cheshire regiment

[stephen binks]

I am tring to identify a private from the cheshire regiment who initially had the service number 12872. Using "soldiers died" I can only pin him down to the 9th or 10th.

I have already asked the regimental museum and they dont seem to be able to help.

In addition how were privates given their service numbers and are there any tips on how to identify these?

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Stephen,

You really need to consult the medal roll in order to determine what battalion he served with as this will be recorded there. 'Number crunching' is useful when trying to research units where individual Bn or Coys are not recorded on the medal rolls and their service records have not survived, such as the Machine Gun Corps, Labour Corps and ASC. However you still need to be cautious in this approach as it is only approximate and can give you the wrong answer.

Ian

[stephen binks]

Thanks for the info, but his number on the medal roll is for his Labour corps number. It makes reference to his previous unit the army cyclist corps and no mention of the Cheshire battalion that he served with.

This is known because his daughter told me he served with the cheshires and also his cheshire number is on the CWG site!

[Muerrisch]

In addition how were privates given their service numbers and are there any tips on how to identify these?

All soldiers [excluding officers] on enlistment were given a number, properly called 'regimental'. Number changed if you moved regiments, but not battalions. In RWF [the only ones I think I understand!] there were:

A series shared by both regular battalions and all service battalions, began number 1 c. 1882, and had reached about 13000 by August 1914 and eventually expanded to something like 70000.

Third [special Reserve] Bn. had its own series, beginning 1 in 1908, had reached about 4000 when war began.

The TF Bns [numbers 4 to 7] each had their own series, number 1 in 1908, about 4000 in 1914, but TF were renumbered 1917 to series 200000 plus. [This is crude summary].

In theory and possibly in fact you could have six RWF men with same number.

And how do you know your man was 9th or 10th please?

[stephen binks]

Thank you for your response. I have tried to narrow his battalion down by looking on the soldiers died cd. Looking for similar numbers. The majority of which were 9th & 10th. However, I have since got hold of a copy of the Cheshires official history and he is not listed on their roll of honour as a Cheshire man. Secondly, the regimental numbers dont seem to follow any pattern.

[Muerrisch]

It is a bit of an assumption to either expect all 9 and 10Bn men's numbers to lie within a range, and also that a man stayed with his original battalion. And Rolls of Honour usually only record those serving in a battalion of a regiment at time of death.

[stephen binks]

I take your point regarding the service numbers for the 9th and 10th. I have decided to try my luck with old newspapers.

To my original issue. Why if he has a service number for the Chehires (12782) does it not appear on the medal roll along with his othe unit numbers?

He must have been with the chehires as his number is on the c.w.g

[John_Hartley]

Stephen

I have an interest in the Cheshires and would suggest that your man's number could put him almost anywhere amongst the service battalions and he would be an early (ish) recruit. You say you've checked Crookenden and can't find him? Any chance you could post his name and date of death - might tie in with a similar probelms I've had trying to pin a couple down. Any idea where he was from?

John