Reasons for rejection as unfit

[Forfarian]

I have a Leslie Davidson Burgess, born 25 May 1885, who seems to have made numerous unsuccessful attempts to enlist in the army under several variations of his name.

His first attempt was on 26 February 1900, when he signed up for the Gordon Highlanders. He gave his age as 18, and was discharged on 1 March 1900, having lied about his age.

On 16 March 1906 he enlisted in the RAMC for six years. He was discharged on 20 March 1906 as 'unfitted for the duties of the Corps. Cannot read and only write his own name'.

He enlisted for three years' general service with the Lanarkshire Fusiliers on 16 September 1914. Although passed fit by the examining doctor, he was discharged as medically unfit under para 392 iii(c) KR on 26 September 1914.

Next, on 2 October 1914, he enlisted for one year's service with the Territorial Force, 7th Bn Royal Scots. He claimed to have served two years in the RAMC, 'bought off'. Again, he was passed fit by the examining doctor. He was discharged on 30 December 1914 under para 156 (11) T F Rgns.

After that, on 31 March 1915, he signed up with the RNVR for the duration of hostilities, and served in HMS Victory VI until being demobbed on 4 February 1919. He seems to have fitted in better there because his character and ability were assessed as VG on all three occasions when it was assessed.

Where would I find the relevant paragraphs of the King's Regulations and the Territorial Force Regulations to find out why he was twice rejected as medically unfit despite having just passed a medical examination?

[mazi]

Just google the entire phrase

Kingsregulations 392 iiic

Seems to be “unlikely to make an efficient soldier”

Mike

[Christine53]

This links to  the 1912 regulations  and explains 392 iii in more detail :

http://www.military-researcher.co.uk/KingsRegs1912/para-3.html

[stanmapstone]

"He was discharged on 30 December 1914 under para 156 (11) T F Rgns."

See https://s3.amazonaws.com/gwfattachments/monthly_08_2009/post-7376-1250775498.jpg
From https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/131200-para-156-tf-regs/
Stan

[Forfarian]

Thanks, all. Very informative, but they tell me nothing new - just confirm that he was twice rejected as unsuitable after a very short time - 10 days in one instance, and under 3 months in the other. Just one of these little mysteries that abound in family history.

[Chris Doran]

I have a Leslie Davidson Burgess, born 25 May 1885, who seems to have made numerous unsuccessful attempts to enlist in the army under several variations of his name.
...
After that, on 31 March 1915, he signed up with the RNVR for the duration of hostilities, and served in HMS Victory VI until being demobbed on 4 February 1919. He seems to have fitted in better there because his character and ability were assessed as VG on all three occasions when it was assessed.

in case you weren't aware of it, HMS Victory VI, colloquially called HMS Crystal Palace after its location, was a "stone battleship", i.e. a land base, and was an RNVR training centre. He obviously wasn't a trainee, or he would have left after a few months, and doesn't appear to have had any experience to have been an instructor, so I guess he was one the many support workers the size of the centre would have required, but not needing the military skills he apparently didn't have.

[Forfarian]

Thank you. I had googled it and consequently knew that it was not a ship, and that it was a training establishment. However I hadn't gathered that he couldn't have been either a trainee or an instructor.

I found an image of a card that chronicles his career with the RNVR(/RNR/RN?) before he went to HMS Victory VI. He seems to have been sent to Malta, where he was admitted to hospital, then sent back by ship to Marseilles and then from Le Havre to England so presumably across France by train, and then into a military hospital in Leicester. However the only medical conditions mentioned are varicose veins, appendicitis and gastritis. The information is full of cryptic abbreviations and the dates are rather jumbled so it isn't easy to work out the chronology.

Also he seems to have been rather inconsistent when giving his name, date of birth and next of kin. In fact the only information that is consistent throughout is his first name and surname, and that he was born in Midlothian and had grey eyes.