Sunday 28 October 2018

The Territorial Year Book 1909 & 1910


Some years ago I bought the Territorial Year Book, published in 1909. The Territorial Force, of course, came into being in April 1908, and the year book, published the following year, ran to nearly 300 pages and chronicled the birth of the new Force and published details of those were running the county associations and details about the various Territorial Force units. As a reference work of the Territorial Force at that particular time, it is unmatched. The book is also uncommon and I think I bought mine from a bookseller in Australia or the US, I can't quite remember now. I subsequently had the book re-bound in green cloth (to match the original green soft cover wraps) and it sits within arm's reach on one of my bookshelves.

This week I was fortunate enough to pick up the volume for 1910 which has 100 fewer pages than its predecessor but which nevertheless follows the same format and gives useful information about the TF in that year. In due course I may digitise both volumes which will undoubtedly increase their usefulness.


The image above is from the 1910 volume and shows the type of information recorded. This is also a rare opportunity to see part of my left thumb.

2 comments:

  1. Wow! Would this book include those who were in the Glasgow Territorials? My grandfather did 4 years from Feb 2010 until Feb 2014. We have a copy of his records, but it is very brief. We currently dont know exactly which unit he was in. I think it was the 157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigade

    1/5th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
    1/6th (City of Glasgow) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry

    Part of the 52nd Lowland Infantry.

    keith@keithtarrier.com

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  2. Regrettably not, Keith. The entries give summary details for the various TF units, but not nominal rolls of the men.

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