Mystery to me ?

[munchkin]

Hi All,

One of the chaps i am looking into, namely Captain Cuthbert Lawton MC. He is mentioned in the London Gazette in 1915, as being promoted to Second Lieutenant for duty with a provisional battalion (dated 5th September 1915). According to his MIC (BELOW) he arrived in France as a Lieutenant in 1917. He is again mentioned in the Gazette (10th December 1919) as recieving the MC. Why if he was a 2nd Lieutenant in 1915, wait until 1917 to send him to France. To me it seems a long time or could his MIC be wrong??. Any comments appreciated.

Thanks

Glynn.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Dont forget Officers were also needed for Home Service & Home Defence Battalions,he may well have been too young to serve Overseas until 1917 or had "Influential" Parents/Guardians that managed to keep him in the UK until 1917,There could be a number of legitimate reasons for him not embarking until then.For example he may have had some specialist training skills etc?

[munchkin]

Good point Harry. But he would have been 29 (or there about's) years old in 1917, so not too young to go to France in 1915. Maybe he did have influential parents. But having said that in the same regiment there was a 2nd Lieutenant Leonard Varley, of the similar age who died 11/11/1915. It just seems strange to me.

Thanks

Glynn.

[rflory]

In my opinion there is no need to look for devious reasons. As HarryBetts mentioned, there were numerous postings that had to be filled in the UK, not everyone could go overseas. He was just one of those who was lucky enough to have a few years at home before going overseas. There were some officers, and there does not seem to be any influence involved, that never went overseas during the entire war. Regards. Dick Flory

[munchkin]

Dick,

I did not know that. I never new that some officers never went overseas. I assumed that as and when officers needed to be replaced, that the next most experienced officer was sent.

Regards

Glynn.