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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Driver Thomas Poxon


Terry_Reeves

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I have just been carrying out some research on Thomas Poxon, who served in nine different units during WW1 and his perigrinations raise some questions.

His service papers show that he enlisted into 2/5th Notts and Derby Regiment on 28th August 1915 and was discharged on 20th October 1916. He served at home throughout that period. He was discharged "in consequence of refusing to sign AF E64? (the form number is unreadable) under the Military Service Act 1916."

I am assuming at the moment that he refused to serve overseas and given that conscription had been introduced by the time of his discharge, that this was a method of getting him overseas by making him liable for conscription. There are no other service papers relating to his subsequent service.

The medal roll shows that he certainly gained some experience after being called up again, witness this little lot:

2944 Notts and Derby

20198 Middlesex Regt

52861 Training Reserve Bn

46758 Middlesex Regt

64400 East Kent Regt

260016 Loyal North Lancs Regt

18375 Welch Cyclist Bn

76889 Yorkshire Regt

339000 Royal Engineers (This and similar numbers were issued to men from a whole host of regiments who ended up at the RE Horse Transport Depot at Aldershot from about September 1918)

All for the British War and Victory Medals. Anybody care to comment?

Terry Reeves

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Anybody care to comment?

Terry Reeves

9 different units in the space of 2 years.............a troublemaker perhaps? or maybe an incompetent passed from pillar to post.

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No Myrtle, he was from Derby. I think that your man has a surviving service record though. Did he serve in the South Staffordshire Regt?

Terry Reeves

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His service papers show that he enlisted into 2/5th Notts and Derby Regiment on 28th August 1915 and was discharged on 20th October 1916. He served at home throughout that period. He was discharged "in consequence of refusing to sign AF E64? (the form number is unreadable) under the Military Service Act 1916

I thought the 2/5th Sherwood Foresters were in Dublin, Easter Rising 1916 ?

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2944 Notts and Derby

20198 Middlesex Regt

52861 Training Reserve Bn

46758 Middlesex Regt

64400 East Kent Regt

260016 Loyal North Lancs Regt

18375 Welch Cyclist Bn

76889 Yorkshire Regt

339000 Royal Engineers

260016 Loyal North Lancs looks like a post 1917 TF number. This was in the range of numbers issued to 5th Bn.

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Quite right Cliff, in fact he was in A Company originally. I have only just managed to transcribe another bit of scribble and it looks as though he may have been attached to 19th Reserve Battalion which later became absorbed into Training Reserve Bn's of 19th Reserve Brigade at Newcastle, which might explain the Training Reserve entry on the medal role. But then again it might not if the roll entries are in chronlogical order. Makes his wanderings even more interesting.

Chris - thanks for that.

Terry Reeves

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