Walter Freeborough

He enlisted at Leicester 1/9/1914 and was placed in the Special Reserve. He was deprived of 4 days' pay for misconduct 5/7/1916 and awarded 14 days' detention 20/7/1915. He was posted 9/9/1915.

Special Reserve This was a form of part-time soldiering, in some ways similar to the Territorial Force. Men would enlist into the Special Reserve for 6 years and had to accept the possibility of being called up in the event of a general mobilisation and otherwise undertake all the same conditions as men of the Army Reserve. Their period as a Special Reservist started with six months full-time training (paid the same as a regular) and they had 3-4 weeks training per year thereafter. A man who had not served as a regular could extend his SR service by up to four years but could not serve beyond the age of 40. A former regular soldier who had completed his Army Reserve term could also re-enlist as a Special Reservist and serve up to the age of 42. All regiments had a unit (or more) dedicated to the administration and training of the Special Reservists. David Nunn