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Thanks for the get well wishes, I'm a hell of a lot better NOW..!  "Organic Solvent liver damage from 40 years back"

This new fellow does look promising, I know nothing of this Indian Campain, does anybody else know what, why, how, when,

Did this indian army fight in WW1 or was it an Army raised in India or Pakistan.....? was there a conflict in India or Pakistan?

What is the significance of Ex Cheshire RIA (Royal Indian Artillary) Provisional List? does this mean that he was oriinally in the Cheshire Batt...? how does the Cheshire name relate to the RIA, are they somehow interrelated?

What is the Provisional List?

Ian

Roger and All,

I understand your comments regarding the Security Clearance and Status bestowed upon you in your last job. It's a multi faceted issue and probably not for this thread, but certainly in a Civilian setting I often wonder about its efficacy and the true dynamics of the process. I note that the requirement for your's was unknown to you. Mine was very onerous, invasive and very, very, personal, It involved my entire family including the previous generation of mine my wife's and my previous wife's, including all our children and the lives of our entire extended families. My wife was born in Alexandria Egypt is part Italian and part French with grandparents from four different countries. I am a fifth generation Australian with English, Irish and Scottish heritage and this was researched with a fine toothed comb. My personal and family finances were investigated in detail.  The enquiries didn't stop there.........

They just loved unearthing the fact that I had been convicted of contraveining the "Australian Wireless Telegraphy Act, Para 2 Sect 12  of 1957"  in about 1971, I built a Radio Transmitter and it worked very well, but I was un-licensed, so considered a Pirate.  A Commonwealth offence, the max penalty was 5 years hard labour. I was let off, but interestingly the record stuck for 30 years even though the Gov now uses the knowledge that I learn't during that period.  I had better stop here.!...... Too Many Secrets....!


I've been building a list of Pension and DVA transmissions that has been really rewarding, it's old research now and yet in light of recent thoughts, born out of this thread, I have looked at it a bit differently than I had originally.

There is now, no doubt that Nora did receive a living allowance from the Australian Government. There had always been some doubt in my mind as AEH's pay cards contradicted some of the evidence and correspondence from the NAA, regarding the DVA's involvement.

I now believe that originally there was official resistance (in the normal Government way) to Nora receiving and War Gratuity or Living Allowance. But at some stage some very nice people at the DVA must have weakened and approved her request for help. Without the details (records) of her correspondence to the DVA, we might never know what was said or done

Conversely, I see no evidence that AEH ever made contact with the DVA regarding a pension for himself. (In Australia)

I do have a small index card that was found that definitely does say a "LA" Living Allowance for Nora Harrison, I will post this when I scan it

I will also post the list of correspondence when I scan it

Cheers

Ian

G'day JDS,


firstly, thank you for slotting in some AEH related enquiries at the NA today.

Regarding the existence (or not) of the Suspense List.  It sounds like the NA Oracle has uttered the last word on this elusive document.  As Colin has identified it's more than likely that at one time there probably was a list, but apparently it doesn't exist today...! thanks for confirming this.

Regarding the Officers files, which were weeded for the following reasons:-
1: They were commissioned at the end of the war
2: Who probably did not serve for very long
3: Young men whose next of kin was their parents, and, again, did not have any great length of service.

It doesn’t look too good does it?  Based on your overview of the Oracle’s record weeding explanation, Its possible that we should drop any further research, it's apparently futile. Looking at things objectively I can see the logic in this perspective. Specifically all the researched AH's and AEH's have been rejected and we have recently deduced  that he was using his real name and we presume that he was using all his initials or at least one of them

I've held the view for a while that although it appears in many ways to be a dead end there will be some evidence buried somewhere and it's possible that I have already seen it or it's just around the corner. Although quite a few records have been seen, there are equally as many A Harrison's yet to be reviewed  for at least the aspect of rejection. It appears that In this case the normal order of research is not easily applied.

Regarding the WO338 AEH bloke, it does appear this fellow is a lost cause, particularly because his 1888 DOB is quite wrong. However, I will continue to look for the original Register and then seek to view the original page to perhaps interprate what is under the ink smudge.

The two ship travellers don't seem to fit the the known profile, both have significant age differences to AEH who was born in 1879 and their professions are quite different, AEH would normally put Traveller or Salesman in Civilian life. But I will add them to the list of possible returnees to Australia


Many thanks as usual for the time and trouble

Ian

Dear Dee, Robyn, Roger,

I've used the term "Curiouser and Curiouser" myself a few times, and ending it with an outcome would please me immensely. I'm enjoying the journey myself but the behind the scenes research work is becoming huge and complicated (not that I mind) I'm glad it's created so much interest, I hope he's worth it..!

Living in OZ and doing UK non on-line research in the UK is daunting and difficult and without the Forums and personal assistance this would die a natural death. The most interesting aspect is the acquisition of knowledge of these unusual aspects of spies, stay behinds, changed names, Government cover ups, unusual armies in Russia, men paid king's ransoms to fight hidden battles, missing records, and records intentionally destroyed, multiple families and mischief behind the scenes by men who should know better.

Things like all the records of WW1 Medical Officers missing, and all but a few of the really senior British Officers records missing, makes for really interesting discussion

Cheers

Ian

G'day Roger,

AEH changed his age when he married Nora, she was older than him by about three years and she didn't know this. He continued this into his Military career to continue the lie of age increase. This age increase with variants went into his GCM also. His right age is in his Boer war records and this is before Nora. When I was originally tracking AEH down these age differences kept putting me off the scent, but it is the same fellow all the way along

Interesting info regarding your dad and the "stay behinds" really interesting that these things are hidden behind the scenes. I'm an Amateur (Ham) Radio Operator, at the commencement of the last wars, all Hams would have to pack up their equipment and send it off to the Government, this happened in all countries, they were worried that the equipment could be used by spies or the station or operator used by spies, such as what also happened to Light house keepers and marine radio stations. However, there were some who kept their gear hidden with clandestine antenna systems, so, if everything Military and Government was taken or destroyed, word of it could be broadcast for help, these were also "stay behinds" albeit civilians but trusted specialists. Hams are still buried all over the world now and all of us are GOV licensed and know how to build and operate radio equipment. During the war years most of the Radio people searching for spies in England, or in the fighting fields were Hams or  became Hams, these were the people who made the radio's in Concentration Camps and POW camps. And all already knew Morse Code, which was handy.

Bad luck at the BL, next time lets hope for less ID and more success...LOL, I'm sure its the same in the UK as it is in OZ, more ID is better than less according to the Gov. Everything is tracked, Event Recorders, Data-Bases on everything and all of them can intercommunicate together in the open systems approach to wide area networking "WAN" all the data-bases have common origins and if you haven't heard the term "data warehousing" then google it, all the government data bases can intercommunicate and be searched and interrogated in one location. Much of this is the result of 9/11. Since then I have to have a ASIO  Secret ++ Clearance to do my job for the GOV. "Too Many Secrets".......!!!

I hope this all makes sense, it's the second version and I've lost the plot a bit..!!

Ian