Author Topic: Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!  (Read 6062 times)

Offline Rufous Treecreeper

  • RootsChat Senior
  • ****
  • Posts: 484
  • My lovely Granny 1909 to 2017
    • View Profile
Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!
« on: Wednesday 10 July 13 05:40 BST (UK) »
Hello  :)

I'm researching some soldiers who had an avenue of honour planted for them in a small street, in a small town in country Victoria, Australia.

One of 'my soldiers' Hugh Neil Boyd, joined up in April 1916 and sailed to England.  In his own words what happened then was - "After being in England for some time & not being drafted to France on account of my eyesight & being informed that on account of this disability I could never get to France & being very young & foolish at the time...I deserted & joined the British Navy at Portsmouth & was drafted to HMAT Kursk..."
The AIF listed him as A.W.L. on 25th April 1917 from Codford Camp, Salisbury Plains.  He was declared an illegal absentee at a Court of Inquiry at Codford on 29th May 1917.

Hugh left quite a paper trail in his AIF records and they can be found here;
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3105369

What I would like to know is whether it's possible to get any information about his British Navy service?  (I'm pretty much limited to the internet too.)  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It appears Hugh acquired a wife in England too (he was single on his enlistment).  In his AIF file there is a letter dated 14 Dec 1917 to Mrs M.A. Boyd, 22 Bellevue Crescent, Clifton, Bristol from AIF headquarters which basically says she won't get any allotment (pay) until he his apprehended.  It would be great to find about this part of his story too.

Hugh came back to Australia but I don't know when...  He doesn't show up in electoral rolls until 1931 (unless I've missed him!).  He's with a Mary Ann Boyd too, maybe the wife mentioned above?

Thanks in advance for any help,
Mo
Best (Sussex/Australia)
Brown (Kent/Australia)
Milbourne (Australia)
Orr (Renfrew/Fife/Australia)
Livingstone, Bryson, Hutton (Hamilton, Lanark)

Online mmm45

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,223
    • View Profile
Re: Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 10 July 13 07:43 BST (UK) »
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?_q=Hugh+boyd+royal+navy&_sd=yyyy&_ed=yyyy

Do any of these dates of birth ring true?
Possible that he changed name due to desertion?
Any medals in family with names numbers on rims?

Ady
Lowe(Lower Gornall-Castleford)
Blackburn (Castleford)
Sidwell(Ledsham)
Fairburn(Hartshead)
Wood(Liversedge)
Tallon (Whittington Lancs/Hartshead West Yorkshire)

Researching all Great War soldiers from the Spen Valley of West Yorkshire Especially lads from the Cleckheaton Company of 1/4th West Riding Regiment.

Online ShaunJ

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 24,034
    • View Profile
Re: Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 10 July 13 07:49 BST (UK) »
There's a marriage in Bristol in q/e Dec 1916 (6a 205):

Hugh N Boyd and Mabel A Lee
UK Census info. Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Online mmm45

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,223
    • View Profile
Re: Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 10 July 13 07:51 BST (UK) »
Lowe(Lower Gornall-Castleford)
Blackburn (Castleford)
Sidwell(Ledsham)
Fairburn(Hartshead)
Wood(Liversedge)
Tallon (Whittington Lancs/Hartshead West Yorkshire)

Researching all Great War soldiers from the Spen Valley of West Yorkshire Especially lads from the Cleckheaton Company of 1/4th West Riding Regiment.


Offline crimea1854

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,003
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 10 July 13 07:56 BST (UK) »
Received a Merchantile Marine Medal for WW1

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D7981309

This is as Ady's post above, but in addition there is a CR10 Merchant Seamen's Ticket on FindMyPast for him, which includes a Photograph.

Martin

Offline Rufous Treecreeper

  • RootsChat Senior
  • ****
  • Posts: 484
  • My lovely Granny 1909 to 2017
    • View Profile
Re: Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 10 July 13 10:24 BST (UK) »
Hmmm, what an interesting bloke... 
Purchased the medal card and it says he got British Medal Ribbon issued 24 Sep 1919 to M.M.O. Glasgow.  Written across the top is 'Not entitled to any medals from M.M.' 
Two questions about this; 1) what does M.M.O. stand for and would Glasgow be were he was when he got it? and 2) about the not entitled to medals bit - would the M. M. stand for Merchant Marine?

Also got Merchant Seamen's ticket - photo is brilliant! - the dates on it are all from 1919.  It does have the same number, 825499, listed for 'No. of Identity Certificate' as the medal card does, which is listed as 'RS2 No.'
As the only dates on the ticket are post WW1, I'm wondering whether he joined the merchant service after the war?  Wouldn't war time service be listed on that as well?  Maybe he used an assumed name IF he did serve in British Navy?

Great to have the marriage too, he only arrived in England in July 1916 - he must've whizzed Mabel off her feet pretty quick!

Still a lot to find out but I'm very appreciative of the help you've offered me. 
Thanks, Mo  :)
Best (Sussex/Australia)
Brown (Kent/Australia)
Milbourne (Australia)
Orr (Renfrew/Fife/Australia)
Livingstone, Bryson, Hutton (Hamilton, Lanark)

Online mmm45

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,223
    • View Profile
Re: Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 10 July 13 15:11 BST (UK) »
He had to be in MM before 1919 or wouldn't have qualified for British War Medal

Maybe he appears on naval medal rolls on ancestry...will check later

Ady
Lowe(Lower Gornall-Castleford)
Blackburn (Castleford)
Sidwell(Ledsham)
Fairburn(Hartshead)
Wood(Liversedge)
Tallon (Whittington Lancs/Hartshead West Yorkshire)

Researching all Great War soldiers from the Spen Valley of West Yorkshire Especially lads from the Cleckheaton Company of 1/4th West Riding Regiment.

Offline pazz12345

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 84
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 10 July 13 15:48 BST (UK) »
Hi just did a quick search on google for mmo ww1 and it came back with merchantile marine office
Williams, Fisher, Rimmer,Court,Parrott,Lancashire,Preston,Rochdale,Wales,England

Online mmm45

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,223
    • View Profile
Re: Aussie soldier deserted AIF and joined Royal Navy - HELP!
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 10 July 13 17:15 BST (UK) »
If he was entitled to the Mercantile Marine War medal then he didnt do any war time transits in a war zone.Unsure what the eligibilty of just  British War Medal means maybe he just left home port ?

Ady
Lowe(Lower Gornall-Castleford)
Blackburn (Castleford)
Sidwell(Ledsham)
Fairburn(Hartshead)
Wood(Liversedge)
Tallon (Whittington Lancs/Hartshead West Yorkshire)

Researching all Great War soldiers from the Spen Valley of West Yorkshire Especially lads from the Cleckheaton Company of 1/4th West Riding Regiment.