William Emmerson Metcalfe MM - Deserted?

[brushbroomstick]

Can anyone help solve this mystery?
My uncle was a private 11136 in the 12th Northumberland Fusiliers. His Medal Rolls show he deserted 1/4//17 and his medals forfeited but was awarded the Military Medal in Feb 1918 , his medals were reinstated in 1923.

[philipsearching]

The first step would be to see if his service record survives and, if so, what it shows. (Ancestry of familysearch might have it)

There may be a mention in the war diaries - I believe Newcastle Central Library has them on microfiche, so the originals must have survived.

Good hunting
Philip

[t mo]

dont know if you've got this
cause of discharge  - to class Z army reserve
wounded/ sick  -  dec 15 [ gassed ] sept 16
notes  - mm 4/2/18 ; written as 12/11136 in mr
source -sgg ; avl;lg;mic;mr
record set - british army - Northumberland fus 1881-1920
regards
trevor

[jim1]

1/4/17 the Batt. was at Boiry Becquerelle France, just S. of Arras. On the 2nd. April they went into battle.
Prior to this at the end of March they were involved in heavy fighting around Henin N. of Boiry Becquerelle.

[brushbroomstick]

Thank you all.
I do have Uncle Emmerson's Medal Card and 4 medals. It was from the Medal Card that is noted "Deserted  and medals forfeited". He had the medals reinstated in 1923.
I am puzzled as to why he was shown as a deserter if in fact he had been gassed.
I went to the Fusiliers Museum in Alnwick Castle and the Custodian found the War Diaries  for me but they showed nothing about a desertion or a gassing. It is the first I have heard about a gassing. As far as I was aware my uncle was in action until the end of the war. I knew him but he would never talk about the war or his medals.

Trevor
From his Service record it would appear that he was sent back to the front. Is this correc do you think or amI getting the story wrong?

Irene

[Jomot]

Private William E Metcalfe of Northumberland Fusiliers, 12th Battalion, Service Number 11136 was on the Daily Casualty Lists on 30th October 1915 and was reported as Suffering From Gas Poisoning.  The report had been received 20th October 1915.

He was also on the Daily Casualty Lists on 14th August 1916 as wounded, by which time he was a Lance Corporal.  No further information was given.

On the Military Medal record it says he was awarded it in France and lists him again as a Private. 

In case you don't have it already, here is the notice in the London Gazette 4 Feb 1918 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30507/supplement/1614

[mmm45]

It also may pay to post on the Great War Forum and ask for a look up in the St Georges Gazette (NF Regimental Journal) there maybe an entry.Graham Stewart on GWF has these in his collection.

Ady

[brushbroomstick]

Thank you Jomot and MMM45. I didn't have this information.
If he had been gassed and later wounded I wonder what the "deserted 1/4/17 " was about.

He was a feisty person and stood no nonsense from anyone but I loved to go and stay with him and my aunt when I was a child. I got into trouble for taking the medals to look at. He never acknowledged that he had them and lived into his 80s.

Irene

[jim1]

Arras 14/8/16 reported as a quiet day with no casualties. However on the 16th. 1 man is reported wounded due to either a trench mortar or arial bombing.
Armentieres 16-20/10/15 reported Batt. in the trenches but no indication of enemy activity.