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Soldiers Small Book

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Bombardier Admin and Arbiter Registered: January 2002 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 7,628	This is a Soldiers small book which was issued to Ralph Rennie on commencement of his Military Service WW1. The books were issued so that the soldier could record his Military Career. Ralph served in The Manchester Regiments 23rd service Battalion throughout WW1.This book was found by a friend of mine in a house that he had just purchased and he is quite keen to have the book returned to any of Ralphs remaining family. If anybody has any information about living family members please contact me. You will notice that page two of the book appears to be missing, it has infact been intentionally left blank. All in all this is a very interesting piece of British military history.
	· Date: Fri 5 3, 2004 · Views: 10325 · Filesize: 80.0kb, 59.0kb · Dimensions: 600 x 872 ·
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	Rating: 10.00
	Keywords: Soldiers Small Book

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Xtreme

Corporal

Registered: February 2004
Location: England
Posts: 36

Sat 6 3, 2004 00:54

Rating: 10.00

This was a very interesting read webmaster and its nice that each page was in order. I have done a bit of digging and found the following information;

23rd (Service) Battalion (8th City)

Formed in Manchester on 21 November 1914, by the Lord Mayor and City, as a Bantam Bn. June 1915 : attached to 104th Brigade, 35th Division. Ceased to be a Bantam Bn early in 1917. 16 February 1918 : disbanded in France.

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Clank Clank Im a Tank

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snapper

Corporal

Registered: February 2004
Location: Uk
Posts: 69

Sun 7 3, 2004 06:50

Rating: 10.00

Yep a really interesting read.

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Chocks away Ginger

Bombardier

Admin and Arbiter

Registered: January 2002
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 7,628

Thu 6 5, 2004 14:39

I believe it was called Bantam Battalion because it was made up of soldiers who did not meet the required height to join other units.

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Reloader

Colonel

Registered: April 2005
Location: Inverclyde, Scotland
Posts: 1,528

Sun 2 10, 2005 11:55

Rating: 10.00

Bomber, I was interested to see this because I recently found my late grandfather's 'Soldiers' Small Book', among some old family papers. It was issued to him on his enlistment in 1915, for the Seaforth Highlanders. Apart from a few personal details such as name, age, number and unit, date and place of attestation, nothing else seems to have been completed re next-of-kin or particulars of service. It's a pity, I would have liked some more info.

At the same time, I also found my late father's 'Soldier's Release Book', from 1948, after his 3 years in the Scots Guards, starting in April 1945. He was fortunate the war ended so soon after. It's a softback book, in quite a state after all these years, but most details are legible. It obviously wasn't one of my Dad's favourite possessions, I think he just threw it into the back of a drawer! He always made out that he didn't enjoy his time in the Army, but as he got older, I think he was quite proud to have been a soldier.

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"Every man thinks less of himself for not having been a soldier, or not having been to sea."
Samuel Johnson, 1776