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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

How was home leave worked out ?


kinnethmont

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Hi

Can anyone advise how, if, and when a soldier was entitled to leave while at the front in France & Flanders ?

I know that little, if any, account was given for travel home to Scotland. I am trying to work out how a man in the Territorial Force could organise to be home for his marriage in July 1915

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Home leave was certainly allowed. My grandfather was at the time of ww1 at the war front and could certainly go to the south of France (area of Bordeaux-Toulouse), where my grand-mother was. I hope that this information helps you.

As far as it concerns Scotland I have no data.

Gilbert Deraedt :huh:

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I did read recently an article on this subject, but due to a drink crazed Christmas/New Year I can't remember where! I'll hunt it down and e-mail you, unless someone else comes up with the info.

With regards to travelling to Scotland I think that the rules where changed during the war to take into account those who had to travel long distances. The rule was (I think) that the leave began when they arrived at the station nearest to their homes. This stopped the problem of using your leave up in travel and being at home for, in some cases, an hour or so before turning round to go back to the Front.

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Hello,

Even Belgian soldiers were on leave in Glasgow! I've got a picture somewhere showing Belgian soldiers there.

Jan

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At the IWM I read the letters of a young junior officer of the 1/8th Warwicks (TF). He described to his girlfriend how the officers who took part in a trench raid were put to the front of the home leave queue. He was particularly miffed as he had worked his way to close to the top, but was not on the raid, and so had been relegated.

He did not get to see her, for quite a while. The raid was in March 16 and on 1.7.16 he was wounded and became the only officer of the battalion to become a PoW on that day. He waited until early 1918 before being repatriated due to his wounds...what really upset him was that he failed to see his girlfriend on his pre-embarkation leave in 1915.

It all ended happily, for they later married.

Rob

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