Why did Joseph forfeit his medals?

[Clarkey500]

I have come across a Joseph Adams (SS/2849) of the army service corps who I think may be the individual I am researching (his death certificate is due any day now). However, on his medal roll index card and on the medal rolls themselves, it states he forfeited his medals due to NW/9/2016 - does anybody know what this means? He was discharged on the 12 July 1915 due to misconduct. Therefore, I imagine NW/9/2016 means some kind of misconduct, but other than that I am stumped!

[MaxD]

NW/9/2016 would have been the authorative letter/note that recorded the act of forfeiture.  Without his service record we don't know what the misconduct actually was.  The charge of misconduct was much more serious that the word suggests including sleeping on duty on operations, using violence or disrespectful behaviour to a superior, misconduct through drink or drugs.   He would have received some sort of sentence and forfeiture was part of the result.

MaxD

[ShaunJ]

Service record on FindMyPast https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBM/WO363-4/007256154/00101&parentid=GBM/WO363-4/7256154/12/101

[MaxD]

Good spot ShaunJ.  Two periods of Field Punishment No 1, Field General Court Martial for drunkenness and striking a superior (6 months in prison). 

MaxD

[Clarkey500]

NW/9/2016 would have been the authorative letter/note that recorded the act of forfeiture.  Without his service record we don't know what the misconduct actually was.  The charge of misconduct was much more serious that the word suggests including sleeping on duty on operations, using violence or disrespectful behaviour to a superior, misconduct through drink or drugs.   He would have received some sort of sentence and forfeiture was part of the result.

MaxD

Thank you, Max and Shaun!

I should say the Joseph Adams I am looking for was kicked in the head by a mule in July 1915 which led to tetanus and depression. He died a month later. I'm hoping his death certificate will give more information about his service number etc. He is named on the parish war memorial, but doesn't seem to be on the CWGC database!


It appears he is not this Joseph Adams, but he seems to have a rather interesting story to tell and I can rule him off my possibilities list!

[ShaunJ]

Tell us about your Joseph Adams and we'll see if we can help - which memorial is he on? Do you know his regiment? Where and when was he born?

[Clarkey500]

Tell us about your Joseph Adams and we'll see if we can help - which memorial is he on? Do you know his regiment? Where and when was he born?

He is named on the Creech St Michael War Memorial. His full name is Joseph Henry Adams and he was born in 1890 in the hamlet of Walford which is part of the Creech St Michael parish. He was a member of the Independent Equalised Order of Druids and they held his funeral. He died on the 17th August 1915. He appears to have been in the ASC, but may have been in the labour corps. He seemed to be stationed in England, meaning there might not be many (if any) records for him - other than his death certificate which I have ordered a PDF copy of.

[ShaunJ]

OK thanks. I found a report of his funeral in the Taunton Courier

[ShaunJ]

Looks like he wasn't in the army after all: