RFR Obligations & What happened if not kept?

[rolt968]

Robert Fairweather Mitchell, Chatham 292400, Stoker (two of whose brothers have already appeared in threads on GWF) joined the navy on 16 June 1899, signing on for twelve years. He was invalided out on 10 November 1904.

He married in Dundee in 1907 giving his occupation as engine attendant (I assume that is a factory engine).

On 25 July 1908, he joined the RFR as Chatham B5211. (Presumably whatever he was invalided out with had cleared up?)

 

He went to the USA in April/May1909 and was joined by his wife the following year and didn't come back although he wasn't naturalised until July 1918.

I have not yet found that he was registered for the draft - presumably he should have been.

I have all sorts of vague questions about this. To start with the most obvious:

For how long would he have committed himself to the RFR?

Should he have cleared his trip to the USA with navy?

Would the authorities have taken any steps against him?

RM

Edited 22 April , 2019 by rolt968

[horatio2]

You may find answers to your questions in the 1914 RFR Regulations here:- http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~pbtyc/genealogy/RFR/RFR.html

[rolt968]

1 hour ago, horatio2 said:

You may find answers to your questions in the 1914 RFR Regulations here:- http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~pbtyc/genealogy/RFR/RFR.html

Many thanks, Horatio,

I knew you would know where to look. I will read that.

RM

[DavidOwen]

RM

 

He was drafted in the US September 12th 1918. Occupation given as Railroad Engineer (married to Elizabeth Germain Mitchell?). Draft location given as Cleveland City, Ohio.

Link to draft card (may need to set up a free account) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G1DW-SZJ9?i=2510&cc=1968530. The information says he was US born but the actual card says "No" under Native Born.

 

Regards

David

 

 

[rolt968]

On ‎23‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 09:44, DavidOwen said:

RM

 

He was drafted in the US September 12th 1918. Occupation given as Railroad Engineer (married to Elizabeth Germain Mitchell?). Draft location given as Cleveland City, Ohio.

Link to draft card (may need to set up a free account) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G1DW-SZJ9?i=2510&cc=1968530. The information says he was US born but the actual card says "No" under Native Born.

 

Regards

David

 

 

Thanks for the link, David.

That is him. His wife's name was Elizabeth Murray Ternan [Mitchell].

 

It can be a bit confusing. There were two Robert F Mitchells, both about the same age (& born in Scotland, I think) in the US at the time. I have found army "transportation" documents for the other Robert F on ancestry. Incidentally he was also registered for the draft in 1942, aged fifty nine.

 

RM

Edited 24 April , 2019 by rolt968

[rolt968]

This is bizarre! I have asked the ancestry search engine to find that Draft registration several times his week - nothing. This morning it turned up at the top of the list!

 

(Incidentally I have found yet another brother who was also a stoker (chief stoker) went into RFR and served in WW1 in his 50s. (I'm slightly loosing track without my notes but I think that makes four brothers who were stokers in addition to the brother who was a marine killed at Coronel.))

 

I don't think that there is any evidence that Robert F Michell actually called up.

 

RM

 

[vetteheadracer]

Robert Fairweather Mitchell's older brother Charles Chalmers Mitchell was a Royal Marine Light Infantry Private and went down with the HMS Monmouth on 1st November 1914 as part of the Battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile. His brother James Low Mitchell was a Royal Naval Stoker. His brother Alexander McKay Mitchell (my great-grandfather) was also a Royal Navy Stoker.

 

[rolt968]

On 11/01/2024 at 14:48, vetteheadracer said:

Robert Fairweather Mitchell's older brother Charles Chalmers Mitchell was a Royal Marine Light Infantry Private and went down with the HMS Monmouth on 1st November 1914 as part of the Battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile. His brother James Low Mitchell was a Royal Naval Stoker. His brother Alexander McKay Mitchell (my great-grandfather) was also a Royal Navy Stoker.

 

I came upon the information about the brothers when researching Charles Chalmers Mitchell who is commemorated on the Tannadice (Angus) war memorial. I don't have my notes but I think that at least two of his brothers are commemorated on the Tannadice rolls of honour.

RM

[vetteheadracer]

James Low Mitchell 

Service Number 279717

Served on HMS Minotaur just before the start of WW1
Also served on HMS Prince George - battleship, HMS New Zealand - battlecruiser. HMS King Alfred - armoured cruiser 

There was also another brother Stewart Forbes Mitchell who died aged 14 from an accidental hanging!

One of Jame's sons Gordon served in WW2 and was an air gunner on ship launch Walrus based on HMS Dorsetshire. He died in the Seychelles when his plane caught fire and crashed. He received the DSM a few months prior to his death, haven't yet worked out what it was for.