Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Wars and ConflictsΒ  permalink

Hildane Reforms - Special Reserve

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by MartDal (U12157784) on Sunday, 1st June 2008

  Hi
  
  I am looking into the career of my great grandfather, who was part of the Special Reserve at WW1. I am struggling with understanding the role of the SR in relation to the normal Territorial Units formed in 1908. I am under the impression the the SR was somewhere between the regular army and the TA - is this right and if so, how did the roles differ?
  
  Also, any theories on why he would join the SR instead of the TA - I wonder if it was a question of pay - were they paid more? He did have six kids at home at the time!
  
  Thanks in anticipation.
  
  MD
  

  Link to this forum: Hildane Reforms - Special Reserve

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by LongWeekend (U3023428) on Monday, 2nd June 2008

  Mart Dal
  
  The Territorial Force, like the Militia before it, had no overseas commitment (although it was hoped that Territorial soldiers would sign up for overseas deployments - in fact, they were slow to do so).
  
  The Special Reserve was a continuation of the old Militia Reserve. Its purpose was to provide volunteers to act as reinforcements to regular army battalions, and once mobilised they served on the same terms as regular reservists.
  
  (An example is Robert Graves, author of "Goodbye to All That". He joined the Special Reserve of the Royal Welch Regiment, and was therefore posted to a regular battalion of the Welch. Siegfried Sassoon was a Yeomanry trooper (i.e. TF), but took a commission in the SR, and ended up on the same battalion as Graves.
  
  Later on in the war, the distinctions between SR, TF and Service (i.e. New Army) enlistments were abolished.)
  
  Pay was the same, but SR men got an additional bounty.
  
  Your great grandfather might have been influenced by the extra money, or possibly was sold the idea that the SR was more prestigious than a "mere" TF recruit (the TF battalions would deny that, of course).

  Link to this forum: Hildane Reforms - Special Reserve

  Report message2

Back to top