Remount Service Officer

[GRAZ]

Hi All

I've picked up an interesting 14-15 star named to CAPTAIN A.C.PATON, REMOUNT SERVICE. His MIC states that he reached the rank of Major, and he served in 22nd Remount Squadron.

Can anybody give me any information on this guy, I'm unsure how to research him.

Any info would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

Graham

[FROGSMILE]

25 minutes ago, GRAZ said:

Hi All

I've picked up an interesting 14-15 star named to CAPTAIN A.C.PATON, REMOUNT SERVICE. His MIC states that he reached the rank of Major, and he served in 22nd Remount Squadron.

Can anybody give me any information on this guy, I'm unsure how to research him.

Any info would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

Graham

He should appear in the editions of the war office published “Army List” (there were also more detailed commercial versions for some years I believe), where he will appear under the entry for the Remount Service (a category of the Services and Departmental Corps (non-combatant elements) of the Army) for each of the years that he served with them (they were published annually).  It will usually show his previous corps in the form of, e.g. late Royal Field Artillery, etc.  From there you can trace him back for each year that he served but it will be a laborious process and for such a junior officer there aren’t really any shortcuts unless he wrote an autobiography, which seems unlikely.

Edited 20 October , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[Matlock1418]

You should be able to pick up his commissioning and promotions dates in the London Gazette https://www.thegazette.co.uk

Commission should usually be under Forenames and Surname. 

Promotions usually as Initials and Surname - here's a search for starters https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice?text="a+c+Paton"&categorycode-all=all&noticetypes=&location-postcode-1=&location-distance-1=1&location-local-authority-1=&numberOfLocationSearches=1&start-publish-date=01%2F01%2F1902&end-publish-date=31%2F12%2F1922&edition=&london-issue=&edinburgh-issue=&belfast-issue=&sort-by=oldest-date&results-page-size=50 - think I can see him a number of times, certainly becoming a Captain and then Major/Superintendent

:-) M

Edit: Officers service papers for Arthur Carlisle PATON are at the National Archives https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1089599 - unfortunately not digitised so a visit by you or a researcher required.

Got to confess that this is a very speculative punt = I do think he may possibly have been rather 'bounced' into rank and position based on his previous experience - possibly previously as a veterinary surgeon [of possibly modestly mature years]  and even more speculatively possibly from a dominion country [as it rather looks like he was not roped in until 1915] - so possibly worth looking at that profession, possibly pre- and post-war and also possibly wider afield - possibly in newspapers.  Lots of 'possibly' in there!

Edited 20 October , 2021 by Matlock1418
edit

[PRC]

His officers papers with the Army Remount Service are catalogued by the National Archive as Arthur Carlisle Paton, but interestingly the catalogue shows them to only cover the period 1917 - 1919. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1089599

His MiC shows his contact address in September 1920 as Whitehills, St. Boswells. It has him first landing in France on the 1st April 1915. The April 1915 British Army Monthly List has two entries for him.

Remount Service. Miscellaneous Temporary Appointments. Temporary Captain A.C. Paton with effect from 30th March 1915.
(Column 315) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/121072970

Under Special Lists - Local, Temporary and Honorary Rank. (Temporary) Captain A.C. Paton with effect from 30th March 1915.
https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/121085438

I'm not seeing anything in the related entry in the Gazette to imply this was a promotion or even that he had seen previous service. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29113/page/2991/data.pdf

Struggling to find him in the civil records - even Scotlands People only gives me three mentions for him, all in connection with the 1918 Valuation Roll in which he seems to have two houses and a "shootings" at East Addinston in the Parish of Lauder.

Need to put my think cap on for this one!

Cheers,
Peter

[FROGSMILE]

It seems very intriguing so far.  If he were a vet I would have expected him in the Army Veterinary Corps and, if Army Remount Service, often with former military service in a military corps if intent was deployment into the field.  However, it’s fairly well known that others, civilians with pure equestrian knowledge of bloodlines and equine stock, especially the various military categories of draught animal, were also granted temporary commissions to obtain the benefit of their knowledge and judgment.  It seems as if this man might fall into the latter category.  There appear to have been quite a number of such officers employed by the regional home commands (Northern, Western, etc.), but I’ve no idea how many might have been employed by the BEF in F&F.  I imagine that they might have been deployed at Corps and Army HQ level, but that is speculative.

Edited 20 October , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[alf mcm]

He is possibly Arthur Carlyle Paton. Born in Tilicoultry in 1873 and married in Melrose in 1919. There are trees on Ancestry.

Regards,

Alf McM

[alf mcm]

He's on the Carribean Roll of Honour for Jamaica.  https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBM%2FCARIBBEAN%2FWW1%2F00002408

Regards,

alf McM

[PRC]

4 minutes ago, alf mcm said:

He is possibly Arthur Carlyle Paton.

Various journeys for him pre and post-war out to Jamaica. Usually decribed as being of Independant means on the passenger list.

When he sailed from Southampton aboard the SS Olympic on the 15th May 1912, bound for Malbeulwood, Jamaica via New York, he was recorded as aged 38 and single, last permanent address St Boswells, Scotland, and his next of kin was an E.D. Paton, of Braehead, St. Boswells. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJRS-XT5

(When an Edwyn, aka Edwin Douglas Paton of Braehead, St Boswells, passed away in 1931, an Arthur Carlyle Paton and a John Stuart Paton were two of his legal executors). https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Paton&yearOfDeath=1931#calendar

As Major Arthur Carlyle Paton, British Army, aged 44, he was aboard the SS Zacapa when she sailed from Kingston, Jamaica, bound for New York, on the 27th April 1918. Still single, his next of kin was shown as his brother, Mr. J.S. Paton, of the Union Club, London. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJ8N-12V

Intriguingly the 1945 Blue Book of Jamaica records the passing in November, of the Arthur Carlyle Paton, (Validation of Acts) Law. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2fJRAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA110&lpg=PA110&dq=Arthur+Carlyle+Paton+Jamaica&source=bl&ots=KiciD88ai6&sig=ACfU3U1s3fluAGtSIrCnL9Ndh7WG9vqg3g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi98tKVgdrzAhWMoBQKHbHfB6UQ6AF6BAgNEAM#v=onepage&q=Arthur Carlyle Paton Jamaica&f=false

Arthur Carlyle Paton, aged 82, would die at Sussex, Saint Ann’s Bay, Saint Ann, Jamaica on the 9th February 1956 of coronary thrombosis. He is described as married and a Planter. The death was notified by his son, Michael Andrew Paton, who was present at the death. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVSR-6W25

But I couldn't find anything so far to indicate any particular knowledge of horses.

Cheers,
Peter

[Matlock1418]

56 minutes ago, alf mcm said:

He's on the Carribean Roll of Honour for Jamaica. 

Had earlier seen a Jamaican newspaper article for what looked like him as Arthur Carlisle Paton [Kingston Daily Gleaner Newspaper Archives  https://newspaperarchive.com/kingston-daily-gleaner-jun-04-1896-p-8/ but I couldn't access] - hence my wider global search suggestion - glad you have found him for the OP.

:-) M

25 minutes ago, PRC said:

When he sailed from Southampton aboard the SS Olympic on the 15th May 1912, bound for Malbeulwood, Jamaica via New York, he was recorded as aged 38

So was modestly mature then, and more so in 1915!

:-) M

Edited 20 October , 2021 by Matlock1418
added newspaper link

[FROGSMILE]

It grows more and more curious.  I can’t imagine what other special qualification a civilian might have had to be given a direct temporary military commission into the Army Remounts Service.  Had it been specialisation in feedstuffs the AOC or ASC would have been more likely, and the Veterinary Corps was mentioned earlier.

Edited 20 October , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[rflory]

Quite a few Royal Artillery officers who were retired or had resigned their commissions prior to 1914 received postings in the remounts and some of these went to France in 1914. For example, Major Arthur Edward Balfour Fair was born in 1877 and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant RFA out of RMA Woolwich in 1894. He served in the South African War from 1900 to 1902 receiving the QSA with five clasps and the KSA with the normal two clasps.  He resigned his commission in May 1903 and raised cattle.

In August 1914 he received a posting as a civilian in the Remounts and went to France almost immediately (his 1914 Star is named to him as A.E.B.FAIR, R.F.A. REMOUNTS). Late in 1914 he took command of A/90th Brigade, RFA and took it to France in July 1915. Later he commanded C/122 Brigade RFA at Langemark and was killed by a direct hit on 16 August 1917.

As to Arthur Carlyle Paton, according to The Fettes College Register 1870-1932 he was born in June 1873 the son of J. Paton of Lethangie, Kinross.  Educated at Fettes College from 1887 to 1892. In 1893 he became a sugar planter in Jamaica. During the Great War he initially served with the Remount Service and later was a Major, 56th Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA. From 1910 to 1919 he was Joint Master of the Lauderdale Hounds.

[FROGSMILE]

Very interesting rflory.  It’s difficult to see what qualities gained via a sugar plantation made him an attractive proposition for the Army Remounts Service given that he appears to have had no military experience at all.  It looks as if early in the war the Remounts could be used as a convenient back door to a commission and front line service.  It’s difficult to escape the conclusion that it’s likely his entry was wangled via the pulling of strings by perhaps, e.g. some influential old school contacts.

Edited 21 October , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[PRC]

To try and work out if the Paton family generally had a connection to horse rearing \ trading \ racing etc, I tried a wider search of the newspapers on FindMyPast for "Paton" and "Boswell". The nearest I came to any kind of indication was an obituary and funeral report for his brother Edwin Douglas Paton, an (upmarket) sheep farmer, that appeared in the edition of the Southern Reporter dated April 2nd, 1931.  At the funeral "The Congregation was very large and representative of the hunting and farming community including many county people".

In terms of influential family friends, amongst those in attendance were the Earl of Dalkeith, the Earl of Haddington, Lord Henry Scott, Lord George Scott, Geneal Babington and General Jardine.

Major Paton, of Whitehills, was already on his way back from Jamaica but was unable to arrive before the funeral took place.

Image courtesy FindMyPast

Cheers,
Peter
 

Edited 21 October , 2021 by PRC
Typo

[FROGSMILE]

On 21/10/2021 at 09:43, PRC said:

To try and work out if the Paton family generally had a connection to horse rearing \ trading \ racing etc, I tried a wider search of the newspapers on FindMyPast for "Paton" and "Boswell". The nearest I came to any king of indication was an obituary and funeral report for his brother Edwin Douglas Paton, an (upmarket) sheep farmer, that appeared in the edition of the Southern Reporter dated April 2nd, 1931.  At the funeral "The Congregation was very large and representative of the hunting and farming community including many county people".

In terms of influential family friends, amongst those in attendance were the Earl of Dalkeith, the Earl of Haddington, Lord Henry Scott, Lord George Scott, Geneal Babington and General Jardine.

Major Paton, of Whitehills, was already on his way back from Jamaica but was unable to arrive before the funeral took place.

Image courtesy FindMyPast

Cheers,
Peter
 

I think you’ve solved the key factor, Peter, as that’s a further indicator of the strong family link with the Lauderdale Hunt and reinforces the connection with riding to hounds made earlier in the thread.  It seems likely then that the association with the hunt fraternity was a strong hand able to be played when applying to join the Remounts Service.  It makes much more sense now and exemplifies the imperative connection at that time between matters of equine stock and the fundamental ability to service and sustain an Army in the field. 

Edited 23 October , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[Matlock1418]

9 hours ago, rflory said:

As to Arthur Carlyle Paton, according to The Fettes College Register 1870-1932 he was born in June 1873 the son of J. Paton of Lethangie, Kinross.  Educated at Fettes College from 1887 to 1892. In 1893 he became a sugar planter in Jamaica. During the Great War he initially served with the Remount Service and later was a Major, 56th Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA. From 1910 to 1919 he was Joint Master of the Lauderdale Hounds.

57 minutes ago, PRC said:

To try and work out if the Paton family generally had a connection to horse rearing \ trading \ racing etc, I tried a wider search of the newspapers on FindMyPast for "Paton" and "Boswell". The nearest I came to any king of indication was an obituary and funeral report for his brother Edwin Douglas Paton, an (upmarket) sheep farmer, that appeared in the edition of the Southern Reporter dated April 2nd, 1931.  At the funeral "The Congregation was very large and representative of the hunting and farming community including many county people".

In terms of influential family friends, amongst those in attendance were the Earl of Dalkeith, the Earl of Haddington, Lord Henry Scott, Lord George Scott, Geneal Babington and General Jardine.

Nicely found = A good explanation(s) for his rapid insertion into the Remount Service.

:-) M

Edited 21 October , 2021 by Matlock1418

[GRAZ]

Thanks for all the info guys, much appreciated 👍