Military record.

[Carol Mack]

Could anyone tell me what the following means on a military record from 1935 please:

5/3/35 Para 207 TAR. The soldier enlisted in the Royal Artillery on 6/3/1935.

Many thanks,

Carol

[MaxD]

TAR is Territorial Army Regulations but I haven't (yet) been able to identify what paragraph 207 related to!  Are there notes on the record that are related in any way to the entry?

MaxD

[Carol Mack]

Hi MaxD

Many thanks for your reply. I cant see anything that is related to that entry, except it is dated the day before the soldier enlisted in the Royal Artillery, when he would have been age 16. We suspect he lied about his age! I have looked at other soldier's records on the adjacent pages and a few have the code 207 although most have the code 204 which seems to relate to discharges.

If you do come across this code perhaps you could let me know? I have 'Googled' it to no avail!

Many thanks again,

Carol

[MaxD]

Could you guide me to this and the other records you are looking at, the context may give some clues.  In 1935, the 1929 version of TARs was in force, haven't yet tracked a copy down (apart from at cost at Kew).

MaxD

[MaxD]

The 1939 reprint of the 1935 Manual of Military Law refers to paragraph 207 of TA Regs:

A man of the Territorial Army may enter the Royal Navy or enlist into the Regular Army, the Militia ( Supplementary Reserve, Categories A and B only), the Royal Marines or the Royal Air Force, and, on final approval, is deemed to be discharged from the Territorial Army, but must return in good order the articles of clothing, &c., issued to him belonging to the Territorial Army. He is not, however, allowed to join the Royal Naval Reserve or the Army Reserve ( other than the Supplementary Reserve, Categories A or B.)"

Paragraph 204 was among a number of paragraphs relating to varying reasons for discharge.  As you say your man was joining the regular army it would seem to suggest he was doing it from the Territorials.

I acknowledge the assistance of an expert from another place.

MaxD

[Carol Mack]

Dear MaxD'

Thank you so much for all your effort on my behalf and for locating the TA Reg 207. It looks like our soldier was, as I suspected, in the TA prior to joining the Royal Artillery. It enables us to put another piece of the jigsaw into place, building up a picture of his life.

Many thanks, also, to your 'expert from another place'.

Regards,
Carol