burlington Posted 1 January , 2004 Share Posted 1 January , 2004 Michael very kindly did an MIC lookup this week on one Jesse Hiscock, 85505, Royal Defence Corps. It transpires that in fact he had 3 regiments and 3 numbers: DCLI Pte 8297 Devon R 33283 RDC 85505 Hiscock was a regular who joined up in 1906, discharged in 1918, and in between time deserted and must have then rejoined. In my ignorance I thought he would have kept the same number throughout. Can someone please enlighten me. Also, when I go to the PRO, would he have 3 sets of records or 1? Assuming they survived of course. Thanks and Happy New Year to everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmsk212 Posted 1 January , 2004 Share Posted 1 January , 2004 Hi It was usual to have different numbers with each new Regiment unless you transferred to the new one enblock with a large group of others from your original one. If for instance you take his DCLI number the chances were that this already existed when he moved to the Devons so there is no way he could have kept it. And if you should get to Kew and find his records there will be only one set. This also applies if your man becomes an officer, all of his previous records for his service in the ranks are normally to be found in his officer file. Also, there may even be different numbers and regiments within his personal records that haven't appeared on his medal index card. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 1 January , 2004 Share Posted 1 January , 2004 (edited) 3 Regiments/Corps is not unusual and you would expect him to have a different service number for each. You also find different service numbers when serving with the same Regiment. I'm not an expert on service numbers but I do know that there is no pattern that can be followed across the British Army at this time. I'm sure you could find more info in various threads if you do some searching. He will not have a service record for each Regiment. Hope this helps Michael Looks like you beat me to it Steve. Same info though. Edited 1 January , 2004 by Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 1 January , 2004 Share Posted 1 January , 2004 Hiscock's Devon Regt number is very close to those issued to members of the 1st Infantry Labour Coy - but this will need verification from the medal roll so don't take it as gospel. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Lee Posted 2 January , 2004 Share Posted 2 January , 2004 Ian Number could also be for a man in 14th Battalion Devons. What I think is likely is that he was in a Devon regiment Labour unit. What intrigues me is that he then goes to the RDC and not the Labour Corps. Was this because he had deserted and then rejoined or could it be he was discharged and then rejoined? If the latter why the RDC rather than the Labour Corps? I thought the RDC comprised of men who were not medically fit enough to serve in the Army, even Home Service units. I will be interested to see what the RDC experts have to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 2 January , 2004 Share Posted 2 January , 2004 Hiscock's Devon Regt number is close to an 8th Devons man (L. J. May) that I have researched in the past with the number 33297 - also transferred from DCLI (in 1915). Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 2 January , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 January , 2004 Was this because he had deserted and then rejoined or could it be he was discharged and then rejoined? If the latter why the RDC rather than the Labour Corps? I thought the RDC comprised of men who were not medically fit enough to serve in the Army, even Home Service units. I will be interested to see what the RDC experts have to say. According to his son, he deserted pre-war (he was a regular), and then was able somehow to rejoin. I understand that he was wounded, which might account for his presence in the RDC I am waiting to be able to go to the PRO to do more work on him but i don't know when this will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 2 January , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 January , 2004 Hiscock's Devon Regt number is close to an 8th Devons man (L. J. May) that I have researched in the past with the number 33297 - also transferred from DCLI (in 1915). Was there anything special about May? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 3 January , 2004 Share Posted 3 January , 2004 Was there anything special about May? Nope! However, the closeness of the service numbers MAY (excuse the pun) indicate that they were part of a group transferred from DCLI to the Devons in 1915? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sweeney Posted 3 January , 2004 Share Posted 3 January , 2004 He enlisted in the DCLI in 1906 and was assigned the number 8297. Note in the following website that 8297 was assigned before April of 1907. http://www.hargreave-mawson.demon.co.uk/DCLINos.html He deserted pre-war and probably rejoined after AO 297/1914 (August 1914) pardoned deserters who rejoined . He probably was posted to another regiment, that is the Devons with a new number of 33283. I've records of a Pre War deserter of the E Yorks who rejoined after AO 297/1914 and was posted to the DLI. I don't have the verbage of AO 297/1914, but I believe that a regimental transfer was either an option or actually mandated. He was then wounded and posted to the RDC. He should have a fascinating record. Joe Sweeney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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