Joining in a mutiny

[jennifer41]

I have broadened my Wesham research to include those that returned from the War as well as those that died. I have come across a service record that I am not quite sure I am reading correctly. Please could any forum members help.

The record on ancestry is quite badly damaged but 1 page reads:-

12.6.1919 sentenced to 5 years (rest of page missing)

joining in a mutiny (rest of page missing)

disobeying order

The next page

Admitted to Mil Prison Army of the Rhine Sieburg to undergo sentence of 3. yrs' P.S. sentence subsequently committed to 2 yrs I.H.L. Authy:-Rhine Army

NO.A.H./8126/116. dated 27.8.19

It doesn't look like he serves two years, I think he is discharged in 1919. Richard is in a machine gun company.

Does anyone have any information about a mutiny, (or I could have completely mis read this)

Thank you

Jennifer

[KevinBattle]

Off the top of my head, it would seem that the 3 years penal servitude was commuted to 2 years hard labour.

As this was in 1919, I'd suggest it may have something to do with men wanting release from the Army to get back home and to their jobs and families.

I'd imagine someone could identify what mutiny it was that he joined (not instigated, so presumably there were harsher sentences for the organisers) especially if you post which unit he was in.

Hope it helps until a learned Pal comes along.

[jennifer41]

Hi Kevin

Thank you for responding.

From what I can read of his record I think he was originally in the Loyals not sure which battalion. Having looked at their Regimental History it says the 2nd battalion left Siegburg on the 17th May, and this wasn't until later so I thought he could have been transfered???

I have reffered back to the mutiny thread on the forum which discusses the Southampton and Calasis mutinities, but they seemed earlier than this event so I am not sure how large scale or well documented an occurance this was.

Thanks again

Jennifer

[Moonraker]

There was disaffection, sometimes perceived as mutiny, in many areas and by most nationalities in 1919, mostly relating to delays over being demobilised, sometimes exacerbated by lack of transport to ship Dominion troops back home.

At Sling Camp on Salisbury Plain in mid-March 1919 New Zealanders angered at the shipping delays raided messes, stealing cigarettes, beer and food, and destroying furniture and furnishings. Four sergeants and various privates were court-martialled for "endeavouring to persuade persons to mutiny" and "in joining in a mutiny". Three of the four sergeants were reduced to private and sentenced to up to six months' imprisonment and hard labour; privates received up to 100 days.

At nearby Durrington Camp in July 1919, men of the 3rd West Yorkshire Regiment refused to parade with fighting equipment, leading to seventeen with the longest service being court-martialled. They argued that they had joined only for the duration of the war and, as "Peace had been signed", they were not going to do any more training; they had also resented the company sergeant-major calling them "a lot of ********", though he claimed he had said "a lot of Bolshevists". The accused were sentenced to between twelve and twenty-one months' hard labour, remitted to nine months. One was acquitted of a charge of leading 200 men in an attempt to release prisoners from the guardroom, and a second from a charge of yelling for it to be burned down, the latter's defence being that having been gassed he could not shout.

At Chisledon Camp near Swindon, machine-guns had to be trained on rebellious Home Service men impatient to return to Civvy Street.

Moonraker

Ah! The automatic forum censor has substituted asterisks for the original word, which relates to illegitimacy!

[jennifer41]

Thank you Moonraker

Regards

Jennifer

[Michael Johnson]

Interesting. The sentence is the same as that received by a Northumberland Fusilier in 1916 for desertion. He ended up back at the front to be wounded for a second or third time.

[corisande]

There is an (incomplete) list of mutinies here

You probably need to dig into the exact meaning of "mutiny" in British Army, as that is what he was sentenced for

For example how many men make a mutiny, it has to be more than one man refusing to obey orders

The Western Front Assoc has an interesting piece on mutinies here

And for those readers who don't do links, I will add two snippets from that link

The definition of mutiny in the British Armed Services as set down in Mutiny Act of 1689 (and still valid as part of the 1913 Army Act), was astonishingly broad: 'Organised act of disobedience or defiance by two or more members of the armed services'. In practice, capital punishment has usually been reserved for the so-called 'ring-leaders' of mutiny in time of war.

From 1914 to 1920, only 1,800 British servicemen were court-martialed for mutiny with, incredibly, the Western Front accounting for only 42 such charges.

[jennifer41]

Thank you for the second link Corisande. I had not read that before.

Jennifer