Attestation is when the man swears allegiance to King and country etc - in nomal times this was done when the man enlisted. However under the terms of the Derby Act all single men of a certain age had to register at their local town hall between 28th October and 31st December 1915 and thereafter when they reached the age of 18. When they registered they were either classed as a foreigner, medically unfit or dead (yes that's true) or required to attest and given four choices - join up immediately, go to the B Reserve and await call up, or promise to do these two things. If you chose the first two you were offered a choice of regiment (or navy). They began the call up in March 1916 but they do not seem to have taken much notice of choice as the numbers completely overwhelmed the bureaucracy. I can only assume from what you have written that he reached 18 in 1916 or was married (and was required to register after May 1916). and then was called up in 1917 - it usually took at least 3 months between registration (and attestation) and call up (ie enlistment) It is possible that he did his attestation at an RE depot. The other possibility is of course that if you have obtained copies of records from the National Archives you have got two different men. Regards John In message <004101c78091$419fe680$b4518690@KATE>, Kate <kburns2@bigpond.com> writes >Hello I am sorry to have to ask a question that may seem silly. >However, here goes: > >I have the Attestation record of my Grandfather which gives a Regiment >as Royal Engineers in 1916. I understand that part. I had found two >possible medal cards for him but > >The first gave an Enlistment date of 1917 and with the Royal West >Kent Regiment > >and the second no enlistment date at all, although the Royal West Kent >Regiment is stated. > >Would the two events be separate? > >I know (from WWII) that what men joined up was not ultimately where >they served i.e. my father joined the army as a driver, and >served/died as a gunner on a ship. Could this be a similar situation? > >Obviously I would like to get records (if available) for my >grandfather but realise many do not exist now. I accept I shall have >to record Served with .... >but want to get it right. > >Sorry to be so long winded. > >Kate > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >GREATWAR-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- John Chapman