarded and new six figure ones issued. In the case of the R.E.(T.F.) under Army Council Instruction 2243 and the 1st Field Coy(Cheshire) were allotted a number range 446001 - 448000.

Transfers during the Great War were common place hence more than one unit on many Medal Index Cards. Regimental numbering is dealt with in detail in Queens(Victoria)Regulations, Kings Regulations, Militia Regulations, Special Reserve Regulations, Volunteer Force Regulations, Territorial Force Regulations, Army Council Instructions and Army Orders, but many people find it a daunting subject to tackle although the guide lines given by these regulations are easy enough to follow.

Those collectors who find numbering hard to grasp are usually ex-Army lads, whose number followed them throughout there careers and they find it difficult to understand that this didn't happen in the Army of 1881 through to 1920. Your number changed whenever you moved unit. In 1920 a new regimental block numbering system was introduced and under this system your number moved with you during transfer. This numbering system remained in place until the 1960's when the current general numbering was introduced.

Also don't be fooled into thinking the word "Corps", is used soley by none fighting units. You'll find in KR's reference to a "Corps" relating to infantry units i.e. the Northumberland Fusiliers would be regarded as an Infantry Corps.

Graham.

Many thanks Graham.

You and the other members have added greatly to my limited knowledge.

Cheers

Brian