I am researching a man who enlisted in the British army in September 1914 and was then discharged for medical reasons in December 1914 as being unfit for service. The reason was given as 'Medically Unfit Para 392 (iii) C KR 1912.' I understand that this means he was not likely to become an efficient soldier. Does anyone know whether he would have been awarded any kind of allowance? S. Francia

I had a relative to which this applied. He was a sucker for punishment, as he signed on in 1903 and was discharged in a few weeks for the same reason "not likely to become an efficient soldier". On that occasion he signed on in Middlesex, but was in Dublin at discharge. He stayed there. Not sure if the army did not fund a return home or he fancied it there. He is found in a church run soldiers home in Dublin in 1911, so not exactly thriving (or just canny of course!) On the outbreak of war in 1914, he signed up again (in Dublin) and again was discharged for the same reason, but this time, possibly because i found this record in the pensions section, the medical situation was spelled out. He was deaf. Also this record was from about 1920 and appeared to suggest a claim was being made. I have no evidence of how much if anything he would have been entitled to by way of pension, or whether he needed a paper to say he was ex service to get some dole or payment, or recognition of disability. By now he was married (indeed was by 1914) had become Catholic, and went on to found the Irish branch of my registered surname. His service at discharge was reckoned up as so many days. I guess it is possible that a pittance may have been paid as pension, but i have no evidence of the amount if any. The 1903 service seems to have been forgotten. It is very likely that your person had a "hidden" disability, such as deafness, as my chap had, extreme short sight, asthma, or general weakness. Possibly something more serious such as TB, but not apparent on enlistment. I got the impression that if you had two legs, two arms and a head and were not actually raving, you were signed on, leaving the unit you were assigned to for training to sort out the mess! If you find the pension records from after the war, an actual diagnosis might be mentioned, but may have been at the whim of the MO. I only have one mans records to go on. Good luck Dave Beakhust On 30 April 2014 14:25:02 Susan Francia <safrancia@hotmail.com> wrote: > I am researching a man who enlisted in the British army in September 1914 and was then discharged for medical reasons in December 1914 as being unfit for service. The reason was given as 'Medically Unfit Para 392 (iii) C KR 1912.' I understand that this means he was not likely to become an efficient soldier. Does anyone know whether he would have been awarded any kind of allowance? > S. Francia > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SOG-UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message