Time Expired

[David Davis]

My grandfather William Thomas Vincent Tiffen served with the British Army from 1901 - 1909 in the South Wales Borderers. He was discharged in Quetta that year. I used to have his discharge papers but I've given them to a younger relative who is keen on pursuing a career in the armed services. In red ink, on the top of the discharge papers there is a note stating that he had re-enlisted in the same regiment in July 1913 for a further four years, which would have meant that his time would have expired in July 1917.

In September 1918 he was mentioned in dispatches and he was awarded the Military Medal in November 1918 while serving with the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment. He must have been keen!

Did men who had served their time have the option of staying on in the army in 1917 or were they forced to continue until the end of the war?

[ss002d6252]

In 1917 his option to leave was gone on the basis of simply being time expired although there was am age clause if I remember correctly.

Also, he couldn't have been time expired before 1918 as wartime service automatically added a year on to his period of service.

Craig