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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Royal Marine Light infantry


abbrover

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Bertram Eaton Jones served in RMLI from Feb 1918 until Oct 1919. He was only born in March 1900 and therefore is shown as serving at Deal until Aug 18 and then Portsmouth Div from Aug 18 - 7 Feb 1919. On 8 Feb 1919 he was posted to Cleopatra where he served until 3 Nov 1919 (dates on his records are split - 8 Feb 1919 - 19 July 1919 + 20 July 1919 - 3 Oct 1919). I know that Cleopatra went to the Baltic. I'm trying to find out what he would have done in Russia. Would he have remained in board the Cleopatra throughout this time and been on shore patrols or would he have been part of 6th Bn. RMLI on land?

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6th RM Battalion was in North Russia, not the Baltic. If drafted to CLEOPATRA he would have been ship's company and served on board throughout.

Incidentally, he first enlisted in Plymouth Division RMLI in August 1916 but was discharged as under-age, having given his d.o.b. as 11 Mar 1898.

There is an attestation pack of papers for him at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. http://www.fleetairarm.com/royal-navy-royal-marines-services-records.aspx

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Thank you.

he actually enlisted 3 times during the war! He first tried in 1914 and his mother got him out. Then again in 1916 when it took her three months to find him and again get him discharged and then eventually he succeeded in enlisting in 1918. After all that his papers show him as "run" so it appears that after all his efforts he didn't like it!

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"Run" is simply the Naval term for "deserted". Different service different terminology :)

Interesting about the VG, though.

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"RUN" is the naval description of desertion used in documentation. A man, if recovered, would be charged with 'desertion' not 'running'. Character assessments are made on 31 December each year covering offences and punishments in the previous twelve months. The 'VG' character you are seeing is for the previous year. Had he been recovered, tried and found guilty of desertion his next assessment would have been 'Good' or lower.

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