Help with discharge from 139 Battery RFA Gunner Charles George Eustace 1902

[teach3r]

Good morning and thank you in advance for any help that can be given.

The brother of my Great Grandfather is Charles Georrge Eustace (b. 13/12/1881 Chaddleworth, Berkshire).

He attested on 19 October 1901 to the 139th Battery Royal Field Artillery at Monmouth, Wales but less than a year later was discharged in Kildare on 31 July 1902 as unfit.  There is a description on his discharge sating that he had lost the third joint of his third finger on his left hand but this can't be the reason as this is also described on his attestation.

I have attached a page from the discharge in the hope that someone might be able to explain further why he served such a short time (all it says is medically unfit along with the Kings Regulations which I do not understand).  I would also be grateful if anyone could tell me anything else about the 139th Battery and what they would have been doing during his short service

[MaxD]

Paragraph 1805 of Kings Regulations listed the many headings under which a man's discharge would be authorised.  Sub paragraph xvi covered (as it says) discharges due to a man being assessed as being medically unfit.  His record does not have the medical assessment that led to that finding.  He sprained his ankle in April but that is unlikely to have been the cause of discharge in July.

He served first in training at the depot at Woolwich from October 1901 to December 1901.  He was then posted to 139 Battery where in January he was "mustered" as a Gunner ie declared a trained soldier.  He was discharged in Ireland.  I can't find which brigade the battery belonged to so whether he spent the months to July in Ireland or in England I don't know, in any event his service was not overseas.  What did they do?  Trained, polished things, practiced their artillery drills, fired their guns periodically.

MaxD

[teach3r]

Thank you, MaxD - much appreciated.

Where did you see about the sprained ankle (or am I being blind?)?

Is there a way of me finding out more about why he was discharged or is it a case of the record doesn't exist?

Thank you again,

Nic

[MaxD]

I looked at the record on Findmypast - there are two sets for him with some pages duplicated but not identical, one has been updated when perhaps the original; was not available - often happens.
Any medical assessment does not apperar in the records so no you won't find it I'm afraid..

Slightly puzzling that one set says he has a 12 month pension of 9d/day.  There was another sub para for discharge that dealt with "impairment during the service" which at first sight should perhaps have been the grounds for discharge but after 116 years - who knows!

MaxD

[teach3r]

Thank you (again) MaxD - I had only looked at the first set.