| This article will look at the expansion of British | | | | retained for men who wished to join up under the |
| infantry regiments in 1914 and the effect that this | | | | usual regular or special reserve terms. |
| had on the numbering series already in use at the | | | | By August 1914 the normal terms of enlistment for a |
| time. | | | | man joining the 1st and 2nd Battalions was seven |
| Typically in 1914, a British infantry regiment might | | | | years with the Colours and five on the Reserve. Now |
| consist of two 'regular' battalions of career soldiers, a | | | | though, with men thronging recruiting stations to sign |
| 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and perhaps one or | | | | up for a war which many believed would be over by |
| more Territorial Force battalions. In general terms, | | | | Christmas, less stringent war-time only terms were |
| men joining Special Reserve signed up for six years' | | | | clearly needed. Hubert Henry Allsopp joined up at |
| service and immediately underwent six months' | | | | Bexhill on the 17th August for three years or the |
| training with the obligation to complete a further | | | | duration of the war (with the understanding, written |
| three to four weeks' training every year thereafter. | | | | into the small print, that if the war was to last less |
| Similarly, men joining the Territorial Force, signed on | | | | than three years, he "may be discharged at once.") |
| for up to four years' home or Territorial service only. | | | | Hubert was given the number G/147. The G stood |
| They would generally meet up every Saturday night | | | | for General Service and scribbled on his attestation |
| (hence the term, 'Saturday Night soldiers') and would | | | | papers, confirming this, are the initials GSSX or |
| attend a two week training camp every July or | | | | General Service Sussex. He would later be posted to |
| August. Men joining the Territorial Force were not | | | | the 8th and then the 7th Battalions, retaining his G/ |
| obliged to serve overseas but could volunteer to do | | | | prefix number. The G/ series was begun in August |
| so by taking an Imperial Service obligation. | | | | 1914 and would run throughout the war. |
| In July 1914, the Royal Sussex Regiment comprised | | | | At the same time that Hubert and thousands like him |
| the following battalions: | | | | were joining the newly forming service battalions - |
| 1st and 2nd (Regular) Battalions | | | | that is, war-time service only battalions - other new |
| 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion | | | | recruits were joining the 3rd Special Reserve |
| 4th, 5th & 6th (Territorial Force Battalions) | | | | Battalion. A new series was also started for these |
| The 1st and 2nd Battalions shared one number series | | | | men which began GSSR/ or General Service Special |
| which had begun when the regiment was formed in | | | | Reserve. This series, along with the Special Reserve |
| July 1881 and started from 1. The L/ prefix was also | | | | series would fizzle out by the end of the year. The |
| generally used for men joining these two regular | | | | last number on my database for a GSSR prefixed |
| battalions. | | | | number is 931 which was issued on 5th November |
| The 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion had a separate | | | | 1914. |
| number series which was a continuation of the | | | | Yet another number series was started for men |
| number series that had been used by its | | | | joining the South Down battalions. These were |
| predecessor, the 3rd (Militia) Battalion. The Special | | | | service battalions like the 7th, 8th and 9th Battalions |
| Reserve and the Extra Reserve battalions replaced | | | | but were raised by Colonel Claude Lowther MP, |
| the militia in 1908 and whilst some of the newly | | | | owner of Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex. |
| formed special and extra reserve battalions started | | | | Recruitment started on 9th September and by the |
| numbering from 1, many simply continued with the | | | | end of the year enough men had volunteered to fill |
| old militia series. The 3rd Royal Sussex regiment fell | | | | three battalions. A fourth, reserve battalion, would |
| into this category and moreover, old militia men who | | | | also be formed later. All men joining the South Down |
| now enlisted with the 3rd Battalion, were allowed to | | | | battalions were given a number prefixed with SD/ |
| retain their old militia numbers. Thus, for example | | | | (for South Down). Numbering started from 1 in |
| 9759 Pte George Walter Mynett who joined the 3rd | | | | September 1914. |
| Royal Sussex Regt on 14th June 1908 was an old | | | | Finally, add into the mix, those older men joining the |
| militiaman who had originally joined the 3rd (Militia) | | | | supernumerary companies attached to the 4th and |
| Battalion - and been given the number 9759 - in | | | | 5th Territorial battalions (at least one more number |
| September 1906. | | | | series per battalion) and you now have ten separate |
| The 4th, 5th and 6th (Territorial Force) Battalions | | | | army number series in use, as follows: |
| each had a separate number series which began at 1. | | | | 1st series: 1st & 2nd (Regular) Battalions - |
| The 4th and 5th Battalions were formed in April 1908 | | | | prefixed with L/ |
| and the 6th Battalion in 1911. | | | | 2nd series: 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion - prefixed, |
| When Britain went to war with Germany in August | | | | if at all, with 3/ or SR/ |
| 1914, and particularly following Kitchener's appeal at | | | | 3rd series: 4th (Territorial Force) Battalion |
| the end of August 1914 for 100,000 volunteers, | | | | 4th series: 5th (Territorial Force) Battalion |
| recruiting offices throughout the country were | | | | 5th series: 6th (Territorial Force) Battalion |
| inundated. Not only did the army authorities have to | | | | 6th series: war-time only enlistments into service |
| decide where to place the men, they also had to | | | | battalions - prefixed with G/ or GS/ |
| decide how to number them. Let me stick with the | | | | 7th series: war-time only enlistments into the 3rd |
| Royal Sussex Regiment for the time being because, | | | | Battalion - prefixed with GSSR/ |
| apart from anything else, whoever was in charge of | | | | 8th series: 11th, 12th and 13th (South Down) |
| numbering at the Royal Sussex Regiment appears to | | | | Battalions - prefixed with SD/ |
| have been quite foresighted and certainly well | | | | 9th series: supernumerary company men attached to |
| organised. | | | | the 4th (TF) Battalion |
| What the Royal Sussex Regiment did, and what | | | | 10th series: supernumerary company men attached |
| some other regiments also did (The Buffs, The | | | | to the 5th (TF) Battalion |
| Queens and the Royal West Kents also followed | | | | Similar expansion would take place in virtually every |
| similar patterns) was to start completely new number | | | | other British Army Regiment, and you can read more |
| series for men who joined up for war-time service | | | | about these peculiarities and idiosyncrasies on my |
| only. At the same time, the old number series were | | | | army service numbers blog. |