Search British Army, Northumberland Fusiliers 1881-1920

Each record includes a transcript of information found about the individual from a variety of sources. The amount of detail in each record can vary, but most will include:

• Name
• Residence
• Enlistment date
• Enlistment place
• Service number
• Rank
• Battalion
• Transfer to/from
• Discharge date
• Cause of discharge
• Wounded/sick
• Notes – details about service, age, medals received and more
• Source

The transcripts were created by Graham Stewart. The information comes from over 70 sources including medal rolls, service records, medal index cards, battalion histories and St George’s Gazette, the regimental paper.

This infantry regiment was first formed in 1674 and in order of regimental precedence was the 5th Regiment of Foot. In 1782 it received regional distinction and became the 5th (the Northumberland) Regiment of Foot. On St George’s Day 1836 the Fusiliers title - 5th Regiment of Foot (Northumberland Fusiliers) – was added and from 1 July 1881, as a result of changes introduced by Lord Cardwell and latterly Secretary of War, Hugh Childers, the regimental number was lost and the regiment became simply The Northumberland Fusiliers.

The names in these records include men who fought in the Fourth Ashanti War (1895-1896), Sudan, Boer War, North West Frontier and First World War. The regiment received battle honours for Modder River and South Africa during the second Boer War. By the First World War, the Northumberland Fusiliers was the second largest infantry regiment in the British Army – the London Regiment was the largest. During the Great War, the regiment received 67 battle honours with 5 Victoria Crosses awarded for gallantry. Over 16,000 infantrymen lost their lives during the conflict. During the interwar years, the regiment was given a ‘royal’ prefix and became the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. Today, a Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland is located in Abbot’s Tower, part of Alnwick Castle.

Nicknames for the regiment include: Fighting Fifth, The Shiners, Wellington's Bodyguards and Old and the bold. Their motto is ‘Quo Fata Vocant,’ which means ‘Whither the Fates call.’

Within the records there are a number of abbreviations. We have broken them down by the field where you can find them.

Rank

a-; a/; T/ Acting or Temporary Rank - i.e. a/SGT

AB Able Bodied Seaman

CLR/SGT Colour Sergeant

CPL Corporal

CQMS Company Quartermaster Sergeant

CSM Company Sergeant Major

L/CPL Lance Corporal

L/SGT Lance Sergeant

LS Leading Seaman

OS Ordinary Seaman

PO Petty Officer

PTE Private

RSM Regimental Sergeant Major

SGT Sergeant

WOI or WOII Warrant Officer 1st Class or 2nd Class

Battalion

(H.S.)GSN (Home Service) Garrison - Battalion or Company

(Y.S.) (Young Soldier) Battalion

BN or Bn Battalion

Birthplace

I.O.M. Instructor of Musketry

Source

(S.T.H.) "Sick to Hospital" (from 1/6th Battalion War Diary)

1/4th BOOK Book-"When Lantern of Hope, Burned Low"

16H 16th Battalion History

17H 17th Battalion History

18H 18th Battalion History

19H 19th Battalion History

7H 7th Battalion History

7RB 'D' Company 1/7th Roll Book

9H 9th Battalion History

14/15SR 1914-15 Star Medal Roll

ACG Alnwick & County Gazette

AL Army List of Officers

APM Assistant Provost Marshall Reports

AUSTA Australian Archive Records

AVL Absent Voters List

AWOL Absent Without Leave

B108D Section 'D' Discharge Certificate

B2079 Discharge Certificate 1920s

BJB British Jewry Book

BO Battalion Part II Orders

CIVS Book - "Civilian Soldier" by George Harbottle formerly 1/6th Battalion

CRB Company Roll Book

DA Durham Advertiser

DYCH Newcastle Daily Chronicle

EL Red Cross 'Enquiry Lists'

EBAY Medals seen on Ebay

FAMILY Details from Family

GWF Great War Forum

IC Illustrated Chronicle

IH Book - 'Irish Heroes in the War'

JIM Jim Parker - M.G.C. Researcher

JSC John Sheen collection (researched named post cards)

L.G. Lewis Gun

LG London Gazette

M/CARD Memorial Card (Bromilow Collection)

M/L Dealers Medal List

MH106 Public Record Office Medical Health Records (MH106)

MIC Medal Index Cards

MR British War Medal & Victory Medal Roll Books

NDJ Newcastle Daily Journal

NC Newcastle Chronicle

NE Northern Echo

NER/ROH North Eastern Railways Roll of Honour

NERM North Eastern Railway Magazine

NJ Newcastle Journal

NROH National Roll of Honour

OCA FORM Old Comrades Association Form

OCAF Old Contemptible Application Form

ODGW Officers Died in the Great War

PC Post Card in Collection

PG Police Gazette

PHOTO Photograph in my collection

PHOTO (ALG) Photo (Alnwick Gazette)

PMFL Princess Mary’s Fund List

POEM Wrote Poem

PSR Petty Sessions Register (Letter indicates court-e.g. PSRN = Newcastle)

PWR Pre-War Regular

QM Quaysider Magazine

RB Roll Book

RDCMR Royal Defence Corps Medal Rolls

RECORDS Burnt & Unburnt Attestation Papers

RGSRB Royal Grammar School, Newcastle - Roll Book

RNDR Royal Naval Division Records

SAD Book-"Shot at Dawn"

SDGW Soldiers Died in the Great War

SDRH Smith's Dock Roll of Honour

SGG St George’s Gazette

SGG(PHOTO) Photo in St George’s Gazette

SHROH Sheffield Roll of Honour

SR Service Records

SRB Section Roll Book

SWB Silver War Badge Rolls

TCMR Tank Corps Medal Rolls

WGR Commonwealth War Graves Register

Discharge

KIA Killed in Action

POW Prisoner of War

WD War Diary (Number indicates the battalion - 9WD etc)

Notes

A.C.E. Army Certificate of Education

Att'd Attached

C.C.S. Casualty Clearing Station

C.o.E. Certificate of Education

Coy Company

D.C.M. Distinguished Conduct Medal

F.G.C.M. Field General Court Martial

F.P.No.1 Field Punishment and the number

G.C.B. Good Conduct Badge

G.C.P. Good Conduct Pay

GSW Gun Shot Wound

I.B.D. Infantry Base Depot

I.G.S.M. Indian General Service Medal

L.S.G.C. Long Service Good Conduct Medal

L.T.M.B. Light Trench Mortar Battery

M.C. Military Cross

M.G.Coy Machine Gun Company

M.I.D. Mentioned in Despatches

M.M. Military Medal

M.M.(France) French Medal Militaire - also awarded by Belgium & Italy

M.S.M. Meritorious Service Medal

MIA Missing in Action

N.W.F. Medal Clasp - North West Frontier

O.O.M. Order of Merit - a Regimental distinction

Pltn Platoon

PTI Physical Training Instructor

S.O.M. School of Musketry

S.O.S. Struck off Strength

S.R.L.S.G.C. Special Reserve Long Service Good Conduct Medal

Sect'n Section

T.E.M. Territorial Efficiency Medal

T.O.S. Taken on Strength

T.R.B. Training Reserve Battalion

TBE Transferred Before Embarkation

W&MIA Wounded & Missing in Action

W&POW Wounded & Prisoner of War

W.A.F.F. West African Field Force

Z21 Discharge Certificate 1919