WW1 Travel

[Coomera]

I am researching a relative who left England for Australia in early 1914. He next turns up (From his medal card) in the RFA (as a bombadier) in the UK but no oversea's service is shown. As I cannot find any travel for him was it possible to sign on for the British army in Aust. and the W.O. would ship him back? Also, he joined the RAN in 1928 and, again, no travel arrangements can be found. Could he have joined the RAN in England and they shipped him back on a navy boat? He got married in Surrey in 1925 so was in the UK at that date.

[sparrett]

Is there a reason you have not included his name? 

Sue

[jbml]

Is there a reason you have not included his name? 

Sue

I suspect the reason is that the question is "Was it possible to do this?"

That question stands entirely independently of the identity of the individual involved.

[alanmack]

The thought that occurs to me is that he was actually in the Merchant Navy and was travelling to and fro regularly. As a member of the crew I think he wouldn't appear on passenger lists but there might be some record of his going ashore at either end.

alanmack

[ScouseBoy]

Do you know the name of the ship on which he may have been enlisted  as a member of the crew?

You could search for his name on Merchant Navy Crew Cards.

[km1971]

If he has a medal card he must have served overseas. Except if it gives a reference to a Silver War Badge which you could have been awarded while only serving at home.

Ken

[ScouseBoy]

There could be two different people with the same identical name

[sparrett]

Is there a reason you have not included his name? 

Sue

I suspect the reason is that the question is "Was it possible to do this?"

That question stands entirely independently of the identity of the individual involved.

Yes, I understood this but

There could be two different people with the same identical name

And also with a name to search, a look at Australian military records and other more general   records might clarify the man's movements and confirm his identity.

Sue

[Coomera]

Thanks for all the replies. Yes, the question was "was it possible to do this", however I have no problem with his name which with three given names cannot be confused with anyone else. He was: Edgar Leonard Leslie Mallin, born Portsmouth 1897.
I don't think he was a merchant seaman as he was only 16 when he was dispatched to Sydney as a "Farm Hand" and his subsequent career in the RAN was as a Bandsman and it is unlikely that he would have left the merchant navy to become a gunner in the R.A. We think he had problems with an older woman and was sent abroad by his RN father - he was an only child. Thanks for the info on The Medal Card - I was not sure if there being no ref to overseas service on it that they had served o/s.
On rechecking his service record I see that he enlisted in Sydney 24.4.28. but have no record of how he got there. His wife and d'ter followed in 1929 on the Jervis Bay. Ship records from Australia are rather poor and only start from 1922.He has no WW1 Aust. service.