RootsChat.Com

Yes it says deserter on his medal card and I have that here in front of me and Im told its the same on his service record although I havent seen that as yet. No Stars but the Victory and British.
 As you say I wouldnt have thought as a deserter he would have been eligible for any medals.

Thanks for both kind replies .  Its really early days with finding out about the man and what happened to him . An older member of my family remembers him being spoken about but thought he was a seaman in the Navy and had died during the war.  I couldnt find him there but then found his medal card for the Royal Sussex and deserting in 1917, I think that regt was deep in the carnage of France then but not sure. Someone very kind has found his records on Ancestry and  she is sending that to me as I dont subscribe.  On there Im told he looks to have been shot and sent back to England to recover so as yet I have no idea if he then returned to duty and deserted  or disappeared into England .More likely he disappeared into the uk.   It looks as if a fair amount of army equipment disappeared at the same time as his desertion. He packed a lot of life in those short years as he was born in 1898 but most of his life after he deserted would have been spent looking over his shoulder.  A young man and I hope he wasnt too much of a rogue but had seen too much of suffering and couldnt return to more. Im told on his service record that he had previously been a seaman. Much to try and find and fascinating but feel that the NW/3/22670 may have been the map reading of where he disappeared from as it is written just underneath the deserter 1917 whereabouts unknown.
 I may have found him again in Camberwell in 1921 getting married.

 Hi all
Im hoping someone can help me. I have a relations medal card and it shows that he deserted in 1917. On the card it has whereabouts unknown but it also has NW/3/226 and the next figure could be a Y or a 7 and then an 0 .  So does that mean North West and then the other numbers pin point where he was ?
 Anyone with any idea of what/ where  this means ?
  Thank you

A question that has always puzzled me that someone with more knowledge might be able to help me solve please.
My paternal Grandfather James Gearing is remembered at St Sever Cemetery at Rouen in France but his death certificate shows he died in Italy 17/12/1918.  He was a gunner with the Royal Horse and Field Artillery.
    In the chaos of war and the aftermath were bodies brought back to field hospitals ie Rouen from Italy and other battle fields?
  Ive gone around in circles with this so if anyone knows more I would be grateful