Author Topic: Service record questions - Northumberland Fusiliers  (Read 1322 times)

Offline Lindyloowho

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Service record questions - Northumberland Fusiliers
« on: Tuesday 09 October 18 02:09 BST (UK) »
My father joined the 7th Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers in Dec. 1922. I have his service record and have some questions:

1.  His Unit is shown alternatively as Depot or 1st. What are these, and what is the difference between the Unit and the Battalion?
2.  Is there any way I can find exactly where he was during his various postings? He did talk of being in Ireland in the early 1920's, but I can find no reference to that in his service record.
3.  He eventually ended up as an instructor at the Small Arms School in Hythe, and in 1939 is posted to the Royal Military College (Sandhurst). Under promotions it says "appointed vice styles". What does this mean? I could find no reference to that anywhere😉 The writing is very clear so I'm very sure that's what it says.

Many thanks, Linda

Offline philipsearching

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Re: Service record questions - Northumberland Fusiliers
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 03:39 BST (UK) »
3) I would suggest vice is "in place of" (Latin) - so he was appointed in place of the previous postholder whose surname was Styles.  I have seen this usage in the Gazette and in WW1 Battalion War Diaries.

Philip

Please help me to help you by citing sources for information.

Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline ainslie

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Re: Service record questions - Northumberland Fusiliers
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 08:45 BST (UK) »
Ireland was within the UK then, so it was a home posting.
The depot would be a small unit based at the headquarters, while 1st and 2nd Battalions could be elsewhere, often one abroad, the other in UK.
I agree with Philip on “vice”.

Offline MaxD

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Re: Service record questions - Northumberland Fusiliers
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 09:06 BST (UK) »
All on the ball so far.  Where he served will be hidden if you like in the units he served with.  For example when he went to the Small Arms School we would know he was in Hythe.
It is almost always advisable to be able to see the original to construct a time line of units and dates from which one  can attempt to find the places, although the inter war years usually need the help of the regimental museum. What we have a is that he seems to have served with 17 BN, 1 ,Bn, the Depot, the Small Arms School and the RMA. Without a time line that doesn't really make up a history.

MaxD
I am Zoe Northeast, granddaughter of Maximilian Double.
 
It is with great difficulty I share with you that in the early hours of 07 August 2021, Maximilian passed away unexpectedly but peacefully.

With deep sadness,
Zoe



Double  Essex/Suffolk
Randle/Millington Warwicks
Sokser/Klingler Austria/Croatia


Offline Lindyloowho

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Re: Service record questions - Northumberland Fusiliers
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 13:29 BST (UK) »
Thank you for the replies - that clears up the question re vice styles. Never would have figured that out! There are some papers referring to one posting that actually state he is relieving a named man, but that was the only one.

Am I allowed to post a scan showing the details of his Statement of Service? If so, I can try and do that if it helps.

It is the earlier postings I'm most interested in. As you say Max, I knew the SAS was in Hythe - my mothers birth place, and the RMC was Sandhurst.

So the Unit was a smaller division of the Batallion? Sorry for the ignorance - as always I should have asked more questions when he was alive☹️

Linda

Offline MaxD

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Re: Service record questions - Northumberland Fusiliers
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 14:46 BST (UK) »
Unit is an umbrella term for any service element really, it gets round the business of having to know whether you are talking about a regiment, a battalion, a squadron and so on. So if he had been asked what unit he was with he would have answered "1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers" or "Northumberland Fusiliers" or 1st Battalion (to someone in the NF).  It isn't a division of anything.

No problem about posting extracts from his record although as said before, the interwar years are not well documented outside the regiment.

MaxD
I am Zoe Northeast, granddaughter of Maximilian Double.
 
It is with great difficulty I share with you that in the early hours of 07 August 2021, Maximilian passed away unexpectedly but peacefully.

With deep sadness,
Zoe



Double  Essex/Suffolk
Randle/Millington Warwicks
Sokser/Klingler Austria/Croatia

Offline Lindyloowho

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Re: Service record questions - Northumberland Fusiliers
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 17:51 BST (UK) »
Okay with the Unit etc. - thanks.
I'm attaching dads record in three parts as they are large files.

Linda

Offline Lindyloowho

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service record part 2
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 20:45 BST (UK) »
Sorry having some issues posting these!

Offline Lindyloowho

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Service records part three
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 09 October 18 20:51 BST (UK) »
Hopefully this works