Changes
to teh numbering of TF Royal Engineers was promulgated in
Army Council Instruction (ACI) 2243 of 1916, published on
1 December 1916, which also dealt with changes in the arrangements
for RE TF records, pay and other administrative matters. These
arrangements were to take effect from 1 January 1917, but
were later postponed until 1 February 1917. Although not explicitly
stated in ACIs, it is likely these postponements also applied
to renumbering.
Those
soldiers defined as TF were renumbered with numbers from
400001 upwards. Men retained these numbers for as
long as they served in the RE, even if they were subsequently
posted to a regular RE unit. The detailed allocation
of numbers to TF units is shown below, together with the
County Territorial Association(s) responsible for the unit.
The
only RE TF units not allocated blocks of numbers were RE
TF anti-aircraft units - men in these were given numbers
from the allocation of their original TF unit (presumably
they were considered as 'attached' to anti-aircraft units).
RE
soldiers who were designated regulars for renumbering were
identifiable as such by their numbers: 1 - 400000. They
retained this number as long as they served in RE, even
if they were later posted to a TF RE unit.
A
regular soldier who transferred to the RE from the another
arm of service, or who was posted to an RE unit from Army
Reserve Class B was allocated a regular number, irrespective
of whether he joined a regular or TF unit.
From
1 January 1917 every man enlisted into the RE, or transferred
from another arm, was dealt with as a regular soldier and
allocated a regular number.