RootsChat.Com

Pam,
Not a problem, I have quite a few details of these RB Territorial Battalions, although they had very little to do with the Rifle Brigade, with no officers or men going into these battalions from the RB, and as Roy has said, they were managed from the London Record Office rather than Winchester.
When you get back from holiday I will send you the details of the 20th RB.

Andy

The 20th Rifle Brigade was formed at Denham Camp from men of the Northumberland Fusiliers, Durham L.I., East Yorks and West Yorkshire Regiments and the Durham R.G.A.
In the last days of 1915 it embarked for Egypt in the "Olympic" and "Grampian" disembarking at Alexandria on January 16th, 1916, 932 strong. It was commanded by Lieut.-Col. Miles Emmet Byrne, T.D., who had been transfered from the 24th Northumberland Fusiliers. Their history was an uneventful one, for they spent the rest of the war finding duties and guards over Prisoner-of-War and Internment Camps, and vulnerable points in the Delta area.

If you need to know anymore let me know.


Andy

Got some good friends ex RGJ myself due to my interest in the RB's, they always provide me with a good laugh with some of the stories they come out with.
Yes, ex Dagger man, 42 & 45 Commando, then 5 Assault Company for a little while, good days, bad days, but would not have missed them for the world.

Andy

Careful now scrimnet, you are treading on hallowed ground here.
95th Rifles (Rifle Brigade)
First regiment in green, KRRC had one company (the Jaegars) with green tops but light blue pantaloons until 1824 when they finally went green, first regiment to be honoured by being taken out of the regimental numbering system. A thinking man's regiment, preceeding the red line as skirmishers and sharp shooters, or defending the red line's back when they retired, hence first on the battlefield and last off it.
The officers and men went through a double selection to get into the regiment and all were taught to think and act independently. Wellington asked to become the regiments commander in chief after he left the army due to the extremely high regard he had for the regiment and its personnel.

Andy

The 51st Battalion was a graduated battalion.
Late in 1917 the Training Reserve was re-organised. The 53rd or young soldiers battalions were formed. These were to put 18 year old conscripts through basic training. From the 53rd battalion (young soldiers) they would transfer into the 51st or 52nd (Graduated) battalion on completion of basic training.
These graduated battalions were employed on home defence and supplied drafts as and when required to the front. As these battalions never served overseas there are very few records of them apart from bits and pieces from Regimental records.
You can quite often see the system of 53rd (YS) to 51st or 52nd (Graduated) in soldiers records.

Andy