17th Regiment of Foot

[Nperez1986]

I'm doing some research for years now. I've acquire a P1853 enfield that was assigned to the 17th Regiment of Foot. For the rifle, it was used in the Crimean war, brought to Afghanistan as either surplus or with the Indian Aux. units as since the British used Henry Martinis in the 2nd Anglo War. Here is a link with the enfield's pics. I'm trying to find out who was assigned this rifle at the time of the Crimean war. To place a name, and hopefully a face to who is the past carried this now 150+ yr old rifle. Any assistance would greatly help!
http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=40710

[crimea1854]

I've looked at the medal roll for the 17th in the Crimea, but of those regt. numbers that can be read they are all 4 digit numbers. I also checked the roll for the 17th in Afghanistan, and although I got close i.e. 775, I could find no 773.

Martin

[GrantRCanada]

The first two numbers you indicate would indeed represent the 1st Battalion of the 17th Foot, but '773' is merely a 'stand number' (i.e. a unit inventory/control number marked on a particular 'stand of arms' - i.e. rifle, bayonet, scabbard, etc. - when it had been received by that unit). In other words, it is not the regimental number of an individual soldier. Unfortunately, it is usually impossible to trace individual issuance of a particular rifle in British military service, in the absence of surviving specific regimental records for the period in question which document the stand numbers and the individuals to whom they were issued.

Such a record would likely comprise little more than a double column of numbers, with one number in each row being the stand number and the other being the regimental number of the man issued with that stand of arms (e.g. "773 - 4321" would denote that Stand of Arms No. 773 had been issued to Regimental Number 4321"). Although Rolls of Regimental Numbers may be available, such a record of arms issuance is likely to be the "missing link" I'm afraid.

[Mark]

Has anyone traced a musket or rifle to an individual soldier who carried it on campaign? I have not heard of this happening before myself.

Mark

[GrantRCanada]

Has anyone traced a musket or rifle to an individual soldier who carried it on campaign? I have not heard of this happening before myself.

Pretty rare occurrence, I believe!

As I say, if one were to be so lucky as to locate unit records containing specific arms issuance information covering the period that firearm was on issue with the unit (which would likely only indicate the regimental number of the man issued with a particular rifle) and if the appropriate regimental rolls are also available, then it should be possible.

Matter of fact, I just may have been of some assistance in the first possible such case that I know of ..... A chap recently posted on the British Militaria Forums about a Canadian-issue Snider-Enfield rifle he had just acquired, clearly marked as having been on issue with the Prince Edward Island Garrison Artillery (always a very small unit, as you can imagine) with a nice, distinct "stand of arms" number -



I "Googled" the name of the unit on a whim, and discovered that the PEI Archives hold some records for the unit .... comprising, among other things, itemized lists of battalion-held equipment and accoutrements, including "..... a list of individuals possessing rifles and accoutrements"! You may rest assured that I have "strongly encouraged" the chap to follow up on this! He has promised to let me know if he finds out anything useful!