MSA or Derby man?

[TEW]

Only have an 'enlistment' date from a SWB roll which gives 2/3/16. BORN 25/3/1897 so the date is just short of 19th birthday. Never married. No evidence for fibbing about age.

 

Date is one day before the MSA groups for single men closed.

 

Derby and MSA seem to put him in class 1 and Derby scheme would have him mobilised Feb-Mar 1916 which he was.

 

Is it possible to determine if he was Derby or under MSA?

 

Could the SWB date be a mobilised date or a 'deemed to have enlisted' 2/3/16.

 

Only service known was with 17/KRRC, not a local unit for him

TEW

 

[kenf48]

1 hour ago, TEW said:

Could the SWB date be a mobilised date or a 'deemed to have enlisted' 2/3/16.

 

The SWB Rolls invariably show the enlistment date, bearing in mind in both instance, i.e. attestation or 'deemed to have enlisted' men were in effect in the Reserve. 

 

The Military Service Act declared all men to whom the Act applied were deemed to have enlisted on Thursday March 2nd 1916.  Any exemptions had to be sought before that date, also before that date single men were encouraged to enlist of their own free will.

 

As the date on the roll is the same as above I'd suggest, on the balance of probability he was a conscript.

 

Ken

 

[TEW]

Thanks Ken, all noted.

TEW

[Gardenerbill]

Do you have his service record?

[TEW]

No, afraid not. Very little in fact. MIC, medal roll and SWB only, the latter gives the 'enlistment' date. Survived the war, probably had a pension but WFA have nothing as yet (London man).

 

Survived the war but from what I can see in his civilian life records 1918-1962 didn't do too well.

TEW