London Regt and Royal Fusiliers

[Guest stevenbec]

Mates,

I have an AIF soldier Arthur John Lovett 440 3rd ALHR who gained a comision into the 3/2nd Bn London Regt in Dec 1915 and is next shown in the 9th Bn London Regt as Lt in 1916.

His name is on the MIC cards but other then his AIF unit the only British unit is shown as the Royal Fusiliers. Either of the London Bn's are mentioned.

There is a letter in his personal file showing his return to Australia before 1918.

Can anyone fill in any details on this officer?

As to why the differences in units and not mentioning the London Regt in MIC cards.

Cheers

S.B

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Steven

3rd (City of London) Batt. London Regt. were Royal Fusiliers

See:

http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/volmil-london/vinf/L03.htm

[Guest stevenbec]

Thanks Mate,

But I am still confuzed over your numbering system.

An ealier posting mentioned that the first four Bn's of this Regt (London) where RF's.

But were all the Bn's RF's?

Now I take it that the 3/2nd Bn is the second Bn of the 3rd Regt so should it be RF and as the the 9 Bn is it also RF.

Thanks mate.

S.B

[bmac]

There is great confusion about the London Regiment and the Royal Fusiliers.

For example:

1st Battalion The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)

and

1st (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers)

are two entirely separate units.

The former was a Regular Army unit and the second a Territorial Force unit. There were 4 Regular Army battalions of the Royal Fusiliers (1-4) and 4 (+ 2 Home Service Battalions) Territorial Force battalions, i.e. 1-4 (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers). Properly these battalions should have "The County of London Regiment" added to the end of their title, thus 1st (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers), The County of London Regiment.

Their connection with the Royal Fusiliers is that, in the early 1900s (prior to the creation of the Territorial Force), they were reassigned to the regiment as Volunteer Battalions. They later became part of the London Regiment on its creation but retained their RF connection.

The London Regiment was made up of Territorial Force battalions and included the 4 City of London Battalions (Royal Fusiliers). From 5 upwards they were designated County of London Battalions, e.g. 5th County of London Battalion (London Rifle Brigade), County of London Regiment (Territorial Force).

So, 3/2nd Londons are the third line battalion of the 2nd (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers), The County of London Regiment. They would have been a training battalion based in the UK in 1915. The 9th Londons are correctly called 9th County of London Battalion (Queen Victoria's Rifles), County of London Regiment (Territorial Force). I would guess that your man may have been commissioned into this battalion as a result of the very heavy casualties they suffered in 1st July 1916 when they attacked Gommecourt as part of the first day of the Somme. My grandfather was commissioned into the 1/4th Londons from the 1/20th Londons for this reason. There is no mention of a Lovett in the 9th London's regimental history.

So, there you go - clear as mud! And no doubt someone will now come along and show me the error of my ways.

[Guest stevenbec]

Thanks Mate,

Yes that does clear it up.

Sorry to hear he was not in the records for one of these Bn's as I wanted to know why he was returned to Australia, either wounds or other and when.

But I'll just have to look else where.

Thanks again for clearing up the RF and london problem for me.

S.B