142 replies to this topic

[alecnorwell]

I have the CD-ROM Military Courts 1879 - 1994, and I'm happy to do look ups for any member.

This Cd covers trials in all three Armed Force for the following dates, Royal Navy 1911 - 1965, British Army 1879 - 1986, and the RAF 1941 - 1994. The info varies but generally gives Name, Rank, Unit, Service Number, Charge, and a Reference Number for further research at the NA.

i.e.

Attached Files

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[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Private W.G.Plowright Northamptonshire Regt/Essex Regt Desertion 1920/23?
any information gratefully received thank you in anticipation!

[alecnorwell]

Private W.G.Plowright Northamptonshire Regt/Essex Regt Desertion 1920/23?
any information gratefully received thank you in anticipation!

I have checked the disc, sorry there is no mention of Private W.G.Plowright. Regards Alec

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Thanks!

[Ian Grant]

Hi Alec,
Could you look up Lieutenant John Turner Hastie RM, Court Martialed 1918, sentenced to Dishourable discharge, commuted to Severe reprimand, Offence, - my interpretation - Making comments unbecoming of an Officer, likley to cause offence and damage the reputation of the British army or Royal Marines. I found the Service record of J T Hastie, where it gave these sketchy details, but couldn't find the record of the Courts Martial, basically i think he made comments to fellow officers to the effect that the general staff were incompetant. I made the serch for a friend in Australia, and sent the service record to him, so i'm going by memory.

                                     Regards Ian.

[alecnorwell]

Hi Alec,
Could you look up Lieutenant John Turner Hastie RM, Court Martialed 1918, sentenced to Dishourable discharge, commuted to Severe reprimand, Offence, - my interpretation - Making comments unbecoming of an Officer, likley to cause offence and damage the reputation of the British army or Royal Marines. I found the Service record of J T Hastie, where it gave these sketchy details, but couldn't find the record of the Courts Martial, basically i think he made comments to fellow officers to the effect that the general staff were incompetant. I made the serch for a friend in Australia, and sent the service record to him, so i'm going by memory.

                                     Regards Ian.

Sorry but nothing found, these cases are taken from the records at NA, so they may well be missing there. Another thought is, when i served in the Royal Navy, there were two levels of Court, the Captains or 1st Lieutenant's Table, where minor offences were dealt with, and a full blown Court Martial, for the big stuff. When dealt with by the Table, details of the case were kept in the mans file, but removed and destroyed when he was drafted to a new ship, so to give him a fresh start. Did the Army do anything like this too. Regards Alec

[Ian Grant]

Hi Alec, thanks for looking anyway. I'm not too sure whether this would have come under the jurisdiction of the British Army or the Royal Navy, i know for the purposes of operations attatched to the BEF, the RM and RND came under British Army Command, but i think - not certain - that disciplinary proceedures were still under Royal Navy jurisdiction, however it was the Army he offended, so they may have been allowed to deal with it. In another thread i followed a link to the War diaries of the 1st Bn RMLI judging by the horrific casualties they took time & time & time again, i think i can imagine the kind of comment he may have made that got him into trouble. His family say he refused point blank to speak of the war. and certainly this generation had no idea he was court martialed until i found his records.
                                        
                                        Regards Ian.

[alecnorwell]

Hi Ian, I know what you mean, i was tracing a distant relative, 2/Lt Herbert Norwell, in the Royal Fusillers. I was kindly sent three pages of his regiments war diary, by another member of this site, covering four days, from 10th - 14th April 1918. On the 10th April it states that Herbert plus 20 other officers "moved forward" by the 14th April only 5 officers were left, (9 dead, 5 wounded, 1 missing, 1 ran and faced court martial.)
Other ranks, 23 dead, 156 wounded, 145 missing. How do you live through that and stay sane?
Regards Alec

[steve fuller]

Hi Alec

I am going to compile the Bedfordshire Regiment court martials in Feb from the NA records, but IF your CD is searchable by Regiment, Id be incredibly grateful for the info. Would help me no end by giving a framewrok to build on!

If its not easily searchable, then no worries mate.

Cheers  
Steve

[alecnorwell]

Hi Alec

I am going to compile the Bedfordshire Regiment court martials in Feb from the NA records, but IF your CD is searchable by Regiment, Id be incredibly grateful for the info. Would help me no end by giving a framewrok to build on!

If its not easily searchable, then no worries mate.

Cheers  
Steve

Hi Steve, it is searchable by Surname, most entries do not even mention a regiment, just 'Army', those that do, the regiment is written in various ways, depending on who wrote it down at the time i suppose.
As a coincidence, i have just discovered today that my GG Uncle served in the Bedfordshire Regiment during WW1, according to his MIC as follows

Medal card of Slack, Richard L  
Bedfordshire Regiment 6971 Private
Machine Gun Corps 16782 Private

Date 1914-1920
Catalogue reference WO 372/18

Regards Alec

[steve fuller]

Cheers anyway Alec

Would be interested in Pte Clarke 23rd - 24th August 1916, 5th Beds if you have a chance please? Dont know his first name yet im afraid!!

If you need anything on the Bedfords mate, give me a shout - have all the War diaries & all kinds of nonsense!! His service number suggests a 1st or 2nd Battalion pre war regular, then into the MGC --- sounds like quite a story to be had there!!

[Ian Grant]

[quote name='alecnorwell' date='Jan 14 2006, 09:47 PM' post='379404']
by the 14th April only 5 officers were left, (9 dead, 5 wounded, 1 missing, 1 ran and faced court martial.)
Other ranks, 23 dead, 156 wounded, 145 missing. How do you live through that and stay sane?

[/quote

I think they must have had a mental on/off switch Alec, or for sure most would have gone insane, some way of blocking out the thoughts of what they knew would be coming. The stress levels must have been unbelievable. It reminds me of a rememberance day about maybe 15 or so years ago, an old boy (must have been in his 90's) was invited by the presenter of a TV programme, song of praise or one of them - to choose a hymn for the congregation of his church to sing, and tell why he chose it, He said " I'd like O' Valiant Hearts, because " and at that point he broke down and cried, they cut the take and restarted once he composed himself, he went on to say it reminded him of the first day of the Somme, that morning when he and his mates were waiting for the whistle, they were in pretty high spirits as they truly believed nothing could have survived the pounding the German positions had taken, they were the second wave, another company of their battalion was first over a few hundred yards to their right, they heard the whistle and watched as the men went over and started walking they got a couple of hundred yards and then heard the clatter of machine gun fire, and watched as one by one they all fell, not a single one was left standing, and he said they knew in just a few minutes it was their turn, he was one of 12 walking wounded who manged to crawl back to the trenches, as they dare not stand, by this time he was fighting back the tears again, and i was too. I sometimes think what a lucky generation we are. it's a shame most kids today couldn't even tell you the year the war started and ended let alone the events that took place. I think as long as we have places like this their memory lives on, long may it remain so.

                                         Regards Ian.

[Northern Soul]

Alec,

Is there mention of a 2/Lt. Norman Bernard Vernon Rothery, Loyals, court martialled in mid-1916?

Cheers.

Andy.

[GRUMPY]

Major Richard Anthony Adamson, RWF, Court Martialled in 1918, please.

[mickgall]

Hi Alec

could you do a look up please for Thomas George William Gall, 78399, Driver, 27th Brigade RFA, who deserted 15/1/1916.
Many thanks
Mick

[roy litchfield]

Alec,

Is there any mention of -

6080 - C/Sjt. Ben Litchfield of the Northumberland Fusiliers who was court martialed on 24th. Feb. 1916

Thanks Roy

[Andrew123]

I would be very relieved if you could see if there is any info relating to my father Robert Jordan of the Royal Marines. Service number was something POX 103883 (the POX may relate to his signing on place of Portsmouth).

I believe he was court martialled for bigamy in 1946 or 1947 and was a Lieutanant. I know that there was a trial at the Old Bailey but I have been led to believe there was a military case as well.

Many thanks in anticipation for your help.

Andre Jordan

[alecnorwell]

[quote name='Northern Soul' date='Jan 15 2006, 03:15 PM' post='379682']
Alec,

Is there mention of a 2/Lt. Norman Bernard Vernon Rothery, Loyals, court martialled in mid-1916?

Cheers.

Andy.
[/quote

No luck with that name, sorry

[alecnorwell]

Major Richard Anthony Adamson, RWF, Court Martialled in 1918, please.

No luck with that name, sorry

[alecnorwell]

Hi Alec

could you do a look up please for Thomas George William Gall, 78399, Driver, 27th Brigade RFA, who deserted 15/1/1916.
Many thanks
Mick

nothing on this disc, sorry

[alecnorwell]

Alec,

Is there any mention of -

6080 - C/Sjt. Ben Litchfield of the Northumberland Fusiliers who was court martialed on 24th. Feb. 1916

Thanks Roy

sorry nothing on the disc

[alecnorwell]

I would be very relieved if you could see if there is any info relating to my father Robert Jordan of the Royal Marines. Service number was something POX 103883 (the POX may relate to his signing on place of Portsmouth).

I believe he was court martialled for bigamy in 1946 or 1947 and was a Lieutanant. I know that there was a trial at the Old Bailey but I have been led to believe there was a military case as well.

Many thanks in anticipation for your help.

Andre Jordan

Robert Jordan is not on the disc, sorry. Out of interest, my Grandfather was tried for bigamy too, twice. While in the Army, just after WW11, and still married to my nan, he married a local girl while based in Italy, then went AWOL in the UK, and married again in Sheffield. He then worked as a bus driver for two years, before they caught him. A tramp fell asleep under his bus over night, he turned up for the early shift next morning, and promptly drove over him. Police turned up, discovered he was AWOL from the Army, and nicked him. He spent a bit of time inside for that. All the best Alec

[CSMMo]

Would you mind looking up the following:
Lt. Donald R.G. Sutherland, RGA (TF), Cashiered, General Court Martial 23 Apr 1919 - Possibly something to do with funds, but the reason, etc. is not known.
Thanks for your time.

Mike Morrison

[Simon Jones]

Alec
I would be extremely grateful if you could check for Cpl Douglas and L/Cpl Lindell tried by FGCM in France 2/10/1915.  They were tried in connection with an incident in which 179th Tunnelling Company RE blew a mine without first evacuating an adjacent tunnel and killed nine of their own men.

I have looked through a number of registers at the NA but without success.

Many thanks

Simon

[mickgall]

Alec
thanks for taking the time to look.

Mick