Issue of Khaki armlet

[LizzieL]

While searching for WW1 service records of ancestors, I came across a document appearing to be a receipt for the issue of a Khaki serge armlet "with a crown of red cloth stitched thereon".
It is unsigned and undated. There is a letter with it from a Superintendant of the Metropolitan Police to the effect that they had made enquiries at the place it was addressed to and they were unable to find the addressee, so were returning it to Army Service Corps.
Does anyone know what such an armband would be for?
 

[km1971]

Sounds like the armlet issued to volunteers under the 'Derby scheme'. This lasted from October 1915 until conscription was introduced in early 1916. Volunteers enlisted, but went back to work (with an armlet) until they were called up.

http://www.1914-1918.net/derbyscheme.html

http://europeana1914-1918.eu/en/europeana/record/2024904/photography_ProvidedCHO_TopFoto_co_uk_EU001629#prettyPhoto

Ken

[LizzieL]

The Derby scheme says it was a grey armband, the document I have specifically says Khaki. The relative attested on 9th August 1914, but was discharged on 28th September 1914 after diagnosis of general debility and neurasthenia.
He was about 30 and according to attestation form had served in the army previously having been discharged as a sergeant in 1911. As two of his children were born in South Africa about 4 years apart, I guess he must have had an extended period there during the Boer war.

[LizzieL]

Just seen your second link which says khaki armband.
That does sound like it.
The letter accompanying the returned undelivered armband was dated December 1915 which was 15 months after his discharge as unfit. But fits in with the dates of the Derby scheme. There is also a letter from him to the army special service section dated March 2015 saying he encloses Army Form B 104/75. This appears to be concerned with his marriage certificate and children's birth certificates. I don't know why the army would require this information in 1915, if he had already been discharged as unfit a year previously, if he wasn't making another attempt to join up.

[LizzieL]

As far as I acn see there are no other records which show him being accepted for the army later on. His name was John Sibley Derham. His original Aug 1914 attestation form has the number SS 946 at the top but this seems too few digits to be a service number. Maybe the period was too short for him to be issued one.
But there is a medal card for a John Sibley Derham (Company Quarter Master Sergeant ) in the London regiment service number 3209.
Could it be the same man? Not a common name (except in my family tree!). But the other three are of completely the wrong age to have served in WW1.

[LizzieL]

Just searched general military records and just found that he joined the RAF in August 1919! In that record it lists previous military service
Army ordnance corps 1901 - 1911
London Regiment Oct 1914 - Oct 1916 rank on discharge CQMS
Definitely same man because same children listed.
So he managed to get back in the army in Oct 1914 the month after discharged as unfit. He must have been issued with his volunteer armband but as it seems to have been sent to his place of work he never received it because he was back in the army by then.
here is no sign of his army record from Oct 1914 - 16, but there is an annotation (dated 1915) about birth certs for the children on his August / Sep 1914 records

[km1971]

There is also a letter from him to the army special service section dated March 2015 saying he encloses Army Form B 104/75. This appears to be concerned with his marriage certificate and children's birth certificates. I don't know why the army would require this information in 1915, if he had already been discharged as unfit a year previously, if he wasn't making another attempt to join up.

They lowered the physical requirements as the war went on. Also single men were chosen first, so they wanted to know details of any wife and children. Or it was to do with a temporary pension he was receiving which was partly based upon number of children.

Ken

[LizzieL]

I suspect it was more likely to do with a pension, but not sure when he would get it. Piecing together military records, he served in the army during the Boer war in early 1900s up till 1911 (two children were born in South Africa). He volunteered in August 1914 but was declared unfit a month later, but managed to join up again later in Oct 1914. Then he joined RAF in 1919 - not found out yet when he retired from that.