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Released from active service to work in munitions factory.

jmadone

master brummie
I didn't know where to post this, here or on he geneaology thread, but whilst doing some research on a distant relative I discovered the following.
At the age of nearly 37 he enlisted in Birmingham to the Royal Warwickshire regiment having previously served in the West Yorkshire regiment and seen service in South Africa during the Boer War.
Instead of being sent to active duties he was sent to the Austin Motor Company factory at Longbridge to work on munitions. I presume because of his age. Unfortunately whilst working there he suffered a very bad accident and sustained broken legs and other fractures which resulted in his hospitalisation in the Queens Hospital, Birmingham. The rest of his file is an exchange of letters between himself, the hospital, Austin, and the army regarding compensation and pension rights.
During all of this he still retained his army rank and was regarded as a serving soldier. I have never come across this situation before and wonder if it was a common occurrence during WW1 for enlisted men to be sent to work in munition factories.
A further page in the file shows that in 1916 he was sent a certificate and a "War Badge" with instuctions that it was to be worn on the right lapel of a jacket but not on naval or military uniform. Again I have never come across this before. Research shows that this was issued to service personnel honourably discharged due to sickness or wounds received during service.
 
My grandfather enlisted in the RWR but served his time in a munitions factory in Glasgow.

Presumably a good many of the local men had volunteered for war service and the factory was short of men
hence the posting from West Bromwich to Scotland.
 
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