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 Posted by plbramham » Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:46 pm
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 General Global moderator Posts: 1369 |
Looking at the officers' entries on one of Chris' new lists for WW1 battalion casualties made me wonder:-
I know that they did not have numbers during WW1, but that they certainly did by the beginning of WW2:
I guess their use for officers must have started during the inter war years? Does anyone know when, and if anything in particular prompted their intoduction? Perhaps previously the attitude of Victorians/Edwardians considered that "gentlemen" should be treated in a more civil manner by name and not dehumanised by being given a mere number (no matter how much more efficient it was for admin purposes, preventing possible ambiguity between men of similar names). Was there maybe some element in thinking that convicts were also given numbers? Paul. |
| Posted by kerchi » Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:22 pm
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 Field-Marshal Administrator Posts: 2160 In memory of John Bardgett (15309 L/Cpl.) 11th Border Regiment Who died 1st July 1916. |
| An interesting topic and one which I haven't given any thought; I guess it just didn't occur to me why they didn't have numbers. But I do like your comment Paul that the attitudes then were different.
So, not having any knowledge of this subject, a quick search reveals that officers did not have service numbers until August 1920, introduced as part of Army Order 338. They were issued during the inter-war period so you would be right there but I didn't think they were issued that soon after WW1. The best person to ask will be member Paul Nixon, the author of Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 because he has done extensive research into this subject and whilst the date only goes up to 1918, I am sure he has looked into officers service numbers. Paul hasn't been active on the forum for some time though. |
| Posted by kerchi » Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:27 pm
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Field-Marshal Administrator Posts: 2160 In memory of John Bardgett (15309 L/Cpl.) 11th Border Regiment Who died 1st July 1916. |
| Just an aside, the number block assigned to the Border Regiment between 1920 and 1942 was 3,589,001 - 3,644,000. |
| Posted by plbramham » Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:51 pm
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General Global moderator Posts: 1369 |
 kerchi wrote:The best person to ask will be member Paul Nixon, the author of Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 Paul. |
| Posted by kerchi » Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:54 pm
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Field-Marshal Administrator Posts: 2160 In memory of John Bardgett (15309 L/Cpl.) 11th Border Regiment Who died 1st July 1916. |
| Looking forward to it! |