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Remembered Today:

Pte Thomas Rendall, Scots Guards: Two Soldier's Wills


rolt968

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Pte Thomas Rendall, 14685, 2 Scots Guards was killed in action on 21 May 1918. There are two soldier's wills in scotlandspeople.

 

One unfortunately dated 4 October (no year) is made Form B 243 (paybook pages 28 and 29). Also unfortunately it also only gives Scots Guards (no battalion) - actually "In the Scots Regiment of Foot Guards". As with all the Scots Guards wills of the time it is correctly witnessed by two other Scots Gauardsmen. Everything is left to Thomas Rendall's father.

 

The other will is on form W 327 (Used for leaving all the soldier's property to one person). It was made on 22 December 1917. Again everything was left to his father and again it is correctly witnessed by what might be civilian (no rank given) and a l/sgt (no unit given). Both witnesses give addresses not units.

 

I am trying to work out why there were two wills. I wonder if the paybook will was made just before going overseas which seems to have been very common in the Scots Guards in which case it would refer to October 1916 (he enlisted on 14 November 1915 and arrived in Dundee having been wounded on a hospital train on 12 December 1916). That still wouldn't explain why there is a second surviving will.

 

RM

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They would have gone through his belongings on death and the standing instruction was to forward the pay-book where there was a Will within it. The battalion wouldn't have necessarily known there was another Will when they sent on his pay-book, that would have been someone else's worry further down the chain.

 

Craig

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7 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

They would have gone through his belongings on death and the standing instruction was to forward the pay-book where there was a Will within it. The battalion wouldn't have necessarily known there was another Will when they sent on his pay-book, that would have been someone else's worry further down the chain.

 

Craig

Thanks Craig.

That suggests to me that the paybook will is the later. I suppose he may have copied it from paybook to paybook but he must have found witnesses each time. I think I will try to track down the witnesses.

RM

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And I was wrong, I think.

I have now found his soldier's record (FMP). He was posted from 3 (Reserve) Scots Guards to 2 Scots Guards on 5 October 1916 which probably accounts for the will dated 4 October. After being invalided home (see another thread) he was posted back 2 Scots Guards on 28 December 1917.

I wonder if the army was faced with the same problem that I had and did not know which will was later and hence retained and processed both. (A nightmare if they had been different!)

RM

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15 minutes ago, rolt968 said:

And I was wrong, I think.

I have now found his soldier's record (FMP). He was posted from 3 (Reserve) Scots Guards to 2 Scots Guards on 5 October 1916 which probably accounts for the will dated 4 October. After being invalided home (see another thread) he was posted back 2 Scots Guards on 28 December 1917.

I wonder if the army was faced with the same problem that I had and did not know which will was later and hence retained and processed both. (A nightmare if they had been different!)

RM

With two wills I would suspect the army would keep copies of both to make sure that they could deal with queries - if there were competing wills then I would guess the standard procedure would be to let the Probate Court decide on the evidence (most recent written one is usually taken as correct but could be challenged). In respect of the war gratuity I have seen the war office stating they retained the right to pay the monies as they saw fit but obviously any wages etc would have to be dealt with.

 

Craig

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Thanks Craig.

It's interesting. The Scots Guards seem to have been quite rigorous getting men going overseas to make wills (indeed witnessed wills). It looks as if Thomas Rendall was still told to make a will even although he was going overseas for the second time and had made a will the first time.

RM

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