Desertion & Award of Medals

[JMB1943]

The attached Medal Roll (courtesy of The National Archives, via Ancestry) shows 6 men whose entries have apparently identical entries in red ink.

My interest is in G/1532, Pte., Jenner , James Oliver;  what does the red ink indicate?

Regards,

JMB

[ss002d6252]

King's Regulations para 1743  - discussed here,

Craig

[JMB1943]

Thanks for that thread.

I am trying to understand whether these 6 men did eventually receive medals.

Regards,

JMB

[Coldstreamer]

Have you looked at the medal index cards for them ?

[TullochArd]

2 hours ago, JMB1943 said:

I am trying to understand whether these 6 men did eventually receive medals.

In the case of Jenner the initial post refers to the Mar 1921 Medal Roll for 14/15 Star as returned for disposal.  The attached Medal Roll also of Mar 1920 shows BWM/BVM annotated "No Medals".   The other Medal Roll attachment of Jan 1920 is back to the 14/15 Star and refers to "No Medals" but annotated resubmission......back to the OP perhaps.  

It is interesting that on the OP a specific example of "Forfeit" appears on one entry whilst the others in question are returned to stock (for disposal) under a CRV.  This suggests to me that the others are not forfeit.  It may be that the missing scale of the offence, and missing findings of any any disciplinary action, may reflect this decision.

Edited 8 June , 2022 by TullochArd

[JMB1943]

Jenner's MIC is posted below and POSSIBLY implies that he was awarded his medals "do Restn" = ditto (15 Star) Restoration"., and "For'd. Deserted 7/6/15" is lined through.

Am I definitively correct or only possibly correct?

Harwood, Hoad and Hoad have identical MIC information to Jenner's MIC; the second Hoad latterly served with RFA.

Noticeable that 2nd Hoad has no red ink on the Medal Roll, same as those who further served and were KiA or transferred to Class Z.

Regards,

JMB

Courtesy of The National Archives.

[TullochArd]

12 minutes ago, JMB1943 said:

Jenner's MIC is posted below and POSSIBLY implies that he was awarded his medals "do Restn" = ditto (15 Star) Restoration"., and "For'd. Deserted 7/6/15" is lined through.

Am I definitively correct or only possibly correct?

Correct.  The MIC consolidates the three (2 x 14/15 Star and 1 BWM/BVM) Medal Rolls numbered 495, 226 and 176.  226 (14/15 Star) is forfeit 'For'd Deserted' and is replaced by 495 (14/15 Star). 176 authorises  BWM/BVM.  I too read he was awarded all three medals by 1921.  He never physically received them and his Trio is formally disposed of from 1923.

[kenf48]

A bit of background, though I agree with the interpretation above that Pte. Jenner never received his medals.

Medals, and all pensions attached to them were forfeit if a soldier was found guilty of fraudulent enlistment or desertion; discharged with ignominy or expressly on account of misconduct was convicted by a civl power, or sentenced by a civil (as opposed to military) court to more than six months imprisonment. The draconian provisions caused considerable resentment amongst demobilised soldiers. At the risk of stating the obvious the army of the Great War was of a very different size and  character to that which existed prior to 1914.

An Army Order was promulgated in August 1920 (this example from the Western Morning News 13 August 1920) courtesy BNA

allowed for the reinstatement of medals. There was a clause in the Royal Warrant that enabled the Army Council to apply discretion in individual cases but in 1921 this was applied much more widely.

An ACI in February 1921 and syndicated in newspapers around the 21st - 25th of that month under the headline:-

"Army's Forgiveness What it Means - Thousands of men to have medals restored" also allowed for the reinstatement of any gratuities paid and the restoration of medals forfeited since 4 August 1914 except where sentence of death or discharge from the Army for grave offences had been carried out.  

Recipients were advised there was no need to contact the Record Office and medals held by the officer in charge of records "would be issued forthwith".  It was acknowledged, and evidenced by the medals returned in the above entries against a Certified Receipt Voucher, that "the authorities may have much difficulty in tracing the recipients".

The date on the Roll of 1st March 1921  as posted above showed the Record Office in Hounslow did set the wheels in motion "forthwith".  Though it appears and was noted at the time that "it may be some time before new medals are issued where men have moved."  The medals were sent by registered post.

Clearly a deserter was not likely to tell the Army where he was living, or make it easy for the authorities to find him.