Attestation books - where they were sent by the MOD/Nat Archives

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Justin History, Jul 10, 2014.

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  1. Hi Bexley

    The long shot of the Royal Irish Regiment Museum proved just to be that, they suggested the National Army Museum. Lets hope they are with your museum.

    Regards

    Justin
     
  2. Thanks to Bexley for an update on whether the London Irish Rifles Museum has the London Irish Enlistment books in their collection. They do not and so the disposition of these books is currently unknown.

    Bexley also checked with an another regiment with which the London Irish were associated with, the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum and they do not have the London Irish enlistenment books either. However Gavin Glass at the RUR Museum has confirmed that his museum has books (not clear whether just the enlistment books or discharge books etc as well) for the Royal Ulster Rifles 1921-1927.
     
  3. Thanks to Seaforths from the Great War Forum for the following on the Enlistment Books for the Seaforth Highlanders from 1920 onwards:

    'There are no enlistment records for the Seaforth WW1 but there are some for afterwards but very patchy with large gaps. She said anyone with a query was better to send them an email with name, regimental number etc. and they will see if they hold anything on that particular man.'
     
  4. I recently made another enquiry/explained to the now Museum of Military Medicine about the existence of the AB358s and how they were distributed to Museums by the MoD in the 2000s. The Museum have now looked through their archive and found the post Army renumbering (from 1920) AB 358 Enlistment/Discharge books for the RAMC. I also subsequently asked a few weeks ago what years the books they have cover beyond 1920 and am waiting for a reply. Another question comes to mind about the same books for the other ranks in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps etc so much more to be explored.

    Best



    Justin
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2017
    Guy Hudson likes this.
  5. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    Justin,
    Thank you for posting this. I have been trying to trace the records for the Kings Royal Rifle Corps with no luck.
    Guy
     
  6. Guy

    I saw the KRRC AB358s a couple of years ago at the Hampshire Country Archive in Winchester.

    The general link to the relevant search page from the catalogue doesn't copy (it just gives a link to the catalogue, not the entries found) so here are the entries I found for enlistment books:


    View record

    170A12W/D/5211

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6630915 to 6631320; register number 5

    Dec 1927-March 1934

    View record

    170A12W/D/5212

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6653826 to 6654702; register number 9

    Jan 1924-Jan 1930

    View record

    170A12W/D/5213

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6642393 to 6642574; register number 7

    May 1930-May 1939

    View record

    170A12W/D/5214

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6653001 to 6653825; register number 8

    Feb 1920-Mar 1931

    View record

    170A12W/D/5215

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6641501 to 6642392; register number 6

    Feb 1920-Jul 1935

    View record

    170A12W/D/5216

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6676001 to 6676474; register number 10

    March 1920-Mar 1935

    View record

    170A12W/D/5217

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6687501 to 6688251; register number 11

    May 1920-Aug 1941

    View record

    170A12W/D/5218

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6837000 to 6838000; register number 12

    Mar 1888-Aug 1914

    View record

    170A12W/D/5219

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6838001 to 6839000; register number 13

    Aug 1914-May 1929

    View record

    170A12W/D/5220

    King's Royal Rifle Corps enlistments from 6573394 to 6573795; register number 2

    Aug 1927-Feb 1934


    They also had a run of the KRRC journals and presumably some other Corps records that you may be able to find in the catalogue.

    Here is the link to the catalogue.

    http://calm.hants.gov.uk/Overview.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog

    Hope this helps.

    Best


    Justin
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2017
    Guy Hudson likes this.
  7. Here is the list of Enlistment books with thanks to Rob McIntosh at the Museum of Military Medicine who kindly sent me the list. There is lots here for anyone interested in the interwar/early WW2 RAMC/RAVC and RADC. There are also several records of interest for those interested in Great War soldiers who continued or re-enlisted (plus RAVC books) following the renumbering of the Army in 1920. The Defence Force records and those for the T.A. should also capture information about a number of Great War veterans:



    Box 12. Army Book 358 –RAMC Enlistment Books

    1. Book 4 –Regimental Nos. 206000 to 206999 (Old Nos.) 7252147 to 7252744 – 19 August to 3 October 1919.

    2. Book 5 – Regimental Nos. 207000 to 207999 (Old Nos.) 7252745 to 7253512 – 13 November 1919 to 8 March 1920.

    3. Book 6 – Regimental Nos. 208000 to 208393 (Old Nos.) 7253513 to 7253850 – 3 March 1920 to 4 September 1920.

    4. Book 18 – Regimental Nos. 7536001 to 7536991 – 22 April 1921 to 7 October 1940 and Transfers and Discharges.


    Box 13. Army Book 358 –RAMC Enlistment Books

    1. Odd Numbers Book 1 – Transfers and Discharges 1921, 1925, 1926 and 1927.

    2. Odd Numbers Book 3 – Transfers in from 1920 to 1938.


    Box 14. Army Book 358 –RAMC Enlistment Books

    1. Register of Army Numbers with relative old regimental numbers RAMC Names and Numbers only. Numbers 7249001 to7253000.

    2. Register of Army Numbers with relative old regimental numbers RAMC Names and Numbers only.

    Numbers 7253001 to 7256025


    Box 15. Army Book 358

    1. Transfers to RAVC from other Units Book 1 – Regimental Numbers and dates not concurrent.


    2. Transfers to RAVC from other Units Book 2 – Regimental Numbers and dates not concurrent.


    3. Transfers to RAVC from other Units Book 3 – From 27 January 1943 to 12 October 1944.


    4. Transfers to RAVC from other Units Book 3 – From 12 October 1944 to 9 April 1954.


    5. Register of Soldiers RADC - Regimental Numbers 10510033 to 10510057 20 February 1941 to 14 November 1947.


    6. Register of Soldiers RADC - Regimental Numbers 7536992 to 7536999 and 10510001 to 10511596 no enlistment dates.


    7. Register of Soldiers RADC - Regimental Numbers 7537000 to 7537999 – no enlistment dates.


    8. Register of Soldiers RADC - Regimental Numbers 7538001 to 7539000 – no enlistment dates.


    Box 16. Army Book 358 – RAMC Enlistment Books

    1. Book 11 – Regimental Numbers 7255009 to 7255992 – 13 December 1920 to 11 July 1921.


    2. Book 12 – Regimental Numbers 7255993 to 7256997 -12 July 1921 to 25 November 1922.


    3. Book 13 – Regimental Numbers 7256998 to 7258000 – 18 December 1922 to 31 January 1925.


    Box 17. Army Book 358 – RAMC Enlistment Books

    1. Book 9 (TA) – Regimental Numbers 7350001 to 7350346 – 15 October 1924 to 26 May 1939.


    2. Category “C” Supp Reserve – Regimental Numbers 7354001 to 7354608 and Odd Numbers – 15 October 1924 to 16 July 1938. (Odd numbers up to 3 April 1939)


    3. Category “C” Supp Reserve – Regimental Numbers 7354609 to 7354984 and odd numbers – 1 September 1939 to 4 September 1939.


    Box 18. Army Book 358 – Defence Force Units RAMC List of Members

    1. Book 2 – 1st, 2nd & 3rd West Riding Field Ambulance - April 1921.

    Headquarters West Riding Med - April 1921.

    Northern Sanitary Section - April 1921.

    1st, 2nd & 3rd West Lancs Field Ambulance – April 1921.

    1st, 2nd & 3rd Northumbrian Field Ambulance – April 1921.

    2. Book 3 – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th London Field Ambulances – April 1921.

    1st, 2nd & 3rd Welsh Field Ambulances – April 1921.

    Welsh (53 Div) Sanitary Section – April 1921.

    Headquarters 1st & 2nd London Field Ambulances – No entries.

    Headquarters Welsh Field Ambulance – No entries.

    3. Book 4 - 1st, 2nd & 3rd Highland Field Ambulance - April 1921.

    Highland Sanitary Section –April 1921.

    1st, 2nd & 3rd Lowland Field Ambulance – April 1921.

    1st, 2nd & 3rd Home Counties Field Ambulance –April 1921.

    Headquarters Highland Medical Services - April 1921.

    4. Book 5 - 1st, 2nd & 3rd East Lancs Field Ambulance- April 1921.

    Headquarters East Lancs – April 1921.

    East Lancs Sanitary Section.

    1st, 2nd & 3rd Wessex Field Ambulance April 1921.

    Headquarters Wessex – April 1921.

    Wessex Sanitary Section.


    Box 19. Army Book 358 – Regimental Numbers RAVC.

    1. Book 1 – 7757001 to 7757999 – 30 June 1902 to 25 November 1939.


    2. Book 2 - 758000 to 758708 – 27 November 1919 to 28 August 1943.


    3. Book 3 – 782001 to 782872 – 20 May 1920 to 30 August 1939.


    4. Book 4 – 7800001 to 7800594 – 9 July 1920 to 18 August 1924.


    5. Book 5 – 7801001 to 7801154 – 21 October 1924 to 2 May 1928.



    Box 20. Army Book 358 – Regimental Numbers RAMC (TA).

    1. Book 1 - 7335001 to 7335996 – 29 March 1920 to 2 June 1920.


    2. Book 2 – 7335997 to 7336994 – 16 June 1920 to 17 January 1921.


    3. Book 3 – 7335995 to 7337963 – 21 January 1921 to 5 July 1921.


    4. Book 4 - 7337964 to 7338936 – 8 July 1921 to 8 September 1921.


    5. Book 5 – 7338937 to 7339934 -8 September 1921 to 14 August 1923.


    Box 21. Army Book 358 – Regimental Numbers RAMC.

    1. Book 14 – 7258001 to 7259000 -31 January 1925 to 6 October 1927.


    2. Book 15 – 7259001 to 7260000 – 10 October 1927 to 9 December 1929.


    3. Book 16 – 7260001 to 7261000 -10 December 1929 to 23 March 1931.


    Box 22. Army Book 358 – Regimental Numbers RAMC.

    1. Book 6 (TA) – 7339935 to 7340946 – 20 August 1923 to 27 November 1925.


    2. Book 7 (TA) 7340947 to 7341946 – 1 December 1925 to 4 December 1928.


    3. Book 8 (TA) 7341947 to 7342951 -3 December 1928 to 23 April 1931.


    4. Cat “B” Supp Reserves Transfers and Odd Numbers – 1924 to 1929.


    Box 23. Army Book 358 – Regimental Numbers RAMC.

    1. Book 6 -7250004 to 7251017 – 30 June 1920 to 15 March 1919. (Dates in reverse)


    2. Book 7 -7251018 to 7252007 -10 February 1919 to 22 August 1919.


    3. Book 8 – 7252008 to 7252997 -22 August 1919 to 20 November 1919.


    4. Book 9 – 7252998 to 7254019 -20 November 1919 to 1 September 1915 (Dates not concurrent)


    5. Book 10 – 7254020 to 7255008 -7 September 1915 to 11 December 1920 (Dates not concurrent)


    Box 24. Army Book 358 RAMC.

    1. Non-European Section – West Indian African –Names 12 August 1898 to 5 April 1927.


    2. Register of Army Numbers with Relative Old Regimental Numbers (Names and Numbers Only)


    3. Book1 -Old Regimental Numbers with Army Numbers Re Allocated – 200000 to 201000 / 7250155 to 7251086.


    4. Book 2 -Old Regimental Numbers with Army Numbers Re Allocated – 201001 to 201493 / 7251087 to 7252543.


    5. Book 3 -Old Regimental Numbers with Army Numbers Re Allocated – 205000 to 205999 / 7251544 to 7252146.


    Box 25. Army Book 358 Regimental Numbers RAMC.

    1. Book 1 -7245001 to 7246004 – 22 February 1900 to 12 October 1909.


    2. Book 2 – 7246005 to 7247007 – 13 October 1909 to 29 November 1912.


    3. Book 3 -7247005 to 7248006 -2 December 1912 to 21 November 1914.


    4. Book 4 – 7248007 to 7249007 – 25 November 1914 to 8 October 1919.


    5. Book 5 – 7249008 to 7250003 – 9 October 1919 to 23 June 1920.


    6. Old Regimental Numbers with Army Numbers Allocated. (Numbers and Dates not Concurrent)
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2017
  8. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Scots Guards enlistment books are on FMP? Records end circa 1937. Very little detail other than name rank and number & date & place of enlistment post circa 1930. Records before 1930 have more detail added

    Steve Y
     
  9. Thanks Steve, post 1923 the amount of detail included in AB358s begins to decline and by the 1930s is generally very much reduced to what you say. By the 1930s they also tend to continue to include information about discharge and transfer, even if it is down to stamps and a date. However with service records costing £30 from MoD they are also very useful for dating the start of service/noting transfers of pre 1942 servicemen when looking at an individual or unit (for units where you have or can make some sort of partial or full nominal roll). For me it helped me begin to figure out other than through rank the mix of experience/transferred soldiers in my grandfather's unit. Without easy access to a units worth of service records the AB358s were crucial in being able to do this. AB 358s are also the books often used by regimental museums and archives to identify when an interwar or early WW2 soldier joined their regiment or corps.


    Best

    Justin
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2017

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