Help: Court Martialled & Missing in UK, Capt: Albert Edward Harrison AIF

[Craven-Harrison]

Another small diversion:

This relates to a fellow who was in the AIF and then joined the NRRF. He is not related in any way to AEH and is identified here as an example of a fellow who did what we believe AEH might have done

Private William Alfred Harmon Wilson originally from OZ a nineteen year old who joined the AIF without his parents consent in 1918 and was part of the very last contingent who left Australia for England and WW1, when he arrived the war was over so he was Discharged in England as AEH did and joined the NRRF heading for Russia

I firstly got his British Service Record and MIC from Ancestry, then obtained his Australian record. I did this to try and understand the dates, the units and the general circumstances of Discharge and re-joining another service etc

Here is the link to the Australian files, Interestingly his AIF service number is also identified on his British MIC. He embarked for Russia 15/06/1919, he left OZ for the UK 19/06/1918 and was discharged from the AIF in England 26/08/1918

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=2016136

If this link doesn't work, or links to the NAA, TNA, Ancestry or Australian War Museum are required to support this little journey please drop me a line and I'll supply all the required links.

It is interesting to see the the mother's need for word of her son and how she can't get answers, as he is now in the British Military, the trail of documents regarding the NRRF, joining the AIF, Demobilisation, Discharge documents (what AEH would need) and the British records of his service

Just click on "view digital copy" when you get to the AWM Record Search page, and the entire Australian record will be available to view

Ian

[Redroger]

Ian, Now  I know why I don't like hot weather! There is a point about the missing will which occurs to me. I believe he was in the services, where it is compulsory to make a will. If this is correct, then even though he died after leaving the services, is it possible there is a copy of the will with the military? Just a thought, after all we have plenty to go at still,but all the other p[ostings are in tropical climates, so if he did go on service after the war he would have been pretty swearty in Mesopotamia and the former German colonies.

[Redroger]

Ian, I have just seen a lead on another thread which I think has to be checked for elimination purposes. Apparently there is a separate Army List for the  Indian Army, held at the British Library. Even though he, AEH, is reported to have joined the British Army I think this should be checked.Will do so next time I'm in London, probably next month.

[Craven-Harrison]

G'day Roger,

lots of laughs regarding the geographical hot spots and perspiration, as we know if we are sent somewhere hot we just put up with it, keep up the liquids and stay in the shade. Most of us Victorian's would love to live up north in our winter and come back down for our summer, (not theirs). The point I'm making is holidaying in these tropical places is fantastic. If you like the cold and don't likecontinious extreme hot temperatures you wouldn't LIVE there, mind you, plenty do make the change and acclimatise quite well. You probably heard about the big fires in OZ last year, there were lots of deaths, that day was 47degC and that was Victoria where I live, the colder and dry State, compared to up north. You could have cooked an egg on the roof of the car.

Regarding the Wills of servicemen, I have only seen one in a soldiers service records, If I am to use the experience of my son who was in the OZ military, his Will was sent to me via registered post and not kept in his records. The construction of the Will and the dispatch was undertaken on Military time and turf, but not held by the Army. I'm guessing that this was the case in WW1 also,  there doesn't appear to be a special repository for them in the archives and if there was, we would know about it, I'm sure.

Roger, I do have some details on Indian Army men:

Lt A Harrison, January 1922, research found him to be Alec Harrison who served in the 130 Bulchas from 26th November 1918, a good fit for time , I'll do some more on him, the fact his name is Alec is not enough to discount him, given that I'm happy not to discount a HC Harrison from Canada, anything is possible?

Also, Albert Edward Lloyd Harrison Commissioned October 1920 served with the Great Indian Railway Reg,  Promoted to Lt, Jan 1923 and discharged mid year 1927, his Commission is a bit too late I believe.

I did a stage two pass on all Ancestry MIC's for Harrison and Harris yesterday and Saturday, checking everything that was remotely possible, crossed checked about 20 likely candidates with no success.

1: If AEH had joined the British Military as AE or Albert Edward Harrison, he should have a MIC that refers to that joining and details of medals for service.

2: Even if he joined after the end of WW1 he still should have an MIC

3: Even if his records are with the MOD (not at the TNA) he still should have an MIC

4: The British MIC that we have is not for any service in the British Army, it is there because he was Discharged and Dismissed in England and is, for the use of the British Military in the event that he requested medals from them after dismissal from the AIF

5: There are men who were with the NRRF, Elope and Syrene forces that have MIC's in the archives, why hasn't AEH??, I acknowledge that he might not have been there. I am certain that he was in the British Military at that time, so where is his MIC?, they haven't been culled or damaged by WW2 fire and bombing.....?

6: There is the WO 338 index (handwritten book entry) Lt Albert Edward Harrison, the as yet not found long number fellow, this could be my AEH, apparently the records do not exist, he still should have an MIC

More inertia regarding a change of name? I also started to go over the Harrison's in the LG between Jan 1918 and Dec 1919 again, and I intend to concentrate more attention to this line of research using the LG

I spent a fair bit of time doing an Alfred Edward Harris, 2Lt of the MGC, interestingly he joined 6/6/18 and was dead 2/7/18 on his MIC there is apparently no trace of his service or rank, its things like this that make you think of possibilities and if it wasn't for his apparent father's address on the MIC , I would seriously consider him as a good match

"Too Many Secrets.........!"

Cheers

Ian

[Redroger]

Ian, When next I go to London I'll look at the British Library to see what if anything I can find on this Alec Harrison. Can't do both National Archive and British Library on the same day for travel reasons.

[Craven-Harrison]

 Carole,

My Cousin went to the Aus/State Archives, and unfortunately has had no luck, I enclose here his comments>>>

""It was SOOOO WET AND MISERABLE in Sydney today that I decided to do that little task at the State Archives .

Not much luck unfortunately

 All I could find on the Inquest was the Folio No-1153 for 3/8/1934 and the "one
line" entry viz;"Haemorrhage due to wound in the throat.Self inflicted whilst of
unsound mind"

There is no further infomation available.The file has been cleaned out.


Less luck with the Will I could NOT locate a record of granting of Probate for
Sydney Blamey from 1929 to 1970.
What date was the Notice you sent me from the newspaper.

I note the Notice states"Probate may be granted"The person at the Archives told
me that Probate is not alwayes proceeded with.
Might be the case here if nobody made a claim and I guess he did  not have much
money in the Estate.anyway.

Sorry not much help BUT we can probably put this chapter to bed.

Keep up the good work & keep faith in the future.

Brian""


Ian

[Craven-Harrison]

Roger,

regarding Lt Alec  Harrison, he has a medal card which is unusually sparse, it sais that he is due a GS (general Service medal) South Persia with Clasp, he was attached to the 130/Bulchas. no forwarding details, likely it wasn't received, no starting date or the normal MIC accoutrement's.

I've been quite busy answering PM's and doing research on a couple of other Harrison's and a Millar, and I will detail these later on tonight when I have some more time

I spent an hour on the London Gazette yesterday and for the first time limited my search to July to October 1919 and found an A Harrison, I will check this entry against those I already have and if its a new fellow I'll dig a bit further.

I have received the NRRF book and there are no Harrison's in the list at the rear of the book as I had hoped. I am now reading the book and atleast my understanding of the history is improving. I haven't given up on this line as he might not have used his real name, so more to come on this subject

Regarding MIC, a point that I didn't know previously, (unsubstantiated) if you don't fight overseas you don't have a medal card

I'll be back on tonight and describe the last couple of days research

Cheers

Ian

[Siamese Girl]

Well - I'm disappointed about the will.

 I did a search for David Popplewell - it looks as if he was born in NSW in 1892 the son of Edward and Christina Maver (or Marers) other children were Charles E 1881, Peter M 1884, Iram 1886, Jessie M 1889, Christina 1895 and Andrew C 1898. David died in 1957. I thought he might have been in the war - he wasn't. Peter Popplewell was but he was in the 2nd Infantry (he got court martialed as well in 1918 but he was in France) Andrew tried to join up in 1918 but it was found out he was under age.

I did a search for David Popplewell on the newspaper site http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper and for some reason (because it didn't come up as a result when I searched previously for Sydney  ) I got this from The Sydney Herald of 21 December 1934.. Even odder in light of no will ...




Carole

[Redroger]

OK Ian, My next trip to London is likely to be in September, when I will go to the British Library, and renew my acquaintence with King's Cross!