Advice needed - confusing service record

[Clear Bell]

Hi all

 

Great to be able to download NA docs for free!

 

So, I am currently looking at the records of Albert Francis Perry, another former RCA student (he was a painter), but can't completely decipher his RFC/RAF record and would be grateful for some help with this.

 

I think it notes he was in the Artist's Rifles (OTC) and then served with the 18th battalion, London Regiment. Would that have been service at home? I can't find his service record or a MIC for this yet.

 

Please could someone confirm my reading of the notes on one page that he was unfit at some point in 1917 (and for unknown reasons) before he began (not sure of the date) in the Printing or Painting (not entirely able to decipher writing) section of the RFC/RAF, with his eventual before demobbing in 1919.

 

Many thanks for any advice about the above.

[travers61]

I know army Officers had to claim their medals, so no claim no MIC. This may have been the same with the RAF.

 

It particularly attracted recruits from public schools and universities; on this basis, following the outbreak of the First World War, a number of enlisted members of The Artists Rifles were selected to be officers in other units of the 7th Division. This exercise was so successful that, early in 1915, selected Artists officers and NCOs were transferred to run a separate Officers Training Corps, in which poet Wilfred Owen trained before posting to the Manchester Regiment (he trained with them in Essex), the remainder being retained as a fighting unit. Over fifteen thousand men passed through the battalion during the war, more than ten thousand of them becoming officers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artists_Rifles

 

1/28th (County of London) Battalion (Artist’s Rifles)
August 1914 : at Dukes Road, Euston Road. Army Troops attached to 2nd London Division. Moved on mobilisation to St Albans area.
28 October 1914 : left Division and moved to France. Established as an Officers Training Corps based at Bailleul, going in April 1915 to St Omer.
28 June 1917 : transferred to 190th Brigade in 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.

The 2/28th & 3/28th remained in UK.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/london-regiment/

 

The 18th London's (London Irish)

Assume as a freshly trained officer the intention was for them to serve overseas, unless a need at home arose, or due to illness.  I know this does not answer your question, but 1st Battalion in France from 1915, 2nd Battalion in Palestine by 1918, 3rd Home service only.

[TEW]

There's a Roll of Honour record for an 5379 Albert Francis Perry 18th Artist's Rifles. Rank shown as Lt.  Date given 10/7/16. Then a note that says Ministry of Munitions.

TEW

[Clear Bell]

Hi

 

Thanks for this. Yes, he's in the Artists' Rifles Roll of Honour and I was wondering about the Ministry of Munitions mention (and it's noted in the RFC/ RAF record).  I will try to attach .jpegs of the pages that I am trying to use to establish a chronology of his service.  It seems straightforward but I am not sure that it is especially the mention of his being unfit for soldiering but ok to work behind the scenes as a printing technician....

 

Let me know what you think.

[kenf48]

2 hours ago, Clear Bell said:

I can't find his service record or a MIC for this yet.

 

You won't find an MIC if he was in the RAF  The MICs are an index to the Army Medal Rolls. 

 

Any medal entitlement would have been administered by the RAF, as noted by the stamp 'Service Considered for War Medals'

 

A medal entitlement would usually be shown on page 5 of his RAF Record which is his service record, 'Honours and Awards'

 

As to fitness I read it as  'Unfit ? weeks' 

then 'unfit (for General Service)GS (Home Service) 1 year Light Duties 4 (months)' and last line

'Permanently unfit  then an abbreviation' (PUO is frequently seen and means Pyrexia of Unknown Origin which is a fever and usually short term))

I don't think that is what is written here I can see the P and the O but the one on the middle looks more like "or"

 

His medical category was C1 (free from serious organic disease able to stand duty in garrisons at home) therefore not fit for overseas service and therefore no medal entitlement.

 

The enlistment date is on the R of H  and on  21 August 1916 he was posted to Reading College Officer Training Corps.

 

Transferred to the RFC 20th March 1917, that is towards the end of his 4mths light duty.

 

 

Ken

[David_Underdown]

"perm[anently] unfit P[ilot] or O[bserver]" I suspect. 28th London Regiment was the battalion designation of the Artists' Rifles - I don't think he served with anyone else except them

[Clear Bell]

Sorry for delay in responding to recent posts. Had to pop up to queue for food....

 

Yes, I've looked at RFC/RAF records before but, as far as I can remember, I could easily see when they transferred and from where, so I was stumped by all the truncated and abbreviated terms so hadn't needed advice before.   Many thanks for explanations of these.

 

What do you think about reference to the Ministry of Munitions and the 28th battalion? I think this is curious too. Can you be a 2nd Lt connected to the Ministry of Munitions?

 

I am thinking this record suggests his entire service whether the 28th battalion or with the RAF/RFC was probably at home. Do you agree?

 

 

 

 

[kenf48]

He was posted to the Ministry of Munitions on 30 June 1919 and effectively demobilised some six weeks later on 8th August 1919.  He had been promoted to Lieutenant (Technical) so an attachment to the Ministry of Munitions was feasible.

 

I agree, as previously posted I do not believe he went on active service overseas.

 

Ken

[Clear Bell]

Many thanks. Turns out he was quite character (post war coverage in newspapers)- but that's another story.