Mercantile Marine Auxilliary to the Royal Garrison Artillery

[rj.hoare]

Probably placed this in the wrong forum, so I shall probably cut and paste into one or another!!

I have just picked up a 1914-15 Star named to H BEATTY AB MFA together with a 1914-1919 Victory Medal named to 174658 H BEATTIE RA.

Corporal (when did they become Bombadiers??), Henry BEATTIE is recorded as Killed in Action on the 9th April 1918 whilst serving with the 237th Siege Battery and he is buried in the Lillers Communal Cemetery, essentiallty a Casualty Clearing Stations, so he could really have come there badly wounded/injured from anywhere close by.

The service records for the MFA are apparently held by the Fleet Air Arm Museum and not the National Archives :-( They are thus not accessible to download or view online.

So I do wonder if Mr Beatty, having served in a theatre of war during 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915 (for the entitlement of the 1914-15 Star) then decided to join the 'regulars'?

Having downloaded the Medal Index Card for Henry BEATTIE, it only shows the normal scant detail, not even showing his death, but it also only shows that his sole entitlement being the 1914-18 War Medal and the 1914-1919 Victory Medal - which could indicate that they are different individuals??

That said, the cwgc site shows that Corporal BEATTIE also served in the Somaliland Campaign, thus he must surely also be entitled to the Africa General Service Medal 1902 - 1908 with one of the "SOMALILAND" clasps - 1908-10??

Perhaps they really are individuals with the same forename initial and a quite similar surname. I really wouldnt bother with this myself - except my interest has been piqued as Corporal BEATTIE came from Dover - which would fit in with him starting off serving at sea??

Any ideas?

Anyone?