This article will look at the expansion of British infantry regiments in 1914 and the effect that this had on the numbering series already in use at the time.
Typically in 1914, a British infantry regiment might consist of two 'regular' battalions of career soldiers, a 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion, and perhaps one or more Territorial Force battalions.
In general terms, men joining Special Reserve signed up for six years' service and immediately underwent six months' training with the obligation to complete a further three to four weeks' training every year thereafter.
Similarly, men joining the Territorial Force, signed on for up to four years' home or Territorial service only.
They would generally meet up every Saturday night (hence the term, 'Saturday Night soldiers') and would attend a two week training camp every July or August.
Men joining the Territorial Force were not obliged to serve overseas but could volunteer to do so by taking an Imperial Service obligation.
In July 1914, the Royal Sussex Regiment comprised the following battalions: 1st and 2nd (Regular) Battalions 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion 4th, 5th & 6th (Territorial Force Battalions) The 1st and 2nd Battalions shared one number series which had begun when the regiment was formed in July 1881 and started from 1.
The L/ prefix was also generally used for men joining these two regular battalions.
The 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion had a separate number series which was a continuation of the number series that had been used by its predecessor, the 3rd (Militia) Battalion.
The Special Reserve and the Extra Reserve battalions replaced the militia in 1908 and whilst some of the newly formed special and extra reserve battalions started numbering from 1, many simply continued with the old militia series.
The 3rd Royal Sussex regiment fell into this category and moreover, old militia men who now enlisted with the 3rd Battalion, were allowed to retain their old militia numbers.
Thus, for example 9759 Pte George Walter Mynett who joined the 3rd Royal Sussex Regt on 14th June 1908 was an old militiaman who had originally joined the 3rd (Militia) Battalion - and been given the number 9759 - in September 1906.
The 4th, 5th and 6th (Territorial Force) Battalions each had a separate number series which began at 1.
The 4th and 5th Battalions were formed in April 1908 and the 6th Battalion in 1911.
When Britain went to war with Germany in August 1914, and particularly following Kitchener's appeal at the end of August 1914 for 100,000 volunteers, recruiting offices throughout the country were inundated.
Not only did the army authorities have to decide where to place the men, they also had to decide how to number them.
Let me stick with the Royal Sussex Regiment for the time being because, apart from anything else, whoever was in charge of numbering at the Royal Sussex Regiment appears to have been quite foresighted and certainly well organised.
What the Royal Sussex Regiment did, and what some other regiments also did (The Buffs, The Queens and the Royal West Kents also followed similar patterns) was to start completely new number series for men who joined up for war-time service only.
At the same time, the old number series were retained for men who wished to join up under the usual regular or special reserve terms.
By August 1914 the normal terms of enlistment for a man joining the 1st and 2nd Battalions was seven years with the Colours and five on the Reserve.
Now though, with men thronging recruiting stations to sign up for a war which many believed would be over by Christmas, less stringent war-time only terms were clearly needed.
Hubert Henry Allsopp joined up at Bexhill on the 17th August for three years or the duration of the war (with the understanding, written into the small print, that if the war was to last less than three years, he "may be discharged at once.
") Hubert was given the number G/147.
The G stood for General Service and scribbled on his attestation papers, confirming this, are the initials GSSX or General Service Sussex.
He would later be posted to the 8th and then the 7th Battalions, retaining his G/ prefix number.
The G/ series was begun in August 1914 and would run throughout the war.
At the same time that Hubert and thousands like him were joining the newly forming service battalions - that is, war-time service only battalions - other new recruits were joining the 3rd Special Reserve Battalion.
A new series was also started for these men which began GSSR/ or General Service Special Reserve.
This series, along with the Special Reserve series would fizzle out by the end of the year.
The last number on my database for a GSSR prefixed number is 931 which was issued on 5th November 1914.
Yet another number series was started for men joining the South Down battalions.
These were service battalions like the 7th, 8th and 9th Battalions but were raised by Colonel Claude Lowther MP, owner of Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex.
Recruitment started on 9th September and by the end of the year enough men had volunteered to fill three battalions.
A fourth, reserve battalion, would also be formed later.
All men joining the South Down battalions were given a number prefixed with SD/ (for South Down).
Numbering started from 1 in September 1914.
Finally, add into the mix, those older men joining the supernumerary companies attached to the 4th and 5th Territorial battalions (at least one more number series per battalion) and you now have ten separate army number series in use, as follows: 1st series: 1st & 2nd (Regular) Battalions - prefixed with L/ 2nd series: 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion - prefixed, if at all, with 3/ or SR/ 3rd series: 4th (Territorial Force) Battalion 4th series: 5th (Territorial Force) Battalion 5th series: 6th (Territorial Force) Battalion 6th series: war-time only enlistments into service battalions - prefixed with G/ or GS/ 7th series: war-time only enlistments into the 3rd Battalion - prefixed with GSSR/ 8th series: 11th, 12th and 13th (South Down) Battalions - prefixed with SD/ 9th series: supernumerary company men attached to the 4th (TF) Battalion 10th series: supernumerary company men attached to the 5th (TF) Battalion Similar expansion would take place in virtually every other British Army Regiment, and you can read more about these peculiarities and idiosyncrasies on my army service numbers blog.