Re: HW Pearson and Military Crime

[billbir]

If he had a reduced sentence then it's possible he was released and then re-enlisted.

The problem with the LC man on the SWB is the enlistment date of 26/9/14 - the other 'C' numbers are pretty good at staying in date sequence.

Apologies, but I am not as expert as you guys. What does SWB etc., mean?

Also in an earlier post, I explained the timing of his children with my grandmother, which suggests that he did his 'time'. I cannot believe that he would have re-enlisted.

Craig

[MBrockway]

If he had a reduced sentence then it's possible he was released and then re-enlisted.

The problem with the LC man on the SWB is the enlistment date of 26/9/14 - the other 'C' numbers are pretty good at staying in date sequence.

Craig

Apologies, but I am not as expert as you guys. What does SWB etc., mean?

Also in an earlier post, I explained the timing of his children with my grandmother, which suggests that he did his 'time'. I cannot believe that he would have re-enlisted.

SWB = Silver War Badge

LC = Labour Corps

As regards re-enlisting, he would not have had a choice - conscription was in force from 1916.

[billbir]

SWB = Silver War BadgeLC = Labour CorpsAs regards re-enlisting, he would not have had a choice - conscription was in force from 1916.

Thanks for the explanation.

Regarding re-enlisting/conscription, why would the Army do that, if a civil court had sentenced him to 18 moths hard labour, which would have seen the War over? Could the Army intervene? Surely, they would have sent him overseas. My point is, whatever happened, he waited/ had to wait, almost 2 years, before having a 2nd child, with my grandmother. Are there no prison records, that would confirm, whether he served his sentence. I believe that it was Wandsworth where he served his time.

[MBrockway]

Thanks for the explanation.

Regarding re-enlisting/conscription, why would the Army do that, if a civil court had sentenced him to 18 moths hard labour, which would have seen the War over? Could the Army intervene? Surely, they would have sent him overseas. My point is, whatever happened, he waited/ had to wait, almost 2 years, before having a 2nd child, with my grandmother. Are there no prison records, that would confirm, whether he served his sentence. I believe that it was Wandsworth where he served his time.

He was sentenced to 18 months hard labour in January 1917. This sentence would have been completed in approx July 1918. The Armistice was not until Nov 1918 and conscription may have gone on longer with the needs of the Army of Occupation, operations in North Russia and elsewhere in the Empire.

If he was not deemed suitable by the Army to send overseas before the crime, he would still not have been deemed fit after he was released.

Our speculation he may have served his hard labour in a Labour Corps Home Service Employment Company sprang from a couple of MIC's for Pearsons with KRRC and LC service. This has now been superseded by Johnny Conn's identification of Harold through the Church Lads Brigade records as C/249 Pearson who only served with 16/KRRC, 19/KRRC and 109th Bn., Training Reserve. Since C/249 Pearson does not have an MIC (that we can find anyway!), this shows Harold never went overseas. Looks like you already have information that he served his time in civil prison at Wandsworth, which backs this up..