Selfridges Company, 13th London Regt (Kensington)

[Charles Fair]

I have been going through the minutes of the County of London Territorial Force Association which are held in the London Metropolitan Archives for a paper on TF recruiting in London from 1908 to 1914.

In the transcripts of the Recruiting Committe meeting of 28 November 1912, Lord Esher quoted a letter from a Captain Best who had raised a company of the 13th London Regiment entirely from the staff of the Selfridges department store. Capt Best wrote:

“the majority do not propose to rejoin at the expiration of their period of service. In spite of our earnest encouragement, our young men seem to feel that their leisure is being curtailed too much by their military duties, and a satisfactory response to any recruiting effort does not seem probable.”

Lord Esher then commented “this is very typical of what I am very much afraid is a very general feeling throughout the metropolis”.

Can anyone - such as forum member and Kensingtons expert Tom Thorpe - elaborate on the Selfridges company? I am interested in the following:

1. I assume that it was raised in 1908/09, hence the concerns about reenlistment 4 years later in 1912.

2. Was it a full company? Presumbably about 120 strong under the 8 company system?

3. Who was Captain Best, and what was his war service (if any)?

4. Any idea as to the reenlistment rate? If it was poor did the company cease to be purely Selfridges?

5. Are there any surviving records? e.g. at Selfridges?

Charles

[Myrtle]

Charles

Tom should have more information on this one but just to let you know The Kensingtons had many men from department stores in their ranks; Harrods, Barkers,Derry & Toms and Selfridges.

Myrtle

[Desmond7]

I think this man may have been involved as a 'force' in recruiting for Regts. in this area of London. I only keyed in this little snippet from early 1916 but I think he may have received an 'honour' for his efforts.

More for the overall picture, I hope.

Des

Mr. W. H. Davison, Mayor of Kensington, who is the son of Mr. R. Davison, Beechfield, Ballymena, on a recent visit to the front at the invitation of the war office, came upon Captain Orr's grave in a peaceful little spot near the

firing line. It was covered wth fresh green sods and daffodils were growing at the root.

[Myrtle]

Mayor of Kensington, who is the son of Mr. R. Davison, Beechfield, Ballymena, on a recent visit to the front at the invitation of the war office, came upon Captain Orr's grave in a peaceful little spot near the

firing line. It was covered wth fresh green sods and daffodils were growing at the root.

The 22nd Royal Fusiliers (Kensington) Bn. was raised by the Mayor of Kensington in the early months of the war and contained several newspaper men.

[Charles Fair]

The Kensingtons had many men from department stores in their ranks; Harrods, Barkers,Derry & Toms and Selfridges.

Myrtle, thanks that is interesting and new to me, tho not surprising in view of the locality. I wonder of any of these other shops provided companies or platoons.

This is very different from the 19th Londons. I havent yet found any 19th men employed by department stores, though a few did work in local shops in Camden High Street.

I've PMd Tom so he may be able to add some more.

The 22nd R Fusiliers were the subject of Gary Sheffield's PhD thesis on officer/man relations and unit morale. He put out a book on this study a couple of years ago, though at £55 I am going to have to borrow a copy from a university library. Sheffield also edited the letters of Christopher Stone IIRC called 'From Vimy Ridge to the Rhine'. I think Stone was an officer in the 22nd and a BBC man.

Desmond7, thanks for the snippet about the Mayor - it would be interesting to know whether he was more involved with recruiting for the 22nd rather than the 13th.

In St Pancras, the mayor threw his weight behind the raising of the 16th (S) Rifle Brigade, whereas he hadnt gone out of his way to support the 19th recruiting effort. This caused considerable annoyance in the 19th who were trying to raise a 3rd battalion at the same time as the 16th RB was launched, causing considerable competition for recruits within the borough.

[Tom Thorpe]

Charles

I have recently written to Selfridges regarding recruitment and have found that there are records which are located in Beccles in Norfolk and managed by the History of Advertising Trust.

The Trust say they have:

1. Staff magazines which contain letters from the front and photographs (not a complete run)

2 Roll of Honour & lists of staff serving which identifies their regiments

3. Newspaper cuttings for the whole period.

4. Staff bulletins

I understand that there were other battalions recruited from major retail stores in Central London. I am currently looking at Peter Jones and Harrods to see what they have.

Captain Best is not an officer that I have come across. He does not appear to have served with the 1st Battalion and there is no reference to him in the Battalion history.

Mr. W. H. Davison, Mayor of Kensington, did have a major role in recruiting to the Kensingtons and the New Army battalion the 22nd RF.

Davison was made Baron Broughshane after the war and in his archives, the Broughshane Papers, held at Kensington Library, his main interest appears to be the 22ndRF rather than the Kensingtons.

Regards

Tom

[Desmond7]

What a great slice of info on Mr. Mayor! Broughshane is outside Ballymena, the burial place of Sir George White VC of Ladysmith fame and a many times winner of Entente Florale, Britain in Bloom, Prince Vahrles' favourite spot etc.

Will try and find out more about him.

And any London Regt local connections!

Cheers all - Des