The “1919 Questionnaire”
 

I have often heard reference to the “1919 Questionnaire” sent out by the IWM about British uniform and insignia. I would like to consult this document, but before I do I wanted to check I had the right one. I found the following online:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ect/1500019223

It looks like it might be correct, or along the right lines, but the only thing is that the date is given as 1920-21 and also it is described as a photocopy.
Please excuse my ignorance, but I just wanted to be sure before I go to the IWM; I didn’t want to turn up and find I had the wrong document. Can anyone who has any knowledge of the ‘1919 Questionnaire’ be kind enough to please confirm whether I have the right document in the link?

Many thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give.

Regards,

Chris

Looks like a very interesting source - please keep us updated.
Hoping someone can answer your specific question - I imagine responses would take some time to be received and processed, possibly explaining the date.
Mike

Thanks, Mike, that’s a very good point. Fingers crossed on that one.
Cheers,
Chris

Hi Chris,
This is the sort of stuff I found when I went mate, it may have started in 1919 but has date stamps showing 1921, I'm guessing the pages were stamped on receipt after completion?? Hope this helps a bit!!
Wilf

A great research project -- all the best with it, and yes, please do keep us updated.

Drew,

there are in fact two different series of questionnaires. The link you show is the correct one to read all just specify the units and questionnaires (1917 and the later 1919/20) of interest in your request.

In the autumn of 1917, Martin Conway, the then secretary of the National War Museum (renamed The Imperial War Museum in December 1917) sent a circular letter to all of the units in the British Army. The
purpose was to put on record the battalion badges or marks of distinction worn by units. There was a comprehensive, but not complete, response to the questionnaires with many units also providing samples of the badges and insignia in use. This was a free-form exercise.

In 1919-1920 a more formal and complete questionnaire was sent out to all regiments. Again, the purpose was to put on record the insignia and special badges worn by units including insignia worn during the Great War.

The responses are not complete, you may find units that interest you did not provide a response. Note that for the early questionnaire, where responses are provided, the individual battalions and the depot provided responses, for the later questionnaire the document went to surviving units (many battalions had been disbanded at this time) and sometimes they provided data on the disbanded battalions. The quality and details in the responses vary greatly depending on the responder.

Yes the records held are photocopies of the originals.

John

Yes, I concur with John. A very valuable resource - particularly examples or even drawings of cloth Bn badges ! When I went through the KLR records there were a number of missing responses from TF units in the 1917 survey - presumably they had other things on their mind !

Thank you so much everyone for such helpful and interesting details.

Wilf,
Great to see an example of what I’d see. Looking forward to it now. Very good of you to post.

John,
Thanks so much for the very interesting explanation. That makes it a lot clearer for me. It’s very useful to know what was going on when this was created. Thanks too for clarifying a few points.

KLR
Fingers crossed that the 1919 survey fills a few gaps for me. Had to laugh at your last sentence. I’ve got a Bairnsfarther-like image in my mind now of a dug-out somewhere in France in 1917, and the OC is holding the IWM questionnaire in his hand with a bemused look on his face as shells drop all around...

Lettman,
Will keep thread updated. Thanks for all the help and encouragement everyone.

Regards,

Chris