other Regiments

[janet62]

My grandad joined army before WW1 and with help  have been told he joined about 1904 going by his number  529 Northumberland Fusiliers
  My query could he have joined another regiment before this my grandad use to say he joined up when he was 14 and my mum remembers a photo where he is dressed in white and he use to say as he was so young they made him cooks boy   The problem being he was born 1886 which makes him 18 in 1904 not that young  Thank you for reading and hope you can understand regards Hazel

[km1971]

Hi Hazel

I am surprised you were given a date of 1904 for that number, I am not an expert in this regiment, but all Regulars were re-numbered in 1881 and by 1904 most would be in the 7 or 8000 range. Have you found him in the WW1 records or medal cards? If you don't have Ancestry you should post his name.

It then depends upon if you can get to Kew. If so, you can check in the original documents for men discharged 1900 to 1913. You will need a reader's ticket. You can also check in the Militia Attestation Papers for his county (in WO96). If you cannot get to Kew you will have to wait for Findmypast to put both series online - due 2011.

The part-time Territorial Force was created in 1908. They would have used three-digit numbers in say 1908-1909. Have you found him in 1901 and 1911?

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/army/step4.htm


PS...If you search the NA medal index card site - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/browse-refine.asp?CatID=10&searchType=browserefine&pagenumber=1&query=*&queryType=1 - using 529 and Northumberland Fusiliers you get a few names. It seems they added the battalion number before the number. Is he one of these?


Ken

[janet62]

Hi Ken        thankyou for your answer was on ancestry for a year present from kids  Have his medal card but could find no service records  No sign of him in 1901 but he is found in 1911 in the Northumberland Fusiliers  The person who gave me 1904 was reserching thier relative his number was a couple before grandads and he joined march 1904
He was on reserves in 1913  but was  in France by aug 1914 his first medal has aug-november on it
I know he was in India before WW1 as he use to mention his barracks was in the Kyber Pass and he was there 1911 for Delhi Derbur sorry if spelling wrong regards Hazel

[forester]

I had a run through the Northumberland Fusilier service records and it looks like they may have started again instead of using five digit numbers:

8000    June 1901
9284    July 1903

390      Feb 1904
440       Feb 1904
548        March 1904
1182     April 1905
1533     August 1905


By the way, 390 and 1533 both served in India 1906 to 1913.

Phil

[janet62]

Thankyou Phil so looks like he was 18 not younger  I remember one story where he and another young soldier ran away and jumped on a boat going from Callcutta to Delhi (or other way round) but they were found and handed over    regards Hazel

[janet62]

Hi Phil  just noticed your dates in India he was there before WW1    During WW1 he went right the way through France etc in different batalions of NF  missing once sent home about 1916 went back and at some point was transfered to Gloucesters   he was even in Italy but not sure if in NF or Gloucesters regards Hazel