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Remembered Today:

Discharge Terminology


roger

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Am I correct in assuming that at the end of a soldiers service regulars were discharged and territorials were disemdodied?

Roger.

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Not sure on the correct terminology, but the following is taken from the Territorial Force Year Book 1909, first year of issue, republished 1988 by Ray Westlake - Military Books.

Discharge: A man must be discharged on the day on which he completes his period of engagement, or attains in the case of serjeants the age of 50. He may also be discharged at his own request or as medically unfit.......

Mobilization: is the bringing up of units to their war establishment in personnel. Local mobilization orders, providing for joining, medical inspection of men and animals, and the movements of troops embodied, are confidential, and are revised yearly.

*The Territorial Force can only be embodied for actual service, but the Regulars may be mobilized for training.

Alan Seymour

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  • 5 months later...

On this thread, and this is probably an easy one, I have a form 'Request for Discharge Documents' for my grandfather where the cause of his discharge from the 2/5th The Buffs in March 1916 is given as T.E. He then went on to serve with the RGA until February 1919. Can anyone tell me what T.E. is the abbreviation for?

Gary

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It stands for "Time expired". Men joining the TF did so for an agreed period and when their time was up they left. Mind, it seems many of them were back in again soon afterwards as a volunteer.

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Thanks for your reply, Chris, which begs one further question. I have a photocopy of my grandfather's attestation (AF E.501) dated October 1914 showing his enlistment in the TF for the 'period of present war'. Would army procedure have required his premature discharge from the Buffs before he could be re-engaged to serve with the RGA?

Gary

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Gary,

This is a question i have pondered as my grandfather was in the West Somerset Yeomanry at the outset of the war but ended the war in the Army Ordnance corps. On his discharge papers it states that he enlisted in the AOC thus implying that he left the TF and did not transfer.

Arm.

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Guest Simon Bull

I am not sure i follow this correspondence. I have no expertise in the relevant terminology, but my grandfather (as far as I know not in the Territorials) is clearly stated to be "disembodied" on his "Certificate of disembodiment on discharge".

Simon Bull

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It is not unusual to see regular army and TF men discharged during the war having completed their term of contract.

One TF man, Arthur Hutt of the 1/7th Royal Warwicks, was discharged in 1915 time served and returned to his previous occupation at Courtaulds Ltd. He was recalled to the colours the following year and won the VC in 1917.

Terry Reeves

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Like Simon Bull's Grandfather my Father was not a Territorial but on his Medal details from the PRO, (kindly supplied by Aliecoco) it shows he was disembodied 19/1/19

Cliff. Hobson.

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