Army recruitment c.1910?

[HeatherD]

This is probably a daft question but how or why would someone from Warwickshire join the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry around 1910? Was it unusual to be in the regiment of a different County?

[annswabey]

Not at all unusual! Men often joined regiments with no apparent connection to where they were living.

[HeatherD]

How strange! At least I've found him thanks to the 1911 census and have found his medal card too.

[AlanC]

I also suspect that if they didnt have a preference, they would be placed where needed most to make up strength of particular units.

[Little Nell]

Still don't know why my London-based great uncle chose to join a Manchester regiment.

[Margaret in Burton]

Or my husbands grandmothers brother who was born and bred in Burton on Trent joined The Gordon Highlanders.

[Uncle John]

My great-uncle born in London joined the Bedfordshire Regiment.

[HeatherD]

Could they be transferred to other regiments? Our chap was in the Ox and Bucks and then the Essex regiment.

[annswabey]

Oh yes - no obvious pattern to that either. Perhaps the Essex Regiment was just in need of extra men.

[HeatherD]

Oh yes - no obvious pattern to that either. Perhaps the Essex Regiment was just in need of extra men.

Thankyou annswabey and thanks everyone for the input.

[Harrys mum]

My ggg grandfather born Warwickshire joined Plymouth Royal Marines in 1810.

Took ages to find his birth....lol

[HeatherD]

My ggg grandfather born Warwickshire joined Plymouth Royal Marines in 1810.

Took ages to find his birth....lol

I'm not surprised Libby, lol.

[Janet]

I have still to find out why my Ggrt G Father joined the 33rd Regt, a Yorkshire Regiment, when he lived all his life in Northants! He was also transferred at different times to Beds and Northants Regts at the time of the Crimea. This transfer happened to him because the 33rd Regiment was decimated at the Crimea, and at that point was seconded into the other regiments, but he went back to the 33rd when the time was right and all was well again so there is often a reason why there might have been a transfer. It does help to have read any musters, war or other diaries of the regiment to see what the cause might have been. Incidentally G GFather finished his army career in the North Lincs Militia!

I have two great Uncles born London, sons of the above, who went to an army school and ended up in the Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry for a while, but then one went to the Loyal North Lancs and the other one followed him about 5 years later so there was some movement into other regts on familial grounds. On the other hand a Great Great Uncle in the same family ended up in the Scots Guards so....!

I have read that if a particular regiment was recruiting in an area that people joined that way and that is probably what happened with my Grt G Father and his joining the 33rd. They were probably recruiting locally in a town near to where he lived in his small hamlet. This must have been a draw for a young man working on the land, age 18/19 to travel the world!

Janet

[Uncle John]

Batallions tended to get amalgamated and moved between regiments. I noticed this with my great-uncle, who was an officer at the Somme in 1916 until he was killed. With men falling like flies, there was constant re-grouping.

[bev&kev]

Or my husbands grandmothers brother who was born and bred in Burton on Trent joined The Gordon Highlanders.

My Irish father joined the Gordon Highlanders!

I think he got confused .....!

[Uncle John]

Or perhaps he just liked ventilation.