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Friday 28 April 2017

Army Form B.267A - cavalry attestation



Here's a good example of an Army Form that can't seem to make it's mind up: poor old Army Form B.267A. One can hardly blame it for indecisiveness. After all, it doesn't even seem to have a proper place in Army Form hierarchy, somehow squeezed in between Army Form B.267 and Army Form B.268. The version above, printed by Ford & Tilt Ltd was printed in 1898 and professes to be for men wishing to join the Cavalry of the Line for Long Service; that is 12 years' service with the colours and no reserve commitment. Incidentally, Ford and Tilt Ltd had been acquired by Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd in 1884 although here we still see F&T appearing on this form. On later forms, this would become HWV.


Lo and behold, here's version 1 of the Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd B.267A: 6,000 copies printed in February 1900.


Skipping ahead somewhat to version 5, of the Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd form, these 2,500 copies printed in November 1903 are now for short service men who wish to join not the cavalry of the line but the household cavalry. Terms of enlistment are eight years with the colours and four years on the reserve.

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Version 6, Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd; 3,000 copies printed in March 1904.


This is still version six, albeit adapted to attest a man joining the line cavalry. The word "Household" has been summarily scored through.

I'll add the missing versions in, as and when I come across them (assuming I remember to do so). All of these images are Crown Copyright, The National Archives. 


Army Form B.133 - drivers


This attestation form for Army Service Corps drivers was first introduced in January 1903 in a print-run of 5000. Terms of service are clearly stated here as two years with the colours and ten years on the reserve.


The document was re-issued in various iterations over the coming years. The one above is the second version of this form which was printed in September 1903 in a print run of 5000 too.


This version of the form dates to May 1904 and was issued in a run of 15,000.


This version of Army Form B.133 dates to November 1905 and was printed in a run of 15,000. The obvious difference here is that this is now to be used for drivers enlisting with the Army Service Corps and the Royal Engineers. Month of printing, print-run quantity and version number appear on all of these documents in the top left hand-corner. HWV stands for Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd, the Aylesbury printers responsible for this rather nice contract with the British Army.


All images on this page are Crown Copyright, The National Archives.