Author Topic: Half Pay List  (Read 343 times)

Offline Spidermonkey

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Half Pay List
« on: Thursday 29 July 21 09:04 BST (UK) »
Hi all,

I am researching the life of a soldier who was in the Dragoon Guards (joining from the Royal Military College in 1905, until his death in 1917).

I can't find his service record on either Ancestry or FindMyPast, so am piecing things together from other sources such as newspapers and the Army Lists that are on Fold3.

Twice during WW1, this soldier goes on the Half Pay list (according to the British Army List of 1915 and 1916, accessed via Fold3) - 31 July 1915 and 10 Aug 1916.  I understand that prior to WW1, the Half Pay list was used as a way of independently wealthy soldiers taking a leave of absence but was this still the case during WW1?  Is it more likely that he had been placed on the Half Pay list due to injury or illness - although I had assumed that if you were injured during action then you would remain on full pay until it was obvious that you wouldn't be able to resume your post.

The soldier in question was Robert Torrington Gwatkin, bn 1885 in Potterne.  (He is with his family on the 1891 and 1911 census, and at Harrow School in 1901)  His death was the subject of an inquest, which can be read in the Western Daily Press, 27 April 1917.

Many thanks for any assistance you can offer,

Sx


Online ShaunJ

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Re: Half Pay List
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 29 July 21 09:33 BST (UK) »
Lieutenant Robert T. Gwatkin is placed temporarily on the Half-pay List on account of ill-health

Civil & Military Gazette, 27 February 1912, page 10


R. T. Gwatkin, 6th Dragoon Guards, has been placed on the half-pav list on account of ill health

Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 7 August 1915, page 5

Presumably ill health resulting from the two accidents mentioned at the inquest.
UK Census info. Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Online ShaunJ

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Re: Half Pay List
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 29 July 21 09:37 BST (UK) »
If you are able to visit Kew you may find something here: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C204601
UK Census info. Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Spidermonkey

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Re: Half Pay List
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 29 July 21 09:43 BST (UK) »
Hi ShaunJ,

Thank you for your response - yes, possibly those were the two accidents referred to in the inquest, although he was also placed on HP list in 1905 and 1906 due to ill health too. The phrasing in the inquest was that the accidents happened "some years ago" which I took to understand would be longer ago than 1915 and 1916.

I have read the War Diaries of the 6th Dragoon Guards, and can't see any reference to Lt Gwatkin specifically.

And yes, visiting Kew might help, but to get there would be a bit of a challenge at the moment.

When the digitisation request window opens at 11am, I am going to request a quote for the copying of these documents https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1060064


Online ShaunJ

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Re: Half Pay List
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 29 July 21 09:49 BST (UK) »
You've probably seen this already - there is a service record at Kew: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1060064
UK Census info. Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Spidermonkey

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Re: Half Pay List
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 29 July 21 09:51 BST (UK) »
Hi Shaun,

I was just amending my response to you to add that I am waiting for the 11am digitisation window to open to request a quote to copy that service record  ;D