Fibber, deserter, Walter Mitty, CEF, Derby Scheme or Lost Soldier?

[mcderms]

I have been trying to find out more information on HERBERT PERCY SANDS for a family members husband. He claimed to have served in France in 'The Artillery' and been dropped to the Labour Corps because the guns made him deaf. All we have to substantiate this is:

A Barnados entry that states he joined the Army in 1916 but was out by 1917

A pic of him in a WW1 uniform with an RA cap plus LSGC stripe on his arm

An address in his records of 'Recourt, France'

Wedding license that list him as being in the Labour Corps

However we also have a bible given to him on the eve of his emigration to Canada so go figure... and another pic of hi with a Derby scheme armband on!

His son reckons he wasn't averse to stretching the truth on occasion so we're coming to the conclusion that either (a) he went to Canada, joined up and came straight back with the CEF or ( he joined the BEF and we can't find him or © he was telling porkies to cover up a lack of active service.

To reinforce © we do know that he was in and out of hospital between the ages of 12 and 17 but do not know why

Original post info:

"This is probably down to me being a muppet but...

I'm looking for info on HERBERT PERCY SANDS ## 697399 on behalf of his son. We know that he enlisted in 1916 and was in the Labour Corps by the end of 1917. The son is sure that Dad was in the Artillery as his deafness was put down (by him) to the noise of the guns. He survived and his marriage cert from 1919 has him as a pvt in the LC still.

However, I cannot find him anywhere. Started with the medal cards and drew a blank at the very start."

Can anyone help me shed light on this family mystery?

[Michael Johnson]

Well, he doesn't show in the CEF database either by name or the number you gave.

[mcderms]

Many thanks - that's one down.

Is there any kind of list of essential war workers on the Derby scheme? Did they keep records when they dished out the armbands?

[Terry_Reeves]

There are no official lists for Derby Scheme men. However, it might be that his name appeared in his local newspaper as the results Derby Scheme tribunals were often reported, although there is no guarantee that all cases were of course.

TR

[centurion]

I wouldn't want to imply that this applies to your man but there were certainly some around to whom a number of the categories you list would apply. When I was but a lad in the 1950s there was a scandal when the police collared one of the directors of the national firm my father worked for. This director was then in his early 60's and had been a major in WW1 with distinguished service as shown by the gongs he wore every 11th Nov. At the trial it turned out that he had never held a kings commission, bought his medals from dealers and even his name wasn't genuine. It seemed that he had been in the army as a private but had deserted, managed to gain a false identity and had enjoyed a career as a con man ever since. His downfall came because he never had enough money and always had a scam on the go and finally slipped up with one and found himself in a different Crown institution from the army. (Strangely enough even though he was a crook and all his qualifications false eerybody said he'd been quite a good director).

I wonder if there were many like him?

[Ivor Lee]

What was the date of the wedding license?

I ask this as his Labour Corps number suggests a man joining the Corps in 1919 not 1917.

So it could be this number means he was one of the men who signed up again for 1 years service in France on burial duties.

Ivor

[mcderms]

Ah ha! Now the Burial Detail sounds like progress!

Could it be that he joined the RA but didn't complete training for medical reasons, went onto the Derby scheme and then went back to France to help clear up... ??