James Brown

He attested 13/8/1908 claiming to be 18 years and 4 months old. Census and CWGC data suggests he was about two years younger than this. Standing 5' 5" tall and weighing 106 lbs, he was placed in the Sherwood Foresters Special Reserve. He was mobilised on the outbreak of hostilities.

Ploegsteert Memorial, Hainaut, Belgium 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. David Nunn