North West Volunteer Rifles?

[Foremastjack]

It would appear that my Grandfather was an instruction Sgt. for the North West Volunteer Rifles in Peshawar at some point between '14-18; does anyone have a link to their insignia?

[gurkharifles]

Would that be the North Western Railway Volunteer Rifles ?

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by gurkharifles

Would that be the North Western Railway Volunteer Rifles ?

I think the full title was Bengal and North Western Railway Volunteer Rifles, but, like you, I can find no other one with the words "North Western" in it.

And it became 22nd Bengal and North Western Railway Battalion in the Indian Defence Force in 1917 (which falls within the time window given by the OP).

[gurkharifles]

So assuming that's your relatives Regiment then the badge in question is 2686A in white metal. When it was redesignated in 1917 as the North Western Railway volunteer rifles the badge would have been used was 2687 and was in bi metal. An interesting unit - "frequently in action on the North West Frontier manning the armoured trains employed by the regular army". Tim

[Foremastjack]

Originally Posted by gurkharifles

Would that be the North Western Railway Volunteer Rifles ?

To be honest, I don't know; these are the records I'm working from:

[Foremastjack]

Originally Posted by Wmr-RHB

I think the full title was Bengal and North Western Railway Volunteer Rifles, but, like you, I can find no other one with the words "North Western" in it.

And it became 22nd Bengal and North Western Railway Battalion in the Indian Defence Force in 1917 (which falls within the time window given by the OP).

Looking at this list, I see two: the Bengals, and then, further down the infantry list North Western Railway Volunteer Rifles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ian_Army_(1903)

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by Foremastjack

Looking at this list, I see two: the Bengals, and then, further down the infantry list North Western Railway Volunteer Rifles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ian_Army_(1903)

Yes, nice find.

The thing is, I can not find anything that precedes them in the Vounteer Corps, nor in the IDF, nor something that follows them in the AF(I)

This is another interesting web site: http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php/Auxiliary_Regiments

It has only the Bengal and North Western in it's list. But scroll a bit down and surprise:

However, a few units were formed comprising volunteers who wanted to fight the war. Indian Volunteers in the Great War East African Campaign gives details of The North-Western Railway Volunteers, the Calcutta Volunteer Battery and the Indian Volunteer Maxim Gun Company in East Africa, although the Commonwealth War Graves Commission classifies them as East African Protectorate units in its records. The North Western Railway Volunteers also served in Mesopotamia

So they seem to be a war raised unit without connections (apart from the fact that I assume that railway specialists from the Bengal and North Western and maybe other railway companies will have joined) to the already existing Volunteer/IDF units.

But for the OP here that is a possibility that also may fit his search.

[Foremastjack]

Originally Posted by Wmr-RHB

Yes, nice find.

The thing is, I can not find anything that precedes them in the Vounteer Corps, nor in the IDF, nor something that follows them in the AF(I)

This is another interesting web site: http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php/Auxiliary_Regiments

It has only the Bengal and North Western in it's list. But scroll a bit down and surprise:

So they seem to be a war raised unit without connections (apart from the fact that I assume that railway specialists from the Bengal and North Western and maybe other railway companies will have joined) to the already existing Volunteer/IDF units.

But for the OP here that is a possibility that also may fit his search.

Thanks- nice find! I looked at that page four times and missed it. I wonder if they fought along of the Leinsters in Mesopotamia- who were ostensibly the regiment my Grandfather in India was attached to (from the RIR!). It's a wonder I have this much information now- but still more questions. Ah, puzzles...

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by Foremastjack

Thanks- nice find! I looked at that page four times and missed it.

I only found it, more or less by incident, by using the browser search function with "North West". In fact I did that to jump through the tables, but it brought me this paragraph. As I said, just by incident.

[Foremastjack]

Originally Posted by Wmr-RHB

I only found it, more or less by incident, by using the browser search function with "North West". In fact I did that to jump through the tables, but it brought me this paragraph. As I said, just by incident.

I'll take it! Thanks, Henk.

[peter monahan]

This is both the joy and the frustration of historical research. Every door one opens leads to a series of other doors .

[Foremastjack]

Originally Posted by peter monahan

This is both the joy and the frustration of historical research. Every door one opens leads to a series of other doors .

Amen. Looking through the records, it may be that my Grandfather was transferred to the NWRVR IN 1912 while he was with the RIR, then transferred to the Leinsters while he was with the NWRVR, and the West Riding, also while he was with the NWRVR.

Which doesn't make sense, does it?

[Foremastjack]

In a couple remarkable docs I found, I find my Grandfather went on field service with the NWRVR, and was a Serjeant-Instructor for the Maxim gun. There appear to be other units as well, if I'm reading the (incredibly faded) writing correctly. The time period would appear to be 1912-18; so now I have to wonder if he would have spent time in Africa (the only field service I know of for the NWRVR) and not have the word 'Africa' appear in the records that I can find. Maybe the frontier. So my question is this- as an instructor, would he have worn the badge of his 'home' regiment, or the one he was instructing? Would he have worn a Maxim/MG badge at all?

Thanks, All!

[peter monahan]

If he was an instructor on temporary attaxchment to a series of units, he's most likely have retained the badging of his parent unit. And he would have worn the arm patch of a qualified Machiune Gunner.

[Foremastjack]

Originally Posted by peter monahan

If he was an instructor on temporary attaxchment to a series of units, he's most likely have retained the badging of his parent unit. And he would have worn the arm patch of a qualified Machine Gunner.

Thanks! ...I have a feeling that patch may be hard to come by... I'm still trying to figure out the field service. I do still think the NWRVR badge should be part of my collection. I also wish I could find more on the NWRVR.