Temp. 2/Lt went to Acting Captain 20/8/17 by "Spec. Appt."

[WilliamRev]

As ever I am on the trail of my Grandad's progress in WW1...

He rejoined his battalion, 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers, in June 1917 after nearly a year of recovering from being wounded on the Somme (Bazentin Ridge18/7/16) still a (temporary) 2nd Lieut. On 20th Aug 17 he was made Acting Captain by "Spec. Appt." which I suppose is "Special Appointment". Scan of list shown below.

What does this mean exactly? He was a relatively junior temp 2nd Lieut in the battalion and seems to have leap-frogged over a dozen or so more senior 2nd Lieuts and Lieuts, both temp and regular - is that what Special Appointment means, or is it something else altogether?

Any thoughts very welcome; thanks!

William

[David B]

Is is possible that after away from the regiment for nearly a year there were not too many 2nd Lieuts and Lieuts left after the Somme battles that were more senior to him ?

[WilliamRev]

Is is possible that after away from the regiment for nearly a year there were not too many 2nd Lieuts and Lieuts left after the Somme battles that were more senior to him ?

Yes, I had thought that, especially since 8th Brigade suffered so many officer casualties at Arras; but I think that 2nd Lieuts More (temp), Hutcheon (temp), Shute (temp), Fawcett (regular), Henderson (regular), Payne (regular) and Lieuts. Scott (regular), Lochhead (temp), Cunynghame (regular), Dalziel (regular) and Harrison(regular) were all senior to him and theoretically with the battalion and might have been considered for captaincy. Perhaps several were away wounded that I haven't spotted? I'll see if I can tell from the war diary.

William

[WilliamRev]

I have been thinking about this today, and now think that my grandfather was made Acting-Captain: firstly because he was already in "A" Company, which is the company which he was given command of, and: secondly because he was relatively fresh and rested having arrived back with the battalion just after Arras in mid-1917, and I think many of the other officers were exhausted.

But I am still keen to learn what exactly a "special appointment" was and how it worked. I have looked at the explanatory notes at the end of the (1918) Army Lists, and I can't find a reference to it.

William

[charlesmessenger]

Special Appointment indicates that he was not serving with the Battalion, but was in a Captain's post on the staff or elsewhere in August 1917. Have you looked at his personal file at National Archives, Kew - WO 339/55004? It might indicate what this job was.

Charles M

[Old Owl]

William,

I have just checked the London Gazette and found the following entries:

L.G. 9/11/17, T/2Lt S.Revels to be A/Capt whilst commanding a company, date 20/8/17

L.G. 14/12/17, T/2Lt S.Revels retains the acting rank of captain, date 1/10/17

Judging from this I would say that the 'spec. appt.' referred to in the Army List may be a misnoma in this case, because I would have thought that this would have refered to an appointment such as an A.D.C. or similar, which it does not appear to be in this case?

Robert

[charlesmessenger]

Having also looked at the London Gazette, that for 11/2/18 states that he is with a military mission and I think that this is what the special appointment was. His personal file will probably reveal which one it was.

Charles M

[WilliamRev]

Many thanks Charles and Robert - I do have his full service record from Kew (50 pages or more because his three woundings generated a fair amount of paperwork) and there is no mention at all of his appointment to the British Mission to the American Expeditionary Force.

In Feb 1918 the London Gazette has the appointment dated 11 Feb 1918 - I remember him telling me about this: he was sometimes back with his battalion and sometimes teaching US officers during 1918. I have a letter from his private papers, dated 8th Sept 1918, sending him to join the US 88th Division at Rouen [and in 1919, when he had recovered from his wounds, he was in the USA with the British Mission, but left them in 1920 to go back to Glasgow University to study medicine.]

But I suppose it is perfectly possible that he was officially attached to the British Mission much earlier, i.e. in summer 1917, but lent back to his battalion for a spell because the American army did not arrive as soon as was hoped!

He commanded A Company 1st RSF August 1917 - spring 1918 (including at 3rd Ypres when on 26th/27th Sept he was one of just four officers in the battalion out of twenty not killed/wounded), and was back again with his battalion commanding D Company in late October 1918 (when he was wounded again - a faceful of mustard gas blinded him for several weeks).

If anyone has anymore thoughts I's be keen to hear them - the more the merrier

William