1914 Recruit posted to France with Regulars?

[Guest Dunch]

Edgar John Dunch, who was a 'Cartman' before the war, working with horses and carts in a colliery, enlisted in the Northumberland Fusiliers on 31st August 1914. He was posted to France on 16th January 1915.

This seems to be far too early for him to have been in a Service Battalion, none of which went overseas until much later in 1915.

The only battalion of the regiment which went to France in January 1915 (from what we have worked out in 'The Long, Long Trail') was the 2nd, who returned from India on 22nd December 1914 and went to France in January as part of the 28th Division.

So, the first question is - Would he, as a new recruit with horse transport experience, have been posted so quickly with a regular battalion, perhaps in its transport train? Or is there some other likely explanation for his rapid posting?

Second - He was discharged in 1917 due to 'Fracture' - family lore says he had his neck broken by a kick from a mule. Is it possible to find out which hospital(s) he was treated in and what records there are for it/them?

Finally - Would he have received a War Pension and what are the chances of finding those records?

Thanks for any help or suggestions

[ChrisC]

Not unusual. Many recruits were told that they would get to "France" earlier if they signed on as Regular soldiers. There is a case quoted in Martin Middlebrook's "1st Day on the Somme".

Chris

[Terry]

Men with particular skills were sometimes fast tracked to France, even without much military training. My example from my own collection is the 1914 star and bar trio to MS-154 Private John A Fox,ASC. His papers indicate he enlisted on 9 Aug.,1914 and landed in France on the 12th! When I first acquired the medals I assumed that he was an old soldier who had been called up, but I have found no proof of such.

As a motor lorry driver, he would have had something most people didn't in 1914. He was posted to HQ, 1st Cavalry Division ASC, an organization only 26 strong.

Fox returned to the UK in March,1915 and was discharged "being no longer physically fit for war service" on 21 May,1916.

[Will O'Brien]

It also depended on a particular battalion's need for replacements. My own Great Uncle volunteered upon the outbreak of the war found himself drafted to the 1st battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, landing in France on 6th December 1914, less than 4 months after joining up.

[Guest Dunch]

Thanks to all. Will O'Brien's post means that another alternative is that Edgar may have joined the 1st Battalion, which had been in France since August as part of the 3rd Division.