2nd Bn Gordon Highlanders

[roughdiamond]

Hi folks

Thanks to the kindness of Louise (Verrico 2009) looking up my Grandfathers Medal Rolls at Kew, it confirmed a family rumour that he had deserted, his original Medal Roll reference has been lined through with the reference stating it was returned, and in the remarks column it states one word "DESERTER", he successfully reapplied for his medals in 1926 according to a new Medal Roll and on the original the word "deserted" was then lined through and a reference to the new Roll added, again thank you Louise.

One other mystery that's been solved by the medal roll is that he was 2nd Bn Gordons, according to the Long Long Trail, when he joined them in 1918 they were in Italy, in that case it would be almost impossible for him to desert from there, this is reinforced by the fact he is listed in a commemorative book compiled just after the War in his home town of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, listing those who'd served, something I doubt that would have happened if he'd been listed as a deserter at the time.

Going by his Service number, it's believed he was conscripted in late 1917 - early 1918, and I'm assuming in that case he'd be held in service while those with more service were de-mobilised.

My assumption from the above (there is a lot of this as his Service records don't seem to have survived) is that he must have deserted when the 2nd Bn returned from Italy, I was wondering if they returned to the UK or even Ireland as the latter is where he was supposed to have gone after desertion.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Sam

[Tom A McCluskey]

Hi Sam,

The Battalion, at cadre strength and with its colours, returned to Aberdeen on the 24th March 1919.

Aye

Tom McC

[roughdiamond]

Hi Sam,

The Battalion, at cadre strength and with its colours, returned to Aberdeen on the 24th March 1919.

Aye

Tom McC

Cheers Tom