aradgick Posted 20 September , 2013 Share Posted 20 September , 2013 I have an interesting story about a pair of twin brothers, R and V. R joined the Royal Artillery in 1901 (aged barely 15), and served for 6 years before being "discharged with ignomy". Meanwhile, V was working with horses on a local farm as a stable assistant. Six days after the outbreak of war, R volunteered for service, using his brother's name. He served for seven months, and was then killed in action. His service record exists, and his real identity was discovered by the time his effects were being returned to the family. However, I cannot find a medal card for his twin brother (using either his real name or his brother's!). How likely would it be for him to have served with something like the A.S.C. at a Remount Depot in the UK for the entire war? Andrewr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 20 September , 2013 Share Posted 20 September , 2013 Do you know for certain that his brother did serve ? Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aradgick Posted 20 September , 2013 Author Share Posted 20 September , 2013 No I don't Craig. I'm trying to look at all the angles. Andrewr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 21 September , 2013 Share Posted 21 September , 2013 Hello Andrewr Assuming that the real V was within the age limits for conscription, he would probably have been called up in 1916. Whilst it was not possible to "wangle" yourself a permanent home posting, he may have been passed as fit for home service only, or he may have been exempted from Army service by being in a "starred" occupation (reserved, in WW2 parlance), which included agriculture. If he was the only remaining son, his parents might have been able to claim exemption for him as their sole support, especially if his mother was a widow. It is just possible that, if the Army knew of his brother's discharge with ignominy, they decided that they simply didn't want him, but given the pressure on manpower in 1917 and 1918 this is fairly unlikely. The male population of the UK in 1914 was about 23 million of whom about one-third were of military age. Only about 5.3 million actually served, so there was still a large number of men of those ages eligible to serve but who didn't. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aradgick Posted 21 September , 2013 Author Share Posted 21 September , 2013 Thanks Ron, a lot of food for thought there. He certainly wasn't the only one of the family left at home, the two brothers came from a family of eleven, and lost three sons in the conflict. In the 1911 census, he was working as a helper in stables at a private address in London. But given his brother was only 5 feet 3 inches tall, it is possible that V may have been unfit for overseas service if he smaller/weaker. Andrewr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 21 September , 2013 Share Posted 21 September , 2013 maybe as he had "died" they didn't call him up - an admin oversight ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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