Differences between reasons for discharge

[Nigel Marshall]

Hi,

I have just looked at a record on Ancestry and it states that the subject was discharged as unlikely to become an efficient soldier. With reading further into his record it looks as though his main problem was a serious and recurring kidney problem which required operations to remove stones. There is an annotation from an examining Medical Officer which shows exasperation in the following terms 'This man should never have been passed!'

For a man to be discharged as sick, did he have to contract that sickness during service?

Would he otherwise be discharged as above if the problem was illness predating the soldiers enlistment?

Thanks in anticipation,

Nigel

[KONDOA]

Men upon enlistement were given a cursory medical , at a later stage after enlistment a more thorough examination unearthed existing illnesses and weakness. Thus a man would be discharged as being "unlikely to become an efficient soldier" etc.

Roop

[Nigel Marshall]

Thanks Roop,

It looks to me like this particular man, a volunteer, was making promises his body couldn't honour. Perhaps he had been bouyed up by the stories of friends telling him that the medical was a breeze, gave it a go and got caught out later.

Cheers,

Nigel

[whitley]

My grandfather enrolled in the Territorial Force in 1912 at the age of 19 and was discharged as sick in 1917. Sometime during this period his ailment, thrombophlebitis (and asthma) was diagnosed, but he remained in the army but was given 'light duties' and became the batman to the OC commanding his battery.

Presumably his condition deteriated sufficiently to cause his discharge from the army. He must have had both conditions prior to his enlistment, they were either not picked up, or accepted as not being serious enough to reject him.

On his discharge, he still worked for the army with a recruiting sergeant and officer.

[high wood]

This was not always due to a soldier's physical condition. I have a photograph of a RFC officer cadet whose papers say, "I do not recommend Mills for a commision in any other branch of His Majesties's service in view of a report that I have received from the Medical Officer of this school.

"I have had some opportunity of observing Cadet Mills and I have come to the conclusion that he is to some extent weak minded. The present condition of his mind may have supavened upon a normally neurotic condition and may be due to strain and dread of military service. I think that this is the case. I do not consider that he would be any use in any branch of His Majesties's army".

Many are called but few are chosen.

[Just Barbara]

My husbands grandfather was discharged because he had "lupus of the cheek", this was after he had been fighting for about a year. This condition was something which he told the doctor that his his grandfather suffered from. Husband just remembers grandad having what appeared to be a burn scar on one side of his face.

Barbara

[SPotter]

high wood tastefully selects one of the actually quite common reasons for a soldier being considered "not likely to become an effective soldier". After studying a good number of service papers, it seems the authorities were not afraid of returning the village idiot back to his village, where presumably he could be of more use!

Regards

Steve

[Desdichado]

high wood tastefully selects one of the actually quite common reasons for a soldier being considered "not likely to become an effective soldier". After studying a good number of service papers, it seems the authorities were not afraid of returning the village idiot back to his village, where presumably he could be of more use!

Regards

Steve

Interesting that you should use the term 'village idiot' for some considered the men from rural areas to be superior in both physical and mental health. Professor Roussy, in his evidence to the Southborough Committee claimed that there were predisposing factors as to why city dwellers were more likely to suffer from neurosis and other related conditions. He cited drunkenness, sexual excess, drugs and mental breakdowns.

[fv1620]

Although this is WW2 The Human Factor in the Army states:

"It is well to recall that about 1% of our adult population are mental defectives - with general intelligence no greater than that of an average 8-year old child (and perhaps less); while some 6% of adults may be labelled "very dull" - with an intelligence no greater than that of the average child of 10 or 12 years.

The need to eliminate mental deffectives in the Army and for the early discovery of the very dull, makes it highly desirable that recruits for the Army should be sifted as soon as possible, if only to avoid the wasting of time and energy in attempting to train men in work they can never learn."