Regimental Numbers

[Bill Smy]

Does anyone know when the assignment of regimental numbers began in the Canadian Army?

The 46th Foot (British Army) seem to have issued numbers as early as 1833. I wonder whether the practice in the Canadian Militia began about this time.

The Lincoln and Welland Regimental Museum hold a book entitled "Recruit Book No 2" which has entries for 1914-1919 for the 44th "Lincoln and Welland" Regiment. The numbers are 3 and 4 digits long, with a suffix letter which appears to designate the company in which he enrolled -- 434/H was assigned to a man joining H Company in Grimsby. Was this system a "local" one, or did other units use similar numbering?

 

[beaverpass]

Bill,

I looked in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial (advanced search feature) for some Canadian units that served in the Boer War, October 1899 - May 1902 and found most of the casualties have a "regimental number". Some examples:

Royal Canadian Dragoons - two or three digit number;
Royal Canadian Regiment - four digits;
Strathcona's - three digit;
Canadian Mounted Rifles - two or three digit.

I assume that there must have been some duplication of numbers between units, unless they were assigned blocks of numbers by some higher authority.

For WW 1, Canadian Expeditionary Force, there is a list of the regimental number blocks assigned to units. See the following link to Library and Archives Canada. There are 47 downloadable pages of number blocks assigned:

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/02015203_e.html

Cheers, Ken