Where are the Blankshires?

On memorials such as the Menin Gate or Thiepval (and indeed on all CWGC memorials) the casualties are given in Army List order, which is neither alphabetical nor geographical. The following guide may help visitors to discover where a regiment's casualties may be found. The column headed 'SD' indicates in which part of Soldiers Died in the Great War the regiment will be found, and 'O' denotes Officers Died in the Great War. The Heading '1881' indicates the number of the 'marching regiments of Foot' which were the predecessors of the regiments of 1914. The offical names during the War are as given below, but several were slightly changed in the early 1920s, such as the old 19th Regiment, which added to its title officially in 1921 its long-standing nickname The Green Howards.

The word 'The' has here been omitted from the official title in every case, in order to save space. The regimental names appearing on headstones and memorials are normally shortened to retain the geographic location but dropping attributions such as 'Prince of Wale's Own'. Australian, Canadian, New Zealander, South African, Indian and other Imperial troops are found after the end of United Kingdom troops. The basic order: cavalry - artillery - engineers - infantry - services is preserved within each dominion, but as most of these troops are from numbered regiments, they are easier to find. Finally, don't forget that some soldiers' names were originally omitted but have since been added at the very end of the list.

Article from Stand To! Number 49, 1997