Interesting Find in my Family History

[Jnadreth]

Are you sure 4th Rifle Brigade of the Prince Consorts Own is correct ?

I would suggest it is the 4th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade - the Prince Consorts Own.

Well originally he was in the Gloucester 11th and then there was a line crossing it out and replaced with 4th Rifle Brigade. You may be right I was just stating what it said on his papers tongueout Either way the theaters the Rifle Brigade fought in include Saloniki and Macedonia so he was definately there and I am sure he is related as he lived in the same house my family had for years XD

[leaky5]

My grandfather (Walter Eli Tapp ) was an ANZAC, born in London but moved to Australia before WW1. He is mentioned half way down this page, after he was wounded and recovered, he went on to train troops in the UK.
Currently trying to track down his medals, either my sister or father have them, but both say the other does.

http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/somme/pozieres.html

[Watcher]

This is why my family think he may have had a gun as a civvie for a little rabbiting for food (Something other family members had done at the time) It would account for why he was transferred very quickly to the Rifles

I'm not sure that joining the Rifles would have had anything to do with any pre-existing ability to shoot. Although the Rifles were (and still are) a very fine regiment they have no particular claim to being any better or worse at marksmanship than any other regiment. I think it would be more likely that your ancestor was transferred to make up for casualties sustained by the battalions at the front. Usually this was done by drafts from the regimental depot but it was possible that drafts (or units) could be moved between regiments.

My grandfathers brigade was moved between divisions after the Somme to allow some of the 34th Division battallions to recover from their mauling. His battalion was then rebadged (6th Beds to 1/1 Herts) as part of the 1918 restructuring of the brigades.

Whatever it was; welcome to the fascinating world of Great War history!

[ovenpaa]

Watcher, interestingly they eventually joined and became the Beds & Herts.

[Watcher]

Watcher, interestingly they eventually joined and became the Beds & Herts.

Yes but it must have been painful for a load of Bedfords to be rebadged as Herts; I know there was fierce rivalry. Sadly my grandfather died before I was old enough to ask him any intelligent questions about his war. I was about 12 I think when he died.

[leaky5]

We also found this in my Mother In Laws house. It was done by my wifes grandfather during WW1. It is embroidered on hessian backing.
It was it a bit of a state when we found it, so remounted and framed it, hopefully it can last for another 100 years or so.

The Buffs were the Kent regiment.

[bobbob]

Lovely piece of family history.

I believe "The Buffs" were the Royal East Kent Regiment.

My dad's cousin was in the 10th Royal West Kent's and three other units.

I really enjoy hearing thses stories :goodjob:

[dave_303]

My grandfathers brigade was moved between divisions after the Somme to allow some of the 34th Division battallions to recover from their mauling. His battalion was then rebadged (6th Beds to 1/1 Herts) as part of the 1918 restructuring of the brigades.

That it an unusual move, English Battalions on the whole were disbanded with some logic, usually the most Junior of the service battalions or the Second line Territorial Battalions ie. 2/4 Loamshires.

[Watcher]

Dave,

I haven't just got all my research to hand (I'm abroad at the min) but the 6th Beds were part of 112nd Brigade which was a part of the 37th Div. They were involved in the Somme battles of 1916 but not as centrally as the 34th Div. Some time after July the two Divisions swapped a couple of brigades and the 112nd was one of them. Presumably this allowed the brigades that had bourne the brunt of the early Somme battles to recover without moving two Divisions in contact. This was only a temporary arrangement and the brigades swapped back later.

As far as his later transfer my understanding was that there was a general reorg of the Army in May of 1918. Whether as a result of losses incurred during the Spring Offensive I'm not sure but I understand that Brigades were reduced from four battalions to three and hence the 6th Beds were absorbed into the 1/1 Herts. Must have been quite hard when you think what these guys had been through together.

W

[dave_303]

The reorganization in 1918 was due to Lloyd George holding men back from Haig to force him to remain on the defensive till the Americans arrived. This forced Haig to reduce Division strength from 12 to 9 Battalions (or Brigades from 4 to 3 Battalions). English Regiments where Practical dispersed Second Line territorial formations and the youngest of the Service (Kitchener) Battalions. Though deployments etc.. didn't mean this was always the case. Irish Regiments had battalions disbanded on grounds of either poor discipline or for political reasons