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The accompanying photographs of Edwin Perchard
are interesting in that they fairly accurately reflect
three of the stages of his brief military career during
the Great War. The Group's research had shown that he
had progressed through the following regiments:
- The Royal Militia Island of Jersey where Edwin had
been a member of the 2nd (East) Battalion
- The Royal Jersey Garrison Battalion (RJGB) following
the suspension of Jersey's Militia after the 1917 Military
Service Act was enacted and male Islanders were deemed
to have enlisted in the British Army
- The Dorsetshire Regiment, and finally
- The King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC).
It is not known when Edwin transferred to the KRRC, but
he appears to have been part of a batch of 55 Jerseymen
who joined the Dorsets in the regimental number range
31131 to 31196, the bulk of whom were sent on to other
regiments and corps. In transferring to the KRRC, Edwin
was accompanied by another 32 Jerseymen, and their numbers
ranged from 45063 to 45097. These transfers between regiments
were a fact of life for private soldiers during the Great
War, largely due to the casualties experienced by particular
units at various stages. A batch arriving in France and
intended for a Battalion of one Regiment would, as was
possible in Edwin's case, be broken up and sent as drafts
to other under-strength Battalions.
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Edwin, as a Private, and the French soldier (whose
collar badges indicates that he was with the 47e Régiment
d'Infanterie from St Malo) both holding the little girl's
hands, shows Edwin with the Militia cap badge. But,
unfortunately, without further information as to the
date, it is not known whether it was during his service
with the Militia or the RJGB, since the cap badge remained
the same for both.
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The second picture of Edwin shows him
wearing the Dorsetshire Regiment's cap badge
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