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