Royal Horse Artillery BB Battery 1910

[Johnessex]

Trying to find information on my Great Grandfather Ernest Albert Martin. Been doing my family tree and have got his military records. Says he got the victorian medal on 7th June 1910, found out that BB Battery pulled the carrige for Edward VII coffin at his funeral on 20th May. Can't find any other info and BB Battery seems to not have any info at all. If anyone can give me any info at all it would be appreciated. Would like to know if he did play a part in the funeral and anything else. His  regiment number was 39222.

[Matlock1418]

Welcome to GWF

Please be aware that this forum is primarily for the Great War/World War One/WW1 though his Discharged no longer fit for War Service , 5 Dec 1914, seems to have just snuck into our period.

Not that I can see his full record [nor have found other war service] I do note at WFA/Fold3 that in c.1.1919 he made an unspecified disability claim [citing discharge 5.12.14] and was awarded 8/3 pw for 13 weeks [that was the 30% degree of disability rate for a pension Class V soldier / Incl. Dvr & Gnr under the then prevailing 1918 Royal Warrant]

M

Edited 3 April by Matlock1418
add

[David Porter]

There is nothing much to add. He was transferred to Army Reserve after 6 years service having initially enlisted on a 3/9 basis. "BB" Battery RHA was disbanded in April 1913 whilst he was a reservist. He was recalled at the start of the war, joining the RHA Depot at Woolwich. They soon found he had left knee trouble and decided he was unfit for war service. He doesn't appear to have ever been overseas.

[Johnessex]

2 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

Welcome to GWF

Please be aware that this forum is primarily for the Great War/World War One/WW1 though his Discharged no longer fit for War Service , 5 Dec 1914, seems to have just snuck into our period.

Not that I can see his full record [nor have found other war service] I do note at WFA/Fold3 that in c.1.1919 he made an unspecified disability claim [citing discharge 5.12.14] and was awarded 8/3 pw for 13 weeks [that was the 30% degree of disability rate for a pension Class V soldier / Incl. Dvr & Gnr under the then prevailing 1918 Royal Warrant]

M

Thank you so much for getting back to me with your information. I see a claim but you have explained it now and I got an understanding. 

[Johnessex]

1 hour ago, David Porter said:

There is nothing much to add. He was transferred to Army Reserve after 6 years service having initially enlisted on a 3/9 basis. "BB" Battery RHA was disbanded in April 1913 whilst he was a reservist. He was recalled at the start of the war, joining the RHA Depot at Woolwich. They soon found he had left knee trouble and decided he was unfit for war service. He doesn't appear to have ever been overseas.

Thanks for your information. Strange as I have a disability with my right knee. Could not find much about BB Battery anywhere. Thanks again for your help.

[PRC]

Hi @Johnessex and welcome to the forum

As he wasn't discharged to the reserve until the 22nd September 1911 he should be recorded still serving on one of the 1911 Censuses taken on the 2nd April that year.

Looks to be the 26 year old Gunner Ernest Martin, single and born Homerton, Middlesex, who was recorded in barracks at Ordnance Road, London N.W. Middlesex with BB Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. The commanding \ senior officer was a Major William Percival Monkhouse.

That would have been the St. John's Wood Barrack, the headquarters of the Royal Horse Artillery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John's_Wood_Barracks

Harts Annual Army List for 1910 shows BB Battery stationed at St. John's Wood. They were the only Battery stationed there and presumably that was why they were chosen. https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/100779921

Cheers,
Peter

[Matlock1418]

3 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

was awarded 8/3 pw for 13 weeks [that was the 30% degree of disability rate for a pension Class V soldier / Incl. Dvr & Gnr under the then prevailing 1918 Royal Warrant]

That the award cannot be seen at WFA/Fold3 to be extended beyond 13 weeks likely suggests his rather temporary award may not have been made under Article 1(1) [the usual Article for medical discharge as unfit for further service attributed to or aggravated by military service] but instead perhaps under Article 1(3):

"In any case where the degree of disablement is assessed at less than 20 per cent, or where it is considered more in the interest of the soldier, a gratuity or temporary allowance may be granted in place of any pension and children's allowances.  The grant will be subject to such conditions at the Minister of Pensions may determine and its amount will not exceed £200 and will depend on the extent of the disablement and on the circumstances of the case"

or, perhaps potentially more likely [given the 30% rate awarded] under Article 7(1) :

"A soldier discharged as medically unfit for further service, such unfitness being neither attributable to nor aggravated by military service, and not due to serious neglect or misconduct of the discharged man, may be granted a gratuity or temporary allowance. The grant will be subject to such conditions as the Minister of Pensions may determine.  In exceptional circumstances it may amount to a sum not exceeding £150, and generally it will depend on the extent to which a man is incapacitated, on the lenght and character of service, and on other circumstances of the case."

???

Who decided whether a gratuity or a temporary allowance [as seems the case here] was determined and exactly how a such an award was to established and/or be more in the interest of the soldier are not clearly determined.  Neither are the possible conditions that might have been applied by the MoP = If anyone has documented evidence I, and no doubt other members, would be pleased to know what those details might have been.

Or perhaps in this case this soldier's record [which I cannot see in full] will help explain/make things clearer. ???  I/we would surely be pleased to know.

M