TGM Posted 5 March , 2019 Share Posted 5 March , 2019 (edited) Good evening, All. I've stumbled across some interesting details and stories in newspaper articles for the period about army losses, theft and fraud which led me one or two of the appropriation accounts for said period. Has anyone studied army/navy/air force equipment/monetary losses due to theft/fraud? Edited 6 March , 2019 by TGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 6 March , 2019 Share Posted 6 March , 2019 Not studied particularly but one of the Surrey Association roll of honour men I researched was court martialled, imprisoned and discharged due to his involvement in the theft and sale of army blankets. Interestingly there are letters in the file from senior officers basically saying it's not fair to those who have volunteered that he should get away without dangerous service overseas due to his thievery. He did subsequently re-enlist, give false details as to previous service, and kept his nose clean. The letters in his original file did make me wonder if there was some (un)official connivance in his re-enlistment, which was almost straight after his release from prison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 6 March , 2019 Share Posted 6 March , 2019 There was rather frequent theft of horses and equipment with one British unit stealing from another - and in one case Australians stealing a horse from a British RFA battery, which two days later stole back that horse along with two other Australian horses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 6 March , 2019 Admin Share Posted 6 March , 2019 There was an enquiry into theft from military canteens http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6707059 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 6 March , 2019 Share Posted 6 March , 2019 I came across a case where a unit at Ypres left their packs just behind the line as they were rushed forward - they returned to find that the packs has been ransacked. Prime suspects would appear to have been a DLI battalion who were in the area but I don't think anything came of it. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGM Posted 10 March , 2019 Author Share Posted 10 March , 2019 (edited) Thank you, all above, for some interesting examples. I noted from a few newspaper articles and appropriation accounts some losses due to accidents/mishap, but some large scale losses suggest organised crime/opportunism: See article attached: The Times, 27 March 2017, p.5 Edited 10 March , 2019 by TGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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