I found a pair of camouflaged English pouches with a serial number on them. She is originally from Normandy and the assigned number would be to a soldier of the Royal Scots Fusilers. But the soldier does not appear to have died in combat, his name not appearing in the register of the dead. If anyone has any idea or could help me identify this soldier. The service number is 3175671.
all i can say is that it was a very late war number - my attestations books go up to the middle of 1940 and it ends 3134097. Sorry i cant be any more help.
It's not a late war number, I have 3,135,844 as June 1940, from the start of 1942 there wouldn't be RSF enlistments but men would join the GS Corps (and be posted on to the RSF as required) so he would fall between those dates of mid 1940 to end of 1941
Not so sure - I have the attestation books up until May 1940 and the last number is 3130497 - to add another 50000 names (to get to 317) into one regiments books in the next year and a bit is stretching it rather. But i'm sure there is a reason that they did this or perhaps another explanation altogether.
In case its just bad writing on the webbing and those 7's are 2's - then the person you could be looking for is 3125621 Mark Finnigan Millar - Joined in 1923, left in 1935 but re-joined the RSF in 1941 and was finally discharged due to age on the 20 Dec 1945 as a Fusilier.
It does look like there may be an error in the number, looking at casualty lists for RSF's, numbers seem to end at 3,131,658. Possibly one for Gelert and his huge database of numbers and enlistment dates
that is odd! the mystery deepens.... unless its a commonwealth or perhaps Free French number? (of which i really have no idea about!!)
To add to this mystery the pouch are made in Canada. Because in the pressure button there are the inscriptions "UNITED C.A.R.R CANADA"