Neil DOUGAL - where did he serve?

[Old Bristolian]

I'm trying to track the total service record of Neil Dougal, born 1890 in Dalziel, Lanarckshire. He enlisted with the Argyll & Sutherlands in 1914  (no. 3091and was discharged as no longer fit on 31st July 1915. On the death certificate of one of his daughters in April 1916 he claimed he was a private in the 13th Batt. Highland Light Infantry; if this was correct, it seems he would have transferred to 52nd Training Batt. of the 12th Reserve Brigade at Leven, Fife. His medal card records he served (no dates) with the Labour Corps too.

However, when he reenlisted in the Lowland Division of the RE in 1920 he gives, as his previous service "Seaforth Highlanders no 15863. Defence Force No LRE (?) 215. Can all these be reconciled, and does this mean he may have served away from Leven during the period 1916-8?

Steve

[jim1]

According to his Medal Roll he served in the 2nd. Batt. up to his discharge.

[ShaunJ]

According to medal rolls and index cards he also served in the Labour Corps 567276

[Old Bristolian]

That's correct - there are two medal cards, one to "Neil Dougal" and one to "N Dougall", but both obviously for the same person as the A&S details concur. I am wondering why no record of the other positions - HLI, the Reserve Battalion and the Labour Corps appear on his service record. I also want to trace his movements in 1917 if possible.

[MaxD]

Could well be as simple as the fact that home service is not recorded on medal records and his papers for engagement for the Labour Corps, HLI, Seaforths and Defence Force are not with his docs.  The existence of two cards suggests confusion, note that the Neil Dougal one notes that his BW and VM are on the Labour Corps roll and the roll says the medals were issued by the Infantry office at Perth.

So there are anomalous medal cards and the duplication on the medal rolls.  His various attestation papers similarly difficult, 1920 and 1921 for the Lowland Div RE for example where he signed on for 3 years in 1920, attended the first year annual training then signed again for 2 years in 1921 and re-engaged for another 2 in 1922.   This last was part time service but is at least a period of reasonable certainty.

As he served only a month in 1914 overseas and was back in UK before end 1914, there was plenty of time for him to have served in the HLI (May 1916 is associated on one document) and the Seaforths (October 1916 associated date), both at home, then re-engaged in the Labour Corps and served overseas.  LDRE 1920/21 and Defence Force (definitely 1921) came post war. Why he moved about can only be speculated on, I haven't yet found a service record that has a column headed  "the reason he did this".

 The May/October 1916 dates do give two fixed points though and the Labour Corps itself was not formed until 1917.  Frustrating but not uncommon for only parts of a man's documentation to survive leaving the sort of gap you are trying to close.

MaxD

[Old Bristolian]

Thanks MaxD, that is very illuminating. I guess I shall never know the truth, but the chap is a putative grandfather of mine (via DNA) and I was hoping to pin him down in the right place at the right time!

Steve