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Finding information about a WW1 army deserter.

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Rachel

Rachel Report 22 Jul 2008 11:03

Hi,
I am trying to find more information about my great grandfather who deserted during the 1st world war.

I have found a living relative of his brother who has confirmed that he was born Arthur Rogers, although he was known as Harry Harris. I have found no marriage record for him and my ggrandmother, which seems to confirm family myth that they were never married (also have found marriage record for my ggmother to another man, and hvae checked with marriage and birth certif.).

He is on his chns birth certificate as Harry Harris and they are all registered as Harris.

How/where could I begin looking to find details of him relating to the army...? The story goes that he deserted for some reason to do with my ggmother and her husband ill treateing her but I'd like to try to find out anything that might help esp. to confirm if he did desert, when etc.

Thanks for any help

Rachel

LindainHerriotCountry

LindainHerriotCountry Report 22 Jul 2008 11:14

Do you know roughly when he was born, or where he came from?
There are some possible records on the Ancestry British Army WWI Service Records,

Rachel

Rachel Report 22 Jul 2008 19:06

hi, thanks for the reply. He was born and came from west bromwich in the west midlands (Staffordshire then) and was born in 1893.....would they have records of deserters?
thanks Rachel

PriscillaEmilywasMoonbeam

PriscillaEmilywasMoonbeam Report 22 Jul 2008 19:43

Hi Rachel

There is a list of deserters which I have seen (a month or two ago) but I cannot remember where I saw it. It was a list of all the soldiers that had been shot for deserting.

I have a subscription with Ancestry but I cannot find the list on there to-day. I know this is not much help to you but maybe someone else has seen the list and can tell you where to look.

There are lots of Harry Harris's on Ancestry WW1 records but it would take a while to sift through them all as most of them do not show place of birth on the index. They only had a few with last name Rogers but it is possible that these have not all been transcribed yet.

Moonbeam.

Researching:
Ash, Bassett, Godwin, Elsley, Jackson, Webster, Gisbey, Arnold, Bowles, Vockenson

Keith

Keith Report 22 Jul 2008 21:47

Try looking on TNA for his medal card. I have seen records of two mren where it said the medals had been forfeited for desertion

Researching:
Fletcher May Allison Ashcroft Moore

robertpplane

robertpplane Report 22 Jul 2008 23:32

Try:

http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/thegreatwar/articles/factsandfigures/shotatdawnexecutions.xls

It is a downloadable Excel worksheet of executions under the Army Act during the Great War. Lists soldiers by name, rank, number, units, theatre of operation and where buried.

The Western Front Association is a non-political organisation dedicated to remembering those who fought in WW1. Their website is well worth a visit and has a heap of useful information:

http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/