Pension cards help please: Arthur Earle served 5th Wilts > RAF > RASC

[tamoralady]

I'm trying to understand the several Pension Cards for the above, who first joined the 5th Wilts as 20839 in May 1915 but was discharged after he was hospitalised for appendicitis in Feb 1917 (awarded the Silver War Badge).

He joined RFC in Nov 1917, and his RAF record card show his number as 111453 and that he was a 'Motor Driver' in civilian life.  He then transfers to the RAF Reserve in Feb 1919.

At some point thereafter, he joined the RASC with a number of M/31393 and record 570/13/ME/469 below shows him in County Westmeath in Ireland (there's nothing on the reverse).  He was married in Ireland in 1924 giving his occupation as 'Gentleman'.

The red card 067/02481/EAG/EAS below confirm his service with numbers and seems to show that he was believed Dead, but this has been scored out (on the reverse is just one handwritten line note MS 1/1/25).

Background information is that he left wife and family around early 1928 apparently telling them the army had recalled him, but they never heard from him again.  (He's on the 1939 register with a new 'wife' in Essex, and he died in 1977.)

Any insight into interpreting these cards would be very gratefully received. 

Images from the Western Front Association via uk.forceswarrecords.com

[BillyH]

Other more expert members will be along shortly, but the "DEAD" note refers to his pension claim not his own death.

BillyH.

[Gardenerbill]

According to my research on ASC numbers M/31393 is a very early number i.e. pre WW1, M is for Mechanical Transport which fits with him being a 'Motor Driver'. His MIC which can be found on Ancestry suggests he went to the Balkans 14/11/1915 with the the Wilts. Perhaps he had pre war service with the ASC then re-enlisted in the Wilts. 

[Gardenerbill]

He could have been in the 7th Battalion of the Wilts who arrived in Salonika November 1915 with 26th division.

[tamoralady]

Thanks for your comments, and that now makes sense that he probably served in the ASC before the Wilts and RAF.

[Matlock1418]

On 31/05/2024 at 09:49, tamoralady said:

Any insight into interpreting these cards would be very gratefully received. 

These records, pension index card [undated but with 1925 entries] and then a related pension ledger page [seemingly from 1924], are for an unspecified disability claim.

The claim would normally be made under the last unit's service number, on discharge i.e. one would think discharged from the RASC. 

However the inital claim reference of  Z/RAF/4372 reference on the PIC rather seems to belie that in this case and suggests discharge from the RAF.

You will need to go off his other records for his discharge unit - so if you have his file then that should be more clearly indicated there [You indicate a file/transfer from the RAF]

That said, there is an earlier claim PIC from C. Jan 1917 under 20839, Wiltshire Regt with an Chelsea Hospital ref. of 113047/E [predating MoP regional references] - from a stamped number on the PIC it rather looks like the claim was rejected Mar. 1917,

and in 1920 he made a duplicate claim PLP from Salisbury under a 20839, Wiltshire Regt, ref 8/ME/1004 and this was then Cancelled referring to an Airforce claim under the reference of 8/AF/11328

He certainly was a persistant fellow and created a muddled trail at MoP, with lots of MoP action through to 1928, none of which helps me to specifically place his ASC/RASC service.

MoP Region codes: 8 = South West England, 13 = Southern Ireland

M

[tamoralady]

Thank you @Matlock1418 your comments and advice on the content of these forms are really helpful and much appreciated.  I'll pass these on to his family.