Deserter or Story teller?

[LoneyBones]

Hi,
my husband's father told my husband some great stories while he was alive.
Among them was that he joined the army and fought in France in WW1.
I find it hard to believe since he was born in 1903, (no birth found) and would have been too young.
I've tried looking for service records but keep coming up against the fact that so many records were destroyed in the 1940 bombings. The only place I found that I could get into was the service medal site and his name isn't there.
Is there anyone here who is able to look into service records?
His Name was Leonard Mawhood and he was born in South Shields.
He claimed that he and his mates got into a pub brawl, he and two others deserted and came to Australia.
I know he arrived in Australia in 1925, on a ship that had come from London. If he was a deserter he surely wasn't still in London in 1925.
Hope someone can help.
Cheers,
Leonie.

[mmm45]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=6984452&queryType=1&resultcount=2

Cant find him on Medal docs or Naval records found this Mawhood from South Shields poss relation??

Ady

[LoneyBones]

Thanks Ady,
that's his uncle.
If there are no records found, does that mean he wasn't in the army?
Or did the 1940 bombings in London wipe out complete records? Were there no records kept elsewhere?
This man is driving me mad. No birth registered, no British army records, nothing before he arrived in Aus. 
Cheers,
Leonie.

[mmm45]

Theres no Medal Index Card under his name but that doesnt clarify he never served as some were lost also if he never went overseas he wouldnt have a card ...1903 Birth he would have had to lie about his age so maybe he served post war

Because its probably post Great War Service you would have to apply to MOD for his record..They would charge around £30 for them...If you look in the Armed Forces Resources part of this forum it tells you how to do it.

Ady

[Helen Williams]

I am also looking for details on Leonard Mawhood and need to post 3 messages to be able to PM, so please ignore the next two

[Helen Williams]

Assuming it is the same person, I am Leonard Mawhood's granddaughter and we have also always been curious about mystery surrounding him. I was told that he was too young for WW1, so lied about his age, too old for WW2, so again lied about his age. Though the records are different, I think I was told by my grandmother (Sarah), that he was born in 1900.

Hi,
my husband's father told my husband some great stories while he was alive.
Among them was that he joined the army and fought in France in WW1.
I find it hard to believe since he was born in 1903, (no birth found) and would have been too young.
I've tried looking for service records but keep coming up against the fact that so many records were destroyed in the 1940 bombings. The only place I found that I could get into was the service medal site and his name isn't there.
Is there anyone here who is able to look into service records?
His Name was Leonard Mawhood and he was born in South Shields.
He claimed that he and his mates got into a pub brawl, he and two others deserted and came to Australia.
I know he arrived in Australia in 1925, on a ship that had come from London. If he was a deserter he surely wasn't still in London in 1925.
Hope someone can help.
Cheers,
Leonie.

[Helen Williams]

ignore

[MaxD]

Leonard Mawhood of South Shields joined the Royal Artillery giving his age as 18 years 220 days on 25 August 1921 left the army in 1933.

Another  Leonard Mawhood of South Shields with a sister Dorothy William of Ivy Street joined the Tank Corps on 28 Feb 1925 giving his age as 21 years 5 months.  He deserted 25 April 1925.

The passenger L Mawhood leaving UK on Orama 14 Nov 25 gave his address as Ivy Street.

MaxD

[philipsearching]

Another  Leonard Mawhood of South Shields with a sister Dorothy William of Ivy Street joined the Tank Corps on 28 Feb 1925 giving his age as 21 years 5 months.  He deserted 25 April 1925.

I'm wondering if this is that Leonard in 1911 (if so, there's been some fibbing about age!):
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWCC-LZ1

Moderator comment: edited to give link to the free index.

Philip

(ADDED) Dorothy b1898 Grimsby mmn BUCKLEY, no matching birth for Leonard)