Deserter?

[Hinckmeister]

Hello everyone.

Bit of a mystery here, and I have reached a dead-end...

I am trying to research a medal group (WW1 pair + WW2 Defence medal + GVI Special Constabulary with 1956 Long Service clasp) to R29401 Pte Harold W Stokes, 4th Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps.

All I could find on Ancestry was his MIC (with the date 7/10/53 pencilled in the "remarks box"), and the medal roll which confirmed his battalion.  Forces War Records, however, contains a Police Gazette 1916-18 record that Harold (born in Birmingham) was a "Deserter and Absentee from His Majesty's Service", with an offence date of 07/06/1916 in London, and an incident date of 11/06/1916. This record also shows Harold's enlistment date of 28/11/1915. There is no annotation on the medal roll to the effect that no medals were issued.. 

My questions are these:

If Harold enlisted in Nov 1915, and the offence occurred in London, would he have gone on to join the rest of the 4th Bn in Salonika, or was he still home-based (possibly detained)?

If he was in Salonika and deserted, where would he go? Would there be an "easy" escape route, or way home?

Is there any other reason why he would appear in the Police Gazette that was not desertion or absenteeism?

How do I access the Police Gazette records? 

Finally, if he was a bad boy, how did he meet the criteria to be awarded a WW2 Defence Medal (I'm assuming for CD or ARP service) AND join the Special Constabulary under GVI and ERII? I (wrongly?) also assumed that the date on his MIC was the date of his death, so why would he have a 1956 clasp on his SC medal? 

Sorry for SO many questions, and maybe I'm overthinking this, but any help would be most gratefully received.

Thanks in advance

Paul 

 

 

[tankengine888]

Hello Paul,

An interesting character and mystery there..

I can only help with the Defence Medal - Yes, Civil Defence. I believe they were sent (unnamed) to the Civil Defence powers that be to be distributed to members of said groups. I expect that being a deserter was not something that is ostentatious. Saying that he served in the First World War with the (etc) was probably enough.

I wonder if his BWM and VM is named 'suspiciously' [i.e replaced name on medals], but that's the end of my thinking.

Zidane

[Gunner 87]

3 hours ago, Hinckmeister said:

Hello everyone.

Bit of a mystery here, and I have reached a dead-end...

I am trying to research a medal group (WW1 pair + WW2 Defence medal + GVI Special Constabulary with 1956 Long Service clasp) to R29401 Pte Harold W Stokes, 4th Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps.

All I could find on Ancestry was his MIC (with the date 7/10/53 pencilled in the "remarks box"), and the medal roll which confirmed his battalion.  Forces War Records, however, contains a Police Gazette 1916-18 record that Harold (born in Birmingham) was a "Deserter and Absentee from His Majesty's Service", with an offence date of 07/06/1916 in London, and an incident date of 11/06/1916. This record also shows Harold's enlistment date of 28/11/1915. There is no annotation on the medal roll to the effect that no medals were issued.. 

My questions are these:

If Harold enlisted in Nov 1915, and the offence occurred in London, would he have gone on to join the rest of the 4th Bn in Salonika, or was he still home-based (possibly detained)?

If he was in Salonika and deserted, where would he go? Would there be an "easy" escape route, or way home?

Is there any other reason why he would appear in the Police Gazette that was not desertion or absenteeism?

How do I access the Police Gazette records? 

Finally, if he was a bad boy, how did he meet the criteria to be awarded a WW2 Defence Medal (I'm assuming for CD or ARP service) AND join the Special Constabulary under GVI and ERII? I (wrongly?) also assumed that the date on his MIC was the date of his death, so why would he have a 1956 clasp on his SC medal? 

Sorry for SO many questions, and maybe I'm overthinking this, but any help would be most gratefully received.

Thanks in advance

Paul 

 

 

Hi Paul.

On the 2nd October 1918 Lance Corporal Harold W Stokes, R29401, was admitted to the 139th Field Ambulance, then operating in France, with a Gun Shot Wound to his Left Hand. His unit is recorded as 18th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps.

As such, I would think it unlikely he deserted in Solonika as the 4th deployed to that theatre in November 1915. I wonder if it was the case he was reluctant to go to Salonika but wished to serve in France so went absent and when caught was dealt with leniently and posted to the 18th Battalion who served in France from May 1916.

I will send you over the 'Hospital Admission and Discharge Registers' by pm.

Kind regards

Gunner 87

Edited 12 July , 2023 by Gunner 87

[Gunner 87]

Paul.

This very helpful article by @kenf48 deals with forfeiture of medals. Taking into consideration the February 1921 decision by The Army Council to restore all D.C.M.'s M.M.'s. M.S.M.'s and war medals which had been forfeited by soldiers since 4th August 1914 except in those cases where a court martial sentence of death or discharge from the Army for grave offences had been carried out and considering Harold went onto serve in France, in addition to no annotation his awards were forfeited, I wonder if they were issued. 

Gunner...

 

 

Edited 12 July , 2023 by Gunner 87

[Gunner 87]

10 hours ago, Hinckmeister said:

Police Gazette

Paul.

Fold3 have an entry for H Stokes 29401 which appears to be a subsequent entry to the one you have identified. The 'Incident Details' are as follows 'Reported as deserter or absentee who has rejoined or who for any other reason, is NOT to be apprehended' 'Incident Date' is shown as 15 Aug 1916, 'Additional Information' Advertised in Police Gazette 11th July 1916

I think this is likely because he either handed himself in or was apprehended after the first 'Police Gazette' circulation and so the second entry is to cancel any action or enquiries. 

The other scenario I thought might be a possibility is Harold attested in 28th November 1915 under 'Derby Scheme' which ran from October to December 1915 but failed to attend when called up in June 1916 so reported a 'Deserter. Harold then joins the 18th KRRC around July 1916 and the matter of the 'Desertion' is dealt with and he continues with his service being deployed to France where he is wounded in 1918. I'm no expert on the 'Derby Scheme' but aware that by the scheme’s closing date 38 per cent of single men and 54 per cent of married men had still failed to enlist. Maybe one of our experienced members can advise on this. 

I have looked at Harold using Ancestry and Find My Past and found he was likely born 22nd January 1896 in Birmingham. In 1921 Harold was working as a Clerk for London & North Western Railway Goods and living at 14 Clifford Street, Birmingham. The third quarter of that year saw him marry Hildagarde M Hodgetts. It appears Harold died in Birmingham in October 1973 so not 1953 as on the Medal Index Card.

Gunner... 

 

Edited 12 July , 2023 by Gunner 87

[kenf48]

6 hours ago, Gunner 87 said:

The other scenario I thought might be a possibility is Harold attested in 28th November 1915 under 'Derby Scheme' which ran from October to December 1915 but failed to attend when called up in June 1916 so reported a 'Deserter. Harold then joins the 18th KRRC around July 1916 and the matter of the 'Desertion' is dealt with and he continues with his service being deployed to France where he is wounded in 1918. I'm no expert on the 'Derby Scheme' but aware that by the scheme’s closing date 38 per cent of single men and 54 per cent of married men had still failed to enlist.

I would agree with this possible scenario.  A man attested under the Group Scheme and was posted to the Army Reserve B. Attesting meant he could apply to the Local Tribunal for exemption from military service, although he was to all intents and purposes 'enlisted'.  This is the date shown on his records, but should not be taken as a mobilisation date, although it was possible under the scheme to opt for immediate mobilisation.

  A recruit was allocated a number on mobilisation so near number sampling might help to confirm first mobilisation.  The closest I can get on a quick pass is around April 1916 (i.e. 29471 in MH106 admitted April 1917 - shown as 1 years's service 4 months with Field Force)

As a single man born 1896 he would have been in Group 2 which means he would have been called up for service in January 1916. It seems likely he initially secured a conditional exemption on occupational grounds. These were usually granted for three months when it was apparently withdrawn, if he was mobilised around March/April.

I'm not sure whether desertion can be considered a 'misunderstanding' but it appears to be so.

He first served overseas with the 10th Battalion (Medal Roll).  The Battalion was disbanded in March 1918.  It appears he was then posted to the 4th Battalion which had returned to the Western Front and where he was serving when wounded in October.

 

 

 

[Gunner 87]

7 hours ago, kenf48 said:

I would agree with this possible scenario.  A man attested under the Group Scheme and was posted to the Army Reserve B. Attesting meant he could apply to the Local Tribunal for exemption from military service, although he was to all intents and purposes 'enlisted'.  This is the date shown on his records, but should not be taken as a mobilisation date, although it was possible under the scheme to opt for immediate mobilisation.

  A recruit was allocated a number on mobilisation so near number sampling might help to confirm first mobilisation.  The closest I can get on a quick pass is around April 1916 (i.e. 29471 in MH106 admitted April 1917 - shown as 1 years's service 4 months with Field Force)

As a single man born 1896 he would have been in Group 2 which means he would have been called up for service in January 1916. It seems likely he initially secured a conditional exemption on occupational grounds. These were usually granted for three months when it was apparently withdrawn, if he was mobilised around March/April.

I'm not sure whether desertion can be considered a 'misunderstanding' but it appears to be so.

He first served overseas with the 10th Battalion (Medal Roll).  The Battalion was disbanded in March 1918.  It appears he was then posted to the 4th Battalion which had returned to the Western Front and where he was serving when wounded in October.

 

 

 

Thanks Ken. That's very informative. 

[Hinckmeister]

19 hours ago, Gunner 87 said:

I will send you over the 'Hospital Admission and Discharge Registers' by pm

Received. Thank you so much. 

Thank you all for your replies. Very helpful and enlightening. 

Paul

 

[Hinckmeister]

21 hours ago, tankengine888 said:

I wonder if his BWM and VM is named 'suspiciously' [i.e replaced name on medals], but that's the end of my thinking.

Interesting point, Zidane. I checked the naming under a magnifier and it's legit. No record of any forfeiture of his medals on the original roll, which is where I have seen it annotated in other cases. Very many thanks.