View Full Version : Professional Drill Instructor
fogmog
25-04-2008, 11:31 PM
Hi
Does anyone know if a Professional Drill Instructor was attached to the army or how exactly one became a Professional Drill Instructor for the army?
Thanks
hughar
26-04-2008, 9:05 AM
Not necessarily related to the Army. Could have been with the Navy, the Police, at a Public School or similar. Also there was a period when 'drill' was a popular fitness sport - try a Google search for "Swedish Drill" or "Indian Clubs" (with the quotes) for examples.
Toronto
26-04-2008, 10:21 PM
When in the forces you could apply for various courses that were posted on the barrack wall. The forces would send you away to be trained as a drill instructor or you could apply when joining, but you still had to be to forces standards and trained by them. In my case as a British Paratrooper, I think they hammered them out in a forge, they were as tough as steel.
Regards
Mike Morris
Toronto Canada
fogmog
29-04-2008, 3:27 AM
This gentleman John Woodman is an ancestor of a cousin of mine. He was born about 1839 and began his career as an instructor early inthe 1860's. He met and married his wife while in Halifax Novia Scotia and worked in Ireland and around Liverpool as an Instructor before moving to Northamptonshire. He was definitely with the Army. I have a feeling he was an NCO attached to the army. The 1881 census shows his occupation as Drill Instructor (Professor) but I think they mean Professional. Would he still have been army trained even though it was mid 19th Century?
Fogmog
Geoffers
29-04-2008, 7:41 AM
This gentleman John Woodman is an ancestor of a cousin of mine. He was born about 1839 and began his career as an instructor early inthe 1860's..........He was definitely with the Army
If you know he was in the Army - do you know in which regiment he served? Did he marry, or have any children whilst serving in the army.
If you have a regiment - it would be a lot easier to trace any army records for this period.
hughar
29-04-2008, 10:05 AM
The annotation 'Professor' next to his occupation in the 1881 census was not written by the Census Enumerator, but was probably written by a Clerk when the information was being classified for analysis. In that case, it should be ignored.
The 1881 census entry for John W Woodman shows him with a wife and daughter born in Canada, and three sons born in Liverpool, Ireland and Northampton. If he was in the Army the relevant marriage and birth certificates should give details of his rank and regiment.
I note that by 1891 he is a Collector for a Friendly Society, with a different wife and more children. The change of occupation would be consistent with him having left the Army. And incidentally, he is also on the 1851 census for Hammersmith, age 12.
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