RAMC Soldier Numbers with 'T' Prefix???

[Buffnut453]

I have another thread running in an attempt to discover whether my cousin's maternal grandfather served in the Great War:

 

One of the potential candidates served first in the RFA and then later in the RAMC but his latter number is T2285....and it's confusing me.  I've never seen a RAMC soldier number with a 'T' prefix and none of the usual explanations (e.g. it stands for Territorial) apply.  I have another relative who was a Territorial RAMC man and his number was just four digits with no letters.

What's even more confusing is that he had a 6-digit number (725997) during his prior service in the RFA.  That style of number, I think, dates from 1917 when numbers across the Army became more standardized....so why on earth would he have T2285 as a number for later service with the RAMC?  Again, going back to my other RAMC relative, he had a 4-digit number when he enlisted in 1915 and then received a new 6-digit number in the 341- series in 1917.

I've tried looking for close numbers, and a few pop up but not very many.  To-date, I've not found a single one with a surviving service record that might offer some additional clues.  

So...any GWF experts out there have any clue about the T prefix for RAMC soldier numbers?  

Edited 15 July , 2022 by Buffnut453

[PRC]

Looks like he has two MiCs, both cross referenced.

One has 2285 A. Taylor serving with R.A.M.C. (T) then Royal Artillery (T). His 1914/15 Star is issued post-war by the Royal Field Artillery and appears on the Royal Field Artillery Territorial Force Roll.

The other, as Albert Taylor, is incorrectly shown as T2285. His Victory Medal and British War Medal are issued post-war by the Royal Field Artillery and appears on the Royal Field Artillery Territorial Force Roll.

Both images courtesy Ancestry

To me it looks like a clerical error by a member of staff who was either slapdash or distracted. Obviously didn't bother Albert as there is no sign he retuned any of the medals for correction.

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 15 July , 2022 by PRC
Add 2nd MiC

[clk]

Hi,

The 'T' prefix is often dropped in some records, but it does indicate that he was a TF man who first served overseas under his pre 1917 renumber number of 2285 with the (TF) RAMC, and subsequently under a post 1917 renumber of 725997 with the (TF) RFA.. The problem with his 4 digit (TF) RAMC number is that it doesn't tell you much at all when trying do some 'near number' sampling, as there would have been several men in the (TF) RAMC with an identical/near number. He may have been renumbered to a six digit (TF) RAMC number, which if known would probably help you to establish the unit that he was serving with at that time, before being transferred to the RFA. The frustrating difficulty here is that for whatever reason when drawn up the RAMC (TF) MICs/medal rolls exclude that number. What you might be able to do is establish an approximate date for his 6 dight RFA by doing some near number sampling, which might tell you if he had already joined the RFA and left the RAMC before the renumbering, or not.  According to the LLT, his 725997 falls within the number block allocated:

 

If you did manage to crack his 4 digit RAMC TF number, I would be very grateful if you could let me know the methodology that you followed. My great uncle served as (T)1754, (from the shoulder title in the photo below) with 'London' unit/units. but I haven't been able to establish exactly which.

Regards
Chris

Edited 16 July , 2022 by clk

[Buffnut453]

Gents,

Many, MANY thanks for your inputs and comments.  They've really helped me re-align my thinking.

So...if he served in the RAMC before joining the RFA, then a Territorial number of 2285 makes perfect sense.  I'm thinking he probably served in one of the West Lancs Field Ambulances (WLFAs).

My relative, Jim Gerrard, was No. 2073 in the 1/3rd WLFA.  There's an excellent book by Dave Risley about that unit, including a listing of soldier numbers in 1914/1915 as well as the new numbers assigned in 1917 (starting 341- in the case of the 1/3rd WLFA).  It seems pretty clear that the numbering system simply started at 1 and worked upwards sequentially.  The lowest number listed in 1914 was 59 and the highest in 1915 was 2237.

Training for all the WLFA units was at Southport and/or Blackpool.  Jim Gerrard went to the latter in early 1915.  If the other WLFAs followed a similar pattern, and had similar complements, then it seems likely that Albert Taylor probably joined later in 1915 but transferred to the RFA before 1917.

It's not much to go on...and it's all circumstantial, but Albert Taylor 2285 is currently the best fit (out of the available options) to be my cousin's maternal grandfather.  Of course, that presupposes that Taylor 2285 lived in Liverpool or Southport.  He could have lived in London which would totally screw up my logic....but, as @clk mentions, there's no way to differentiate one territorial RAMC unit from another.  

Again, really appreciate the help with my thought processes on this.

Mark