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

[Craven-Harrison]

I've spent the day checking British Medal Index Cards and this experience including some outside help in understanding the vagaries of the differences and similarities, particularly the existence of AIF cards has brought me to the following conclusions:

I had originally thought there were 250 AIF cards, there are actually 2188 Australian cards. Canada 4439, New Zealand 830, South Africa 134

The cards are produced for the following reasons: (and probably more)

The medal Office received a request for, or correspondence regarding the issue of medals
The card holder may have been born in the UK and wished to remain in the UK after the war and receive his medals from the UK
The holder transferred to the British Military, (this was identified on the card)
A delay of some sort in the Australian returning to Australia
The medals were issued to the card holder in the UK

The issue of a card to an Australian in British system is not necessarily evidence that he has joined the British Military, but certainly is related to him residing in the UK or staying longer in the UK. There are many other cards describing AIF men transferring to the British Military. AEH does not have one of these cards

As we know, there is no evidence that AEH made any attempt to communicate with the British Medal Authority regarding acquisition of Medals as there is nothing on his card regarding communication. It is possible that the card was created so that if he did apply there was information in the UK to reject his request. Perhaps the card was created in 1918 when he was Discharged in the UK.

I would therefore expect that even if AEH had joined the British Permanent Army after 1918 that a British MIC should still exist in his name AEH, and there isn't one, unfortunately adding more weight to the possibility that he has changed his name in some way.

[jds1949]

Just a quick thought - if AEH joined the British Army after November 11th 1918 would he have a medal card at all? Why create a medal card for a man who could not possibly be eligible for a war medal because he joined after the war had ended?

The medal card that we have for AEH relates to his service with the AIF and the fact of his court-martial is acknowledged by the reference to the Suspense List - presumably to ensure that he could not get hold of his Australian medal entitlement [denied after his court-martial] by application to the British authorities.

The letter referring to AEH's enlistment in the British Army is dated October 1919, almost a full year after the end of the war. We have nothing that I am aware of to suggest that his temporary commission pre-dated the end of the war. We have been looking earlier because it would be foolish not to try all avenues and possibilities - but the likelihood is that any stint in the British regular forces came after the end of the war. He was not [technically] finally discharged from the AIF until 28th August 1918 - only two and a half months before the war ended. 

jds1949

[Redroger]

With the slight caveat concerning the operations in Russia which lasted into 1919, I concur with jds. The NAM visit tomorrow regarding the Commission Books, will keep you posted on what, (if anything) I find out.

[Craven-Harrison]

Dear, jds1949 & Redroger,

It's really interesting how this mystery is resolving and how much your thoughts and insights are guiding the directions that we are taking.

The medal card outcome has spawned some new ideas and possibly taken us to another position. JDS, as usual you’ve summarised our present position perfectly by listing why we are in this position and how we got here.

Redroger, you have seen through the only loophole of our present position and created an alternate and possible new position.

This new position could be a milestone, I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but the revelation of the North Russian campaign has my attention

Chronology - North Russian Expeditionary Force: (a very abbreviated version)

24 May 1918 Major General Poole is in Murmansk to organise the North Russia expeditionary Force (NREF)
3rd July, 1918 Allied Supreme Council approves reinforcements for MREF of 1200 British Troops and a French Colonial Battalion
26 July 1918 French troops join British at Murmansk
24 May 1918 British War Cabinet decides to send 560-man military mission to Archangel to train ‘Whites’ and 600 troops to Murmansk. Notes large scale intervention inevitable.24 May 1918 Major General Poole in Murmansk to organise North Russia Expeditionary Force (NREF)
4 June 1918 150 Royal Marines. landed at Pechenga
7 May 1918 Further 250 Royal Marines landed at Kem
23 June 1918 ‘Syren’ and ‘Elope’ –600 men commanded by Major General Maynard join NREF at Murmansk. Maynard and 30 men proceed south by railway control to Soroka sending back 3 Red troop trains.
    3 July 1918 Allied Supreme War Council approves reinforcements for NREF of 1200 British troops and a French colonial battalion.
26 July 1918 French troops join British at Murmansk.
27 August 1918. Russia promises Germans to fight Allies in North Russia freeing German troops to move elsewhere.
28 August 1918 AEH is Discharged in England, all men wising to join the NREF force from any service must be discharged prior to joining2 September 1918 Italian battalion landed at Murmansk to join NREF.
4 September 1918 500 US troops landed at Archangel commanded by Colonel Stewart 339th Regiment.
18 Sept 1918 Karelians under British command repulse German led force and drive it back into Finland.
1 October 1918 Major General Ironside lands at Archangel as new Allied C-in-C.
27 October 1918 RScots surprise attack at Topsa fails.
Armistice signed on Western Front
26 November 1918 Three British battalions landed at Murmansk.
25 December 1918 British officer murdered near Murmansk, murderer executed 5 Feb 1919.
30 Dec. 1918 Captain R.C Dyer DCM, MM and Bar 8th Btn Manitoba Regt Canadian Infantry. Died of influenza. Captain Dyer and Captain Burke were ordered by General Ironside to form and train two battalions of Russians for wharf labous then as combat soldiers.
16 February 1919 Lloyd George tells Churchill Whites not Allies must oust Reds in two telegrams from Paris. Churchill continues to agitate for full British intervention to remove Reds.
1 March 1919 Allies retreat 1 mile at Vistavka 140 miles SE of Archangel.
4 March 1919 British Cabinet decide to evacuate NREF as soon as possible.
17 March 1919 Reds overwhelm French garrison at Bolshe-Ozerki and repel British counter-attack.
19 April 1919 400 British troops land at Murmansk
15 May 1919 Battalion of British 60th Battalion Royal Rifle Regt. storm and take village renamed
27 May 1919 British 238th Relief Brigade (NRRF) landed at Archangel reaches front 6 June
7 July Slavo-British-Legion mutinies and kills several British officers including Lieut C.F.R. Bland MC 3rd Btn Royal Berkshire Regt., Lieut. G.N.Gosling M.C. 1st Btn Gloucester Regt., Capt.D.B.Barr M.C. East Lancs Regt. Injured 7 July died of wounds 13 July. Captain Patrick Burke was reported killed but no record of death listed on CGRC database.
20-22 July 1919 4000 Whites mutiny in Murmansk, 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regt. sent to put down mutiny. Captain Alan Brown 49th Btn AIF Infantry murdered by mutineers.
30 July 1919 Major General Rawlinson appointed to direct North Russia evacuation.
1 September 1919 N.Russia 16,000 British, 1,400 French and Serb, & 26,000 ‘White’ troops in area.
9 September 1919 British begin withdrawal from Archangel covered by rearguard actions.
27 September 1919 Last British troops leave Archangel.
1 October 1919 British commence evacuation from Murmansk.
10 October 1919 Last Allied troops, 5000 British and 1400 French and Serb troops leave Murmansk HMS Glory last RN ship to leave N. Russia
20 October 1919, A Commission form sent to Nora Harrison in Australia informing her that AEH had joined the British Regular Forces as a T2L/t, however, this intra-army correspondence could have been reporting a Commission status that may have occurred some months earlier.21 February 1920 Red Army occupies Archangel.
13 March 1920 Red Army occupies Murmansk


An Australian was present in the above force:-  (excerpt from a web source)

War Diary includes ‘Narrative 2012 Battalion. Operations

Officers named: Maj RStG Mayne, Lt Harrison, U CD Armstrong, Lt EU Fricker, Lt Powell, LI
Morrison. Capt Webb, Li Harvey. Capt RV Bayliss MC & Bar. Maj Tippetts and Capt Panin


What do you think???

Ian

[jds1949]

Dear Ian,

My grandfather, who served in the RFA, was part of the Elope Force - so I know a little of the background of this operation. When I was working on his history I did consult some files at the National Archives, so I know that there is a fair bit of documentation on both forces to be consulted. It is certainly something that should be looked at. As I have posted previously, I'm not sure when I'll be next at Kew, but it should be at some point in the next ten days. I shall see what I can find.

jds1949

[Redroger]

Ian, Hope this comes to something, thinking on it has a lot of the ingredients of a "punishment unit" that I mentioned in an earlier post, and from what you have posted above, all the dates and known facts seem to fit. Hopefully we may have found him. Ironically when you made your last post I was at the National Army Museum, unfortunately they don't have a set of the WW1 Commission Books. That leaves the Imperial War Museum Tel No. (for JDS) 02074165320 or 5321. Another possibil;ity has occurred, would it be a book within the meaning of those that the British Library is legally required to keep a copy? Like JDS I don't know when I shall be in London again, but it is now most unlikely before September. Roger

[Craven-Harrison]

Dear Redroger and jds1949,

regarding your grandfather's service in the Elope forces, I'd be interested to hear of his exploits as it appears that this little war was quite eventful albeit short lived. It appears to have every possible intrigue, murders, mutiny, exacutions, traitors, spies, defections, politics and really difficult old style fighting with horses and bayonets etc.

I was interested to see that they were paid an amazing amount of money, the usual 25s per week was dropped in favor for 15s per day or something like that as this was very dangerous work and very, very, well paid, perhaps not so much a “punishment unit”   LOL

I have ordered a book written in Australia on the North Russia subject and it apparently has all the ex AIF soldiers names in the back of the book, so, if AEH didn't change his name and did go into this force he should be there, this also assumes that he was considered an ex AIF Soldier....!

I've been trawling the MIC's trying to ascertain the origins of soldiers that were in these forces, I’ve been using search words such as Russia, Elope, 45th and 46th Btn Royal Fus, NREF and numerous others and yes there are some in the records, but not as many as I would like, there is more to do on this aspect. Most of the men who were in the NREF, ELOPE etc that have MIC’s appear to be British. Pointing at this stage to the possibility of another medal roll repository for these men...?

Ok, on the documentation at the TNA and your previous research for your G’dad and the possibility of having a look when you go next, that would be great, thanks.  Are there any on-line resources dealing specifically with this North Russian affair...? 

The Russia affair certainly does have some of the ingredients particularly some of the dates look appealing not to mention the big money and the fact that Albert was not just an infantry Officer but an experienced Cavalry Officer.

Roger, Ok, on the TNA and September, and the hunt for the Commission Books, many thanks for your work to date, its really appreciated


Ian

[Redroger]

Hope this works out Ian, While I was waiting at the NAM for them to establish whether they had the WW1 commission books, I was drawn to another possible source, the Enlistment and Discharge Books for the Buffs and the Middlesex Regiments which they hold. I explained to the clerk what I was looking for, he was most helpful, and made a thorough search of these books. Afraid the result was Nil, posting this so that no one else now searches these publications.The level of pay given to the volunteers @15/- per day was 15 times that my father got as a private when he volunteered in 1915, but not surprising they had to pay these high wages to get a force together to go there. Further thoughts on where to look in the future, there were several other immediate post war military interventions, I think John and I looked at the Army of Occupation in Germany, but there were other places where the British Army went immediately post war, Mesopotamia for one, the League of Nations Mandate in Palestine, and I believe British troops went to the former German colonies in Africa, i.e. Cameroon, Tanganyika, and South West Africa, though that may have been South African Forces.

[Craven-Harrison]

Roger,

thanks for thinking of the Enlistment and Discharge Books for the Buffs and the Middlesex Regiments, it's lucky that you are within reach of these resources unfortunately for me to do any paper research in Australia I have to go to  Camberra and Sydney, which is 1000Km away

WW1 commission books, I'm surprised that there isn't some knowledge of these books their existance or not and possible location, should we post this issue on a military forum?

I had also thought of the Army of Occupation in Germany as there was an AEH that was there, how did you go?, did you find the AEH that was mentioned in the on-line archive search?

Looks like lots more work if AEH isn't part of the Russian force, Mesopotamia, the League of Nations Mandate in Palestine, Africa, Cameroon, Tanganyika, and South West Africa. Looks like I might have something to do in future retirement....LOL

I again mention that I keep comming across men with alternate names, in todays world I guess we think this to be impossible given all the mechanisms in place to stop the possibility. I would really like to understand the reasons why so many men were doing this...!?

Ian