Youngest MM winner?

[Chris Brown]

Michelle

Apologies I did not spot the RIP

[BillMant]

On 15/02/2008 at 12:08, John Morcombe said:

LZ 1749 AB William Mant MM

Hawke Bn.

MM age 16 ;

RO 10/12/16(Ancre) ;

LG 19/2/17 p.1753

discharged under-age 20/3/17 age 17 [b.12/12/1899], remobilised 25/1/18, posted to Hood Bn. 26/7/18.

Thank you for posting this information, I was thrilled to see it. I’d be very interested to know how you knew this information. One point is however incorrect, he was born on 12/12/1900 so he was only 15 when at Ancre and still only 16 when he re-enlisted... he was my Grandfather. 

[horatio2]

John Morcombe has not visited the GWF for more than six years.

The information he provided was extracted from the RND Record Card of your GF. You can download it here:-https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7283349

 

 

 

[horatio2]

On 06/12/2020 at 18:24, BillMant said:

One point is however incorrect, he was born on 12/12/1900

You will note that the d.o.b. stated by him in his RNVR (RND) enrolment papers (and transcribed to the front of his RND Record Card) is 12 Dec 1897. On 26 February 1917 he was pulled out of Hawke Bn and sent to the Base Depot because he was found to be under-age with a "correct d.o.b. of 12 Dec 1899" and he was demobilised four weeks later.

The RNDRC does not state whence came the information that he was under-age - perhaps from a parent. However, there may be documentary evidence with his enrolment and other papers, which are held in the archive of the Fleet Air Arm Museum (National Museum of the Royal Navy). The NMRN is, I understand, closed to enquiries at present but it may be worth asking them.  enquiries@nmrn.org.uk

Edited 11 December , 2020 by horatio2

[BillMant]

5 minutes ago, horatio2 said:

You will note that the d.o.b. stated by him in his RNVR (RND) enrolment papers (and transcribed to the front of his RND Record Card) is 12 Dec 1897. On 26 February 1917 he was pulled out of Hawke Bn and sent to the Base Depot because he was found to be under-age with a "correct d.o.b. of 12 Dec 1899" and he was demobilised four weeks later.

The RNDRC does not state whence came the information that he was under-age - perhaps from a parent. However, there may be documentary evidence with his enrolment and other papers, which are held in the archive of the Fleet Air Arm Museum (National Museum of the Royal Navy). The NMRN is, I understand, closed to enquiries at present but it may be worth asking them.

Many thanks for taking the trouble to look into this.

 

I do already have the card and appreciate that the DOB was corrected to 1899, which clearly allowed him to re-enlist in Jan 1918 and rejoin Hawke and later move across to Hood.

 

Basically, he ran off to join the RND to escape the work house. William and all of his siblings were put into a work house by their father. It was his sister who reported him as under-age, I can only assume as a result of the announcement in the London Gazette as he had already served 21 months before being pulled out.

 

i shall certainly look towards the NMRN when they are open - I hadn’t discovered them yet, so greatly appreciate the suggestion.

 

best regards 

 

 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

On 06/12/2020 at 18:24, BillMant said:

One point is however incorrect, he was born on 12/12/1900

Where was he born Bill?