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why this regiment?

J

jane k

master brummie
My grandfather & several friends were in the 15th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment (known as 2nd City of Birmingham Battalion) but my grandmother`s first husband was in 211th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. They all lived close to each other in Birmingham and were recruited there.

I`m just wondering how it was decided which regiment a soldier ended up in.

Any thoughts?

Jane
 
First World War saw a Brother of my Late Mother in Law with the Seaforth Highlanders. The family lived in Bordelesy Green Road.
 
When my brother in law was called up in 1947, someone must have had a sense of humour, Hoss stood 6ft 4 in his stocking
feet and they put in the Oxs and Bucks Light Infantry where all the other "rookies" were about 5foot tall, he was the
right hand man every time, lovely fella though, more like a brother to me and it was sad when he went into Heartlands
in 2003 and never came out, Bernard
 
my old next door neighbour Len (passed on now) was called to the colours in 39, and joined the suffolks, my old dad had been a suffolk he said and right proud I was to follow in his footsteps. When they had their final passing off parade at Bury St Edmunds, the Sgt/mjr came along and pushing his pace stick in between the front rank half way down the row, said you on the right are now in the "Royal Scots" double over to the orderly room get your warrents and you will be re-badged in Edinbourgh. he said you never saw so many tears in blokes just finishing there basic training. made me smile.
paul stacey.
 
My Grandfather has WW1 army numbers in both the Warks and Gloucestershire regiments. So I been told its not unusual as towards the end men returning from either leave or from hospital were put wherever men were needed.

Is it possible that something similar is the case with yours ?
 
I think in the Great War, my Dad always called it that, men were moved around the county regiments, in some cases
because of the number lost in battle, and the Light Infantry were alway able to move men from the Ox+Bucks,KOYLI
Durhams, KOSLI etc, they were used to the marching pace.I found that men were very proud of theirs regiments past
history most of which was done way with by Tom King and his"Options for Change".We were lucky to retain our identity and are the longest servicing regiment in the British Army having being formed in 1650 as part of Cromwells
New Model Army(Coldstream Guards). Bernard
 
The Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards are the only original regiment left, from those formed for Cromwells (new model army) Bernard, and the first to wear the red leather jerkins, selected by Sir Thomas Fairfax.
paul
 
I believe after that after the initial surge of volunteers and enlistment became the norm men joined the Army in General Service for training. This was a way of giving a standard of training before soldiers were sent to regiments as replacements. So men from the Midlands could end up in Scottish Regiments and Scotsmen end up in Home County Regiments. I suppose the Old Boys Network for Officers still worked.
Maybe it had mixed blessings. The Pals battalions raised early in the war suffered terrible casualties which meant small communities suffered percentage losses disproportionate to their size. The General Service method spread the men around without local loyalties. Just how homesick some felt being dropped into a totally alien enviroment with people you could barely understand is hard to percieve.
Many of the soldiers became very attatched to the regiments they were sent to which explains why some Birmingham born and bred became fond of whisky , wearing pleated skirts and shouting Hoots Mon on New Years eve.
 
Hello Jane

The original volunteers for Birmingham's three Pals battalions, in September 1914, were made up from the non-manual workers of the City and suburbs.

Would it be possible for me to have the names of these relatives?

regards

Terry
 
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