Simon Roberts Posted 19 July , 2021 Share Posted 19 July , 2021 I've been doing a little research into some of the 13th Battn. Royal Sussex Regiment soldiers killed and injured in September-November 1916. According to the Battalion War Diary for 6th November 1916, Capt. Story was granted leave 6th to 17th November 1916. However, on 7th November, Capt. Story "...was recalled from leave to give evidence in the case of 2nd Lt. K. A. Gellaw...". I have been unable to trace any officer in any Battalion or Regiment with that name. I've tried variations in spelling (Gillaw, Gillow, Gellow, Kellaw, Kellow, etc) but can find no evidence of this officer. Has anybody come across this soldier or have any idea what the case against him might have involved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 19 July , 2021 Share Posted 19 July , 2021 Perhaps K.A. Gallan - https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1262/images/30850_A000580-01982?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=e720f0bcaaf82c9f73c3073f664187fb&usePUB=true&_phsrc=kqC1097&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=2269140 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 19 July , 2021 Share Posted 19 July , 2021 R. Suss. R. .Temp. 2nd Lt. K. A. Gellan is dismissed the Service by sentence of a General Cdurt- . Martial. 7. Dec. 1916. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29925/supplement/1134/data.pdf Perhaps Kenneth Alexander Gellan, (1897-1979), who appears to have ended up in the RAF - https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8263406 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Taylor Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 The ledgers have him as tried in Poperinghe on 24 November 1916. He was charged under Section 40 (2) (two counts?); and was sentenced to dismissal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, Colin W Taylor said: Section 40 From Army Act I guess Not sure but ... from https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/courts-martial/Pages/courts-martial.aspx : Offences in Relation to Persons in Custody Section 20: officers and men who had been given the task of guarding prisoners. Such men could be charged for releasing a prisoner without the proper authority; or allowing a prisoner to escape. Perhaps the case?? :-) M Edited 20 July , 2021 by Matlock1418 Completely off the mark - sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Taylor Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 Surely the catch-all charge of Section 40: acting to the prejudice of good order and military discipline. Useful link though, many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 6 minutes ago, Colin W Taylor said: Surely the catch-all charge of Section 40: acting to the prejudice of good order and military discipline Quite right - I was completely off the mark - was trying to multi-task [and obviously very, very badly by choosing Section 20! Doh!!!] :-/ M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Roberts Posted 20 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 20 July , 2021 Court Martialled and dismissed from the army in Dec 1916, would he be permitted to join the RFC in 1917? I can only assume it's the same K. A. Gellan because there is no trace of anyone else with that name and initials and their dates of birth just two days apart. Too much of a coincidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 He is the only K. Gellan ever born in England & Wales between 1837 & 1993. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 9 minutes ago, Simon Roberts said: Court Martialled and dismissed from the army in Dec 1916, would he be permitted to join the RFC in 1917? Can't provide the evidence, that'll probably/hopefully come along soon, but I reckon he probably would. The MSA had kicked in in 1916 and by 1917 I think they were again vigorously combing-out all and sundry. Why let a little CM [and we don't seem to know the full details ??] get in the way of another fit man being available for the front/service - especially if in another military service. ??? Now I'll stand back ... :-) M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 (edited) 22 hours ago, IPT said: Perhaps Kenneth Alexander Gellan, (1897-1979), who appears to have ended up in the RAF - https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8263406 58311 Sgt (Obs) - This record has an annotation that looks rather like: "IM have something about this man 27/?/??" [thanks to the NA watermark I can't see the date well - not a whole lot better on FMP] - so it could well be that his past was known. :-) M Edit: On FMP, British Royal Air Force, Officers' Service Records 1912-1920, there is another, 1918/19, record for Flt Cadet 58311 - There appears to an alteration from FA Gellan to KA Gellan and he gets a Commission 10th Feb. 1919 as a 2 Lt https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31587/page/12424 - looks like he might then have been Demobilised 10.3.1919 Edited 20 July , 2021 by Matlock1418 edit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Roberts Posted 20 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 20 July , 2021 He seems quite a colourful character. Temp 2nd Lt in the 13th Battn. RSR, court martialled for whatever and dismissed from the service, joined the RFC as an Observer/Gunner in Feb 1917, on trial at Lympne on 6 Aug 1917 (connected to CM?), on 23 Nov 1917 as an Airman 1st Class Observer on 18 Sqn shot down an Albatros Scout over Douai, recorded as a Flight Cadet in March 1918 and demobbed as a Temp 2nd Lt pilot in March 1919. By December 1919, still only 22, he was a 1st Class passenger on the Blue Funnel Line "Cyclops" to Singapore, returning on 19 October 1921 with the occupation "Planter" (rubber?). In 1925 he wed Vera Madeleine LeFour Pepin with whom he later emigrated to New York. He was back in England in 1960 to wed Margaret Barton in 1960 aged 63, finally passing away in Hertfordshire in 1979. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 (edited) And according to his Kenneth Alexander GELLAN RAF record [reverse] he appears to have been awarded the Medaille Militaire (French) LG 17/8/18 :-) M Edit: As GALLAN, K A, from his MIC http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D2276447 he appears to have been on a "Suspense List" for his British war medals Edited 20 July , 2021 by Matlock1418 added detail and edit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Roberts Posted 20 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 20 July , 2021 I really appreciate all the comments and links. Still lots of digging to do, but no evidence what he was on trial for. He was tried in Poperinghe on 24 November 1916, on the same day that several others were tried for dessertion and sentenced to the firing squad. I also noted the comment "I.M. (or is it P.M.) has something about this man" but the copy I have from the NA is clearly dates 27/6/40. What would I.M. or P.M. and why would they still be interested in 1940, if that is, indeed, what it says? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 3 minutes ago, Simon Roberts said: clearly dates 27/6/40. What would I.M. or P.M. and why would they still be interested in 1940, Thought it might be 40 but then wondered if it was a dodgy 20 = ??? Sorry - I haven't a clue! :-) M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Roberts Posted 20 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 20 July , 2021 Perhaps it was P.M. (Provost Marshal)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Roberts Posted 20 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 20 July , 2021 I've looked and looked and can only see it as a "4". It looks nothing like the "2" in 27. I might have to pay out for a subscription to Fold3 to get a look at the Court Martial records... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 20 July , 2021 Share Posted 20 July , 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, Simon Roberts said: I've looked and looked and can only see it as a "4". It looks nothing like the "2" in 27. I probably should have said a very dodgy 20! And I agree, it does look more like 40 - but always good to consider from other angles. 2 hours ago, Simon Roberts said: He seems quite a colourful character. An interesting life story it would seem. Here's some pure speculation [always good as you don't have to produce a speck of evidence!] ... It seems he was a young man who had a newly awarded commission & status and probably was confident with it. Perhaps he was a bit too/over confident and perhaps a little cocky. Perhaps he didn't fit in too well in the battalion mess, perhaps relations with other officers were strained. Perhaps he got a bit lippy with a more senior officer on some occasion [don't think it would have been disobeying or refusing orders - under such circumstances they could have probably have had him for something more serious I would think] Bingo! The OC/CO had a perfect opportunity to get rid of him - a CM under a nice wide Section 40 - acting to the prejudice of good order and military discipline. Ok, perhaps they could have passed him off sideways to another battalion but perhaps his reputation might have preceded him and/or perhaps they were even happier to have him gone, pretty sure in the knowledge that he would likely soon be back in the mud as a ranker. But he returns in the ranks of the RFC [probably was less keen on mud by then], makes good, rises quickly and then eventually he gets his second commission. Unfortunately the war has ended and perhaps his past again colours things and his demobilisation [or perhaps just too many young junior RAF officers - and he was very junior and inexperienced in the role] = so off he goes into civvy street and the rest of his life. Perhaps ... ??? 2 hours ago, Simon Roberts said: I might have to pay out for a subscription to Fold3 to get a look at the Court Martial records... Never have looked at those so have absolutely no idea what you might find and if such might answer the big outstanding question. I only have a free access to Ancestry & FMP, via my local library, so don't think they are the full thing. Having had a quick look I couldn't find K A FELLAN or FALLAN listed - but then again I am not experienced in such matters. On Ancestry only found one M Fallan, in 1917 and in the wrong place, so not him - but couldn't then open it to see further [so none the wiser!!]. ??? Hope you can find out more and keep us updated - Good luck. :-) M Edited 20 July , 2021 by Matlock1418 typos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 21 July , 2021 Share Posted 21 July , 2021 3 hours ago, Simon Roberts said: Perhaps it was P.M. (Provost Marshal)? That is very likely. He (the PM) would have played a key part in any disciplinary infringement leading to a court martial and would have examined the accused officer’s character thoroughly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeignGong Posted 21 July , 2021 Share Posted 21 July , 2021 He is listed in the LG for the Fr MM as Kenneth Gellan Page 9653 | Supplement 30848, 16 August 1918 | London Gazette | The Gazette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 21 July , 2021 Share Posted 21 July , 2021 6 hours ago, ForeignGong said: He is listed in the LG for the Fr MM as Kenneth Gellan His OR Record is for "Kenneth Gellan" and his RAF officer for "Kenneth Alexander Gellan" both records have his French MM. But he got it while still an OR from LG date His RAF trial was when he was still an Airman, just after he qualified as an air gunner on 1 Aug 1917. I cannot find anything more on this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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