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Posted by bodger » Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:40 pm | bodger Private Registered user Posts: 6 |
I am researching a chap called George Farnall who was born in Birmingham in 1873. I know little about his movements but he enlisted in the Rifle Corps in 1914 at the age of 41. On his attestation form he stated that he had service in the 2nd Btn. Border Regiment T/E. I don't know what the T/E means. I suspect he had some extensive prior service because he was a l/cpl within a month. I also suspect he had won some regimental boxing awards and possibly served in India.
So...question is, what were the locations of 2nd Borders around 1890 - 1905? If this chap was from Birmingham, and then moved to North London, why would he recruit into the 2nd Borders? I thought they recruited in Cumbria. |
Posted by plbramham » Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:01 pm | plbramham General Global moderator Posts: 1369 |
Hope this might help, Paul
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Posted by plbramham » Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:09 pm | plbramham General Global moderator Posts: 1369 |
End of list got cut off, here it is to complete the 2nd Btn deployment history
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Posted by bodger » Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:23 pm | bodger Private Registered user Posts: 6 |
Cheers Paul, that sort of confirms my suspicions that he might have been in India around 1890's. Multan eh, I was in Multan barracks in Tidworth many, many moons ago. |
Posted by bodger » Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:51 am | bodger Private Registered user Posts: 6 |
So can some old sweat please explain the principles of the two battalion scheme after 1881. Specific example: If a new recruit joined the 2nd Battalion in 1894, the Battalion would be in India. So they would not send a recruit to India for basic training, therefore I assume he would be sent to the home Battalion for basic training, which was the 1st Battalion who were in Aldershot. After basic training groups would be sent out to India to join their preferred unit. Is that how it worked? |
Posted by plbramham » Fri Mar 02, 2012 9:16 am | plbramham General Global moderator Posts: 1369 |
I'm not certain, but I would have thought that men recruited in Cumbria, Borders and the North West would have gone to the 3rd Btn HQ (Depot) at Carlisle Castle for training, before being alloted to the "active" 1st or 2nd Btn. The Aldershot example is a logical possibility though, as a man could have been recruited "locally", as the regiment did not only take men from Cumbria and the Borders. Likewise a recruit could have joined the regiment, or re-enlisted from another regiment, out in India. (Sometimes the son of a soldier already out there)
I think that a recruit would have enlisted into the regiment, not the battalion - that would have been decided for him, but if he joined up in India I'm sure they would have kept him in the 2nd! |