Surrey Recruitment Registers 1908-1933 (army) CD

[KiteRunner]

Just come across this:Surrey recruitment registers CD

My great-uncle joined the East Surrey Regiment in 1908, so he should be on there. I'm ordering it tomorrow. I can't wait till it comes! Though I'm not quite sure how much info will be on it, but I'll have to wait and see, won't I?

[Night Owl]

I'd be interested to know what you think - my g.uncle was in the 1st Battalion The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. I've just read all the blurb on that link and am none the wiser about what's on there (but it is late )

Jackie

[tinkerbe]

at lot of my family both mum and dad come from surrey so be interested to see what it is like an what info on there

karen

[Christine in Herts]

Looking on the "find out more" bit:

The Records
Recruitment registers for the period of the First World War appear to be of extreme rarity as such records were supposed to be destroyed after the war. This catalogue represents a first attempt at interpretation of the registers but many uncertainties remain.

Of these 44 registers 2496/1-43 relate to the 31st Regimental District, and the Borough of Croydon, and 2496/44 relates to the 2nd Regimental District.

All comprise Army Book 303, the pages of which are headed '[31st] Regimental, Recruiting or Militia and Volunteer Artillery District' and later just '[31st] Recruiting Area'. The volumes contain the following information presented in columnar form:

regiment to which recruit is posted,
name,
age,
height,
chest measurement,
weight,
complexion,
colour of eyes and hair,
'distinctive marks',
occupation,
'corps of militia, yeomanry or volunteers [later 'unit of special reserve or territorial force'] to which belonging (if any)',
place of birth,
date and place of attestation,
'by whom attested',
name of recruiter,
'recruiting agent (if any)',
'examining medical officer',
'finally approved or rejected' [entry marked A or R],
'remarks' with 'date of special authority (if any) to be quoted'.

The columns have not all been completed in many instances or have been used for information other than that given in the column header (for example, the accepted/rejected column is sometimes used to enter the depot to which the recruit is sent for training eg. 'ASC to Grove Park, ROC to Woolwich' etc).
From August 1915, each recruit is given a number.

[KiteRunner]

I've sent off for it, so I'll report back on how much information I get on my relly. I think one or two others of mine were in the East Surrey Regt as well, so I might find a few in there.

[KiteRunner]

Well, very speedy delivery indeed, but I'm so disappointed that my relly isn't listed on there.

[Phoenix]

So far as I remember, it's mainly people signing up in places like Kingston.

It's a shame your man isn't there, KR.

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

Would Battersea be considered Surrey then? My grandad was probably recruited there.

[KiteRunner]

Don't know, Lynn, sorry. When I read the info about it I thought it was saying it was the people who were recruited to the East Surrey and West Surrey Regiments, and I thought I had established that my great-uncle joined the East Surrey Regiment in 1908 so I thought he would be listed in there. I must not have read it properly, but I wonder why it has all that info about those two regiments at the beginning if it is just everybody who enlisted in Surrey and went into all different regiments etc?

[Phoenix]

It's the registers from the places where the men actually signed up. Presumably they would be allocated to the regiment where they signed up to start with, but as the war progressed they would be put where the need was.

What I find most confusing is that the west Surrey regiment is based in the east of the county, and vice versa.

What this cd does have that cannot easily be obtained elsewhere, is a few men who signed up after WW1.

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

Would you be able to look up my grandad for me Kate? His name was Francis Douglas Stowell, not a common name. Thanks

[Uncle John]

It's the registers from the places where the men actually signed up. Presumably they would be allocated to the regiment where they signed up to start with, but as the war progressed they would be put where the need was.

I haven't worked out why my great-uncle, born and living in Greenwich, would join the Bedfordshire Regiment. I have found no family connection with Bedfordshire prior to me.

[Christine in Herts]

My Grandfather, from Southampton, went up to London with his elder brother and joined up with the South Yorkshires! (The elder brother ended up with the Kings Royal Rifle Corps - tho' he started off with the ?artists - something like that)

Christine