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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Household Battalions


Guest Simon Bull

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Guest Simon Bull

Sorry Chris, I should have thought to look at the "mother" site! I had tried searching Altavista and only found one reference which is of no assistance. However, can I follow this up a little please? I asked the question because Simon Fowler's relatively new book "Tracing Your First World War Ancestors" refers to National Archives class WO400 as including the records for men of the "Household Battalions [plural]". The entry on your website however talks about "Household Battalion [singular]". Was there in fact more than one such Battalion or is he wrong to speak of Household Battalions in the plural?

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As far as I know there was just the one. The Household Cavalry regiments fought dismounted, but were not called Household Battalions - or at least I do not believe they were.

By the way WO400 is an interesting archive. It contains original attestation forms. I had a riffle through recently, looking for a man in the 1st or 2nd Life Guards. I eventually found him in his original line cavalry guise, in the bog-standard WO363, even though he served the entire war attached to the Life Guards.

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Guest Simon Bull

Thanks Chris, I think you have answered my question. The reason for asking the question was that I am researching a man who was in what is described (either on SDITGW or by the CWGC I cannot off the top of my head remember which) as "Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line (including Yeomanry and Imperial Camel Corps) 12th Lancers. Prince of Wales Royal". It would appear, therefore, that I would not find details about him at WO400.

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There were actually 2 Household Battalions. One already mentioned above and the Reserve Household Battalions, which was stationed in Windsor (1916-1918). Maybe that’s why Simon Fowler refers to the records for men of the Household Battalions [plural].

walter

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