The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

KevinStoke · . Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 175

Could anyone tell me where I will find the enlisting records of soldiers in which town.

I am looking for all soldiers who enlisted in Kilbirnie, Ayr and Kilmarnock but if every City, Town or village who had a recruiting office had there details of who passed through them was available I would be delighted to know where they exist

Kevin

David McNay · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 5:00 pm Post subject:

Surely these kind of papers would be with the individuals service record?

In which case, you'll be lucky.

KevinStoke · . Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 175

I believe that numbers were allocated to recruiting offices and a soldiers name was added as they turned up at the sergeants table.

There has got to be files out there. The army always does things in 3's, there is no way that the only place you can find where a soldier enlisted is on the individuals service papers. Fingers crossed I can find this list somewhere. Wish me luck

Kevin

spoons · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject:

Not sure how that could have worked. Numbers were allocated by regiment so there were separate ranges for each regiment and corps.

In 1972 the Guards Regiments were probably the last to use the old manual system. They had a single book at the RHQ with blocks of numbers allocated to the regiment. When any recruiting office had a likely candidate, they sent his details to RHQ who entered him in the book and sent back the regimental number.

Such regimental allocations may exist but I don't know if they would have details of the recruiting offices.

It's probable that each recruiting office kept records of the men it recruited but I think it unlikely they allocated the numbers, more likely just recorded them. Where the records went and whether any still exist????

Certainly copies of enlistment papers are in the service records that still exist and are available on ancestry but I have never come across any consolidated lists.

\Paul

kinnethmont · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1649 Location: Aberdeenshire

Kevin

David is correct with this, I am not aware of records of recruiting offices surviving. The numbering was as you suggest, recruiting took place in a variety of places / ways ( not always an official recruiting office ) and the only document of relevance was the Attestation Form. It will be with the service or pensions record, if it survives.

There are two other sources I am aware of which sometimes gives the place of enlistment but neither gives all those involved at a specific place and so do not give a 100% accurate record.

SDGW gives the details below. These can not, in any way , be considered as accurate.

Kilbirnie 5
Ayr 1617
Kilmarnock 774
_________________
Jim

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

www.kinnethmont.co.uk