Alfred Benjamin Edden War Record Help Interpreting

[AshleyEdden]

I have been researching both my great great grandfathers and have come across a couple of documents I am having trouble interpreting for my paternal grandfather. They are in poor condition which doesn't help. I was hoping someone would be able to provide some help. 

This is what I have interpreted so far

12th April 1916. Enlisted in the territorial force at 30 as a driver and attested into the 3/4th London Field Artillery Brigade.
18th January 1917. Transferred to Salonica
14th December 1917. Transferred to Royal Garrison Artillery
2nd September 1918. Certified as a skilled Fitter at Woolwich Ordnance College.
5th to 9th January 1919. En route
10th January to 4th October 1919. Service in Batoum, Russia
9th April 1919. Posted to 100th Brigade (???)
5th October to 18th October 1919. ...
19th October to 31st October 1919. En route
4th November 1919. Wrote letter requesting leave.
28th November 1919. Reported as medically unfit due to disembodiement. Suffering from malaria and ..., and placed in medical category 20 and 23 (dysentery and trench fever). Degree of disembodiement is 20%
29th November 1919. Commencement of pension of 13 shillings and 10 pence weekly

Attached is the cover page and two sections i am having trouble interpreting. 

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[RussT]

Welcome to the Forum

I have edited your post to remove all the images of his Record you posted except the front page.

It is against Forum Rules to post such a substantial chunk of a Service Record - I would suggest you post a link to it instead by editing your post.

If there was an explicit bit e.g. you can't read something then you are permitted to post a snipped image of that part of the page to focus the attention of members.

A start for you...

He didn't receive the number 940697 upon enlistment in 1916 - that number was allotted to him later. His original and intermediate numbers are on his Attestation front page as per the image you posted.

Good luck in your research

Regards

Russ

 

[kenf48]

A minor point of clarification.

Disembodied is a term used in the Territorial Force to indicate his demobilisation from military service.  It is not a medical condition.

If you look at his Certificate of Demobilisation  there are four options listed a the other three are struck out.  The stamp on the document above shows he was ‘Disembodied on Demobilisation on the 28.11.19.’

In August 1914 the entire TF was ‘embodied’ for war service, subsequent recruits were regarded as ‘embodied’ rather than ‘mobilised’.

The pension was awarded for malaria and deafness both of which were attributable to his war service. His medical category on demobilisation as recorded on the Protection Certificate was ‘A’ 

 

[AshleyEdden]

Just to make sure I understand. The certificate of demobilisation has all but disembodied crossed out. And in this case disembodied is a term used to indicate the requirement for service? So he was no longer required and thus demobilised? 

His medical category was A, meaning he was still fit and able? Just suffering from war related medical issues which awarded him a pension.

[kenf48]

4 hours ago, AshleyEdden said:

in this case disembodied is a term used to indicate the requirement for service? So he was no longer required and thus demobilised? 

Yes at the top of the form and the rubber stamp against  the entry  'Discharged' and against the bottom of the form. Generally speaking a TF soldier was 'Disembodied on demobilisation'; a Regular soldier who was time served with the Colours was 'Discharged on Demobilisation'; a Duration of War enlistment was posted to the (Z) Reserve on Demobilisation (which meant they could be recalled if the Armistice broke down) or if unfit Demobilised completely.  A soldier who was enlisted on TF Terms of Service remained a TF soldier regardless of postings and renumbering.

4 hours ago, AshleyEdden said:

His medical category was A, meaning he was still fit and able? Just suffering from war related medical issues which awarded him a pension.

Yes, or 80% fit and able (20% disability) neither medical issue was likely to prevent him pursuing his Army Trade if recalled.

You will. have seen that on enlistment he signed the Imperial Obligation which refers to the 'present period of embodiment' The TF was originally formed for Home Service

Images from FMP

As matter. of interest the IWM has a number of photographs of the Allied Intervention in Russia including artillery 'in action'

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205318309

100 Brigade RFA were Divisional Troops in the 22nd Division

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/22nd-division/

 

 

[AshleyEdden]

Thank you very much that has helped a lot. Any idea what it says underneath Russia on the Military History sheet. 

[kenf48]

1 hour ago, AshleyEdden said:

Any idea what it says underneath Russia on the Military History sheet. 

I think it says  Chanak, although it predated the 'Chanak Crisis' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanak_Crisis

Basic geography:-

Batoum is located on the West Coast of the Black Sea, therefore to access the Mediterranean and get home they would have to negotiate the Dardanelles via the Sea of Marama.  Whether they changed ships or undertook some clearing duties on the Peninsula is moot. He was only there for a couple of weeks and hostilities with Turkey had ceased.

[AshleyEdden]

On 07/03/2024 at 02:01, kenf48 said:

I think it says  Chanak, although it predated the 'Chanak Crisis' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanak_Crisis

Basic geography:-

Batoum is located on the West Coast of the Black Sea, therefore to access the Mediterranean and get home they would have to negotiate the Dardanelles via the Sea of Marama.  Whether they changed ships or undertook some clearing duties on the Peninsula is moot. He was only there for a couple of weeks and hostilities with Turkey had ceased.

Yeah ok. No worries. Thank you very much for your help.