Regimental numbers

of the

46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot,

the 35th Brigade,

and the

Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

The following information has been compiled from information contained in John Sly's "Medal News" article, "Name, rank and...;" the Muster Rolls and Pay Lists of the 46th Regiment; the "Soldiers Died" CD-ROM; the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour Register; "Post Second World War British Army Serial Numbers" by Stephen Pallas and Leigh Day (Journal of the Orders and Medals Research Society, Vol. XXXIX, No. 1), and with the invaluable assistance of Brian Cornelius, Irv Mortenson and Graeme Marfleet, which is gratefully acknowledged. The dates of joining the DCLI in the period from August, 1914 to October, 1918 are for the most part conjectural, but are believed to be reasonably accurate. It should be borne in mind that a man who joined the 46th Regiment; the 35th Brigade; or the DCLI in a particular month or year could have served for many years with another regiment prior to doing so.

At the end of the Crimean War, the establishment of the regiment was reduced to a peace-time footing, and I have found no evidence of any new numbers being issued between 23rd August, 1856 and 31st July, 1857. On 2nd October, 1856, a new sequence of regimental numbers was started for the 46th (and for all other units, throughout the Army). This sequence started from the number 1 and was in use for the next seventeen years. It was not applied retrospectively. Number 1 (Pte. Patrick Troy) appears for the first time in the Pay List for April, 1857, as already being a member of the regiment, other single-digit numbers were issued to men who transferred into the 46th at the end of July, 1857.

In 1873, the first of the Cardwell reforms saw the formation of "linked battalions" - creating "Brigades" or "Sub-Districts" of two battalions as a step towards amalgamation. The 46th were linked to the 32nd in Sub-District No. 35. From this date the Sub-District issued regimental numbers to both regiments from the same series, starting from number 1, but not applying the numbers retrospectively to existing soldiers. . The Muster Rolls and Pay Lists distinguish between these and Regimental numbers by the time-honoured method of adding a prefix - "32/" and "46/" for numbers issued prior to 1873, and "35B/" to those from the new sequence. Sadly, these prefixes were not always used in other documents, such as medal rolls.

In August, 1881, the amalgamation of the 32nd and 46th Regiments was completed, with the creation of the 1st. and 2nd. Battalions, the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. This saw the introduction of another new sequence of regimental numbers, starting from number 1, again only applied to transferees and new recruits.

The following numbers were issued immediately prior to and during the First World War:

Notes:

1. The 46th Regiment returned from India in August and September, 1833, having left over 250 men behind; these men had transferred to other regiments stationed in India rather than return home with the 46th. This left the regiment with approximately 500 men in the Service Companies, and about 50-100 men at the Depot. It would seem likely that Regimental Numbers were not allocated until the Regiment arrived in England. As can be seen from the speed at which numbers were issued, recruiting was brisk in 1833-34, as the Regiment brought itself back up to strength.

2. One man (Pte. James Gilbert) who bears a 34XXX number is shown as having died in February, 1915. This datum is so odd, and so clearly fails to fit any pattern that it has been excluded from the above tabulation, on the assumption that it is a transcription error.

3. In September, 1943, enlistments directly into the DCLI ceased, with all new recruits being enrolled in a "General Service Corps". Members of the General Service Corps were issued 8-digit service numbers beginning with "1". After training, men were posted to all units in the Army, including the DCLI. It is believed that Boy soldiers who enlisted directly into the DCLI in the late 1940s were issued numbers from the pre-war DCLI sequence.

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