b e f in France

[gortonboy]

he also received an  SWB ,,   Silver war badge     This was given to injured or sick soldiers who had left the army to identify that they had served,,but had been discharged due to injury or sickness,,this stopped the civilians throwing white feathers at them in civvy street !!


Silver War Badge Roll

Private Ernest Anderson Service number 38292 enlisted 5-Aug-1914
Badge number 371184
Discharged 27-Jul-1918 from 1 Res Gar. Bn. Suffolk

[jim1]

Field Punishment Number 1 consisted of the convicted man being shackled in irons and secured to a fixed object, often a gun wheel or similar. He could only be thus fixed for up to 2 hours in 24, and not for more than 3 days in 4, or for more than 21 days in his sentence. This punishment was often known as 'crucifixion' and due to its humiliating nature was viewed by many Tommies as unfair. Field Punishment Number 2 was similar except the man was shackled but not fixed to anything. Both forms were carried out by the office of the Provost-Marshal, unless his unit was officially on the move when it would be carried out regimentally i.e. by his own unit.

No punishment was handed out while in detention unless the rules were broken which wasn't difficult.
Just being there was punishment enough.
Constant drilling, exercise & weapons training all at the double with meagre rations.
They were marched in public as extra humiliation.
Days were long & hard.

[Stephanie Hayward]

Brilliant thank you for your help, I understand better now. I noticed that about his marriage. I know I sound dumb but what is court martial? And what could have caused the bronchitis, ?

[mmm45]

Steph
court martial is a military court held for various charges ...he would be tried by a board of army officers.
The bronchitis may be down to working in all conditions it may have been exposure to gas initially but unless you have medical documents you may never know.

He was lucky he went AWOL in UK if it would have been overseas he could have been shot!

Ady

[Stephanie Hayward]

Thank you both of your help I k ow have a little more understanding of him. What would life b like for him in France and Ireland ?

[Stephanie Hayward]

Thank you for alll your help to all of you 

[Finley 1]

Wow, what excellent help you have had on here -
So good to have someone so able to explain things and find such detail for you.

may have to call out for some help one day with my lot  

great work.
 
xin

[jim1]

Life in Ireland would be pretty relaxed in comparison & would have consisted of normal military duties.
During the war there were problems with the IRA which had to be addressed by the local garrison.
Mainly patrolling & showing a presence.
Front line Battalions suffered heavy casualties & manned up from the Reserves of which the 3rd, was one.
If you were a C.O. of one of these who would you transfer, your best men or your worst?
Below covers the period that he served in the 6th. E.Kent's:
In June 1916 they moved to Flesselles and carried out a training exercise. They moved to Baizieux on the 30th June and went into the reserve at Hencourt and Millencourt by mid morning on the 1st of July. They relieved the 8th Division at Ovillers-la-Boisselle that night and attacked at 3.15 the following morning with mixed success. On the 7th they attacked again and despite suffering heavy casualties in the area of Mash Valley, they succeeded in capturing and holding the first and second lines close to Ovillers. They were withdrawn to Contay on the 9th July. They were in action in The Battle of Pozieres on the 3rd of August with a successful attack capturing 4th Avenue Trench and were engaged in heavy fighting until they were withdrawn on the 9th.

more details here:
http://outofbattle.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Battles%20-%20Pozieres

I make no apologies for showing these photos of the battle as you did ask what it was like:

[jim1]

more:
Pozieres area