Captain Eliot Victor Pringle, 60th Rifles

[GCCE1854]

Hello! I'm hoping someone might be able to help me a little bit here. I've been working slowly (over several years) on putting together info about this gent. While the story of his life after the Great War is fascinating, I've not been able to turn up much at all for his war record. Here's the link to what I have so far:

https://www.eliotsofporteliot.com/pringles/pringle-eliot-victor.html

The newspaper reports during his disappearance mention that he served in the 60th Rifles, that he was home on leave from France in 1914 and suffered some kind of spinal injury, and that his rank was Captain. You can also see that his grave memorial has "60th Rifles" in very small letters under his name.

I do have access to Ancestry and have tried to find out any info about his wartime service, but none of the EV or VE Pringles seem to match. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[jonbem]

Here is a Gazette notice

Page 9628 | Supplement 29311, 28 September 1915 | London Gazette | The Gazette

9628 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 29 SEPTEMBER, 1915

[jonbem]

you might also search here

Army lists - British Military lists - National Library of Scotland (nls.uk)

for other promotion details etc

[GCCE1854]

8 minutes ago, jonbem said:

you might also search here

Army lists - British Military lists - National Library of Scotland (nls.uk)

for other promotion details etc

Thanks so much for the link. I'll definitely see if I can find him. Appreciate the help!

[GCCE1854]

Sitting here looking through stuff, and I did find this from the "Hampshire Observer and Basingstoke News" on 22 November 1911:

So far, I'm not coming up with any results to show service (let alone time in France) between this and the Gazette notice posted in one of the previous replies.

He appeared in a Theatrical performance in February 1916 at Theatre Royal, Winchester, in aid of the the "Rifleman's Comforts" -- playing Groves the Butler in "His Excellency the Governor". He's just listed as Mr. E.V. Pringle, K.R.R.C. for that. 

[FROGSMILE]

Perhaps he had home service only Sarah.  He seems to have resigned his original commission in 1911 but then taken it up again in 1915.  There might be all sorts of reasons why he may not have gone to France and Flanders, but perhaps stayed with a home defence (Reserve) or garrison type unit.  If he has no medal index card (MIC) or roll entry then that confirms that he never served overseas.

[GCCE1854]

And just found a couple more . . .

This from "Evening Mail" of 15 September 1916, under the heading of Local Reserve:

And the Gazette announcement from 06 Oct 1917:

Regular Forces

Commands and Staff

The following appointments were made:---

Personal Staff.

A.D.C. -- Temp. Capt. E.V. Pringle, Training Res., and to be transfd. to Gen. List.

 

So, seeing all of this seems to say that he did not actually serve in WWI. Does that seem right?

[GCCE1854]

3 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Perhaps he had home service only Sarah.  He seems to have resigned his original commission in 1911 but then taken it up again in 1915.  There might be all sorts of reasons why he may not have gone to France and Flanders, but perhaps stayed with a home defence (Reserve) or garrison type unit.  If he has no medal index card (MIC) or roll entry then that confirms that he never served overseas.

Thank you! This seems to have posted at the same moment my last was posting. Putting it all together, I would wonder if the spinal injury in 1914 rather kept him out active service -- instead of occurring while he was "on leave from France" as the 1930s papers reported.  

[FROGSMILE]

3 minutes ago, GCCE1854 said:

Thank you! This seems to have posted at the same moment my last was posting. Putting it all together, I would wonder if the spinal injury in 1914 rather kept him out active service -- instead of occurring while he was "on leave from France" as the 1930s papers reported.  

Yes, although it can only be speculation at the moment, any kind of spinal injury would have made him useless as an active infantry officer in the 60th Rifles (KRRC).

Edited 3 August , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[GCCE1854]

1 minute ago, FROGSMILE said:

Yes, although it can only be speculation at the moment, any kind of spinal injury would have made him useless as an active infantry officer in the 60th Rifles (KRRC).

Thanks! This would make sense why I've not been able to find any hint of a medal roll index card or anything for him. His disappearance and reappearance in the 1930s are worthy of an Agatha Christie novel, though it seems to fit in with a number of other family occurrences in this branch.

[Matlock1418]

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1061102

• O 339 - War Office: Officers' Services, First World War, Long Number Papers (numerical)
• Subseries within WO 339 - Officers Services (including Civilian Dependants and Military Staff Appointments): Long Service Papers

Captain Eliot Victor PRINGLE. The King's Royal Rifle Corps.

Ordering and viewing options

This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded.

You can order records in advance to be ready for you when you visit Kew. You will need a reader's ticket to do this. Or, you can request a quotation for a copy to be sent to you.

• Book a visit Request a copy

Reference:	WO 339/7161
Description:	Captain Eliot Victor PRINGLE. The King's Royal Rifle Corps.
Date:	1906-1919
Held by:	The National Archives, Kew

Given your apparent USA location you may perhaps need the assistance of a researcher or the NA to inspect or copy for you.

Good luck

:-) M

[FROGSMILE]

4 minutes ago, GCCE1854 said:

Thanks! This would make sense why I've not been able to find any hint of a medal roll index card or anything for him. His disappearance and reappearance in the 1930s are worthy of an Agatha Christie novel, though it seems to fit in with a number of other family occurrences in this branch.

He might have been unfortunate (or fortunate depending upon your point of view) with his injury Sarah, but it clearly didn't prevent him from doing other things with his life.  It probably saved him from being slaughtered and joining all those other Pringles in the military pantheon.

Edited 3 August , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[GCCE1854]

@Matlock1418 Thanks for that link! I'll make a note of that, in case it's possible for me to find help with that one.

@FROGSMILE So true, and it probably was a relief to his mother that he did not have to go. It's interesting, because this branch of the Pringle family is military all the way -- Eliot Victor being a direct descendant of Major-General Henry Pringle (d. 1800, served in the French and Indian War) and Lt-General W.H. Pringle of the Peninsular War. While they are active in so many other wars, most of the family gents were the wrong age to participate in the Great War.