Description
Naval Good Shooting Medal, EDVII, British War and Victory Medal Pair, Messina Earthquake 1908, by L. Giorgi, Able Seaman later Royal Artillery Gunner Albert Augustus Horn, discharged in disgrace for striking his officer later joining the Army in WW1.
Naval Good Shooting Medal: “201083 A. Horn, A.B., H.M.S. Whiting. 1907 6 PR Q.F.”
WW1 Pair officially impressed: “L-31503 Gnr A. A. Horn. R.A.”
Messina Earthquake contemporarily engraved: “A. A. Horn.”
Good Shooting aka Naval Gunnery Medal, confirmed on the medal roll being issued to him on the Tamar, on 19th June 1908.
WW1 Pair confirmed on Army medal rolls.
Messina not confirmed, an original medal being possibly a curious self award and as worn in his group, a poorly behaved troublemaker and deserter caught forging his conduct certificate, unsurprising he might attempt to enhance his group.
Very unusual if not unique mix of Navy service earning the Good Shooting Medal, followed by Royal Artillery service.
Albert was so poorly behaved a sailor that after various periods of imprisonment including an occasion where he was convicted for 6 months of hard labour and prison for striking a superior officer, leaving him “dismissed” from the Navy and not joining the Royal Fleet Reserve like many men who would become recalled for service in 1914.
He was fortunate for his “Dismissal” to become a “Discharge SNLR” meaning Services No Longer Required, a more polite version of firing a Sailor, but left him unable to claim pay, pension or assistance.
To make matters worse, whilst looking for a job in 1911 he chose to forge his certificate to make himself look better behaved, for this he was prosecuted by the Soldiers and Sailors Help Society under the False Characters Act, they would usually be willing to help discharged sailors but his “SNLR” status left him unwelcome.
After all this World War 1 Began, where he quickly joined the Royal Artillery in Late 1915.
What followed was a ludicrous amount of desertions and gaffes.
He deserted many times, and whilst deserted managed to sign up further with both the 17th Middlesex Regiment in 1915, and whilst once again deserted joining the Royal Naval Reserve in 1916, before returning back to the Royal Artillery, and deserting even more times, at one point going missing in January 1918, he did not surrender to the Military Police until late 1919, leading to an 18 month prison sentence in Wandsworth Barracks which was fortunate to be commuted after some months.
After all this he sends in a hopeful letter to the Army insisting that: “I write you asking you if there isn’t any mistake as to my Character as I am anxious of rejoining the Army and that I have always had a very good characters previous to joining the army and in it I only had one crime and I wish to re-enlist to regain my character trusting”.
Albert Augustus Horn was born on 7th October 1882 in Fulham, London.
NAVY SERVICE 1898 – 1910
He worked as an Errand Boy before joining the Royal Navy aged 15 as Boy 2nd Class on 31st August 1898.
He went on to serve until 1910, although he was consistently badly behaved.
He had a number of tattoos, A “Ship on Chest, Stars on Shoulders, Butterfly etc on Left Arm, Dragons etc on Right Arm, a Stag and Python on his back.”
Becoming of age on 7th October 1900 he spent a few years on the furious, when he saw his first desertion. A note on his papers reads: “1901, Recovered from desertion and sent to ‘Furious’ “ Upon his arrest he spent 7 days in the cells.
He spent another 7 days in the cells in 1903 on the Wildfire.
Followed by another 10 days in 1904 on the Albemarle.
He then joined HMS Tamar during 1907 serving at Hong Kong in the China Region.
Managing to whilst earning the Good Shooting Medal, also receive a 90 day prison sentence with hard labour.
Unusually he never actually served on the books of the Whiting but hopped around ships whilst serving on the Tamar (Hong Kong Station Base) in 1907, to earn this medal.
Once again, on the Forte in 1909 he spent another 21 days in prison with hard labour.
Then again on the Juno in 1909-10, another 7 days in the cells, before a serious offence.
Whilst still on the Juno he was “Sentenced by Court Martial on 19th February 1910 to 6 calendar months of imprisonment with Hard Labour for Striking his super officer being in the execution of his office.”
With that over, he unsurprisingly got himself arrested again and sentenced to 30 days of Hard Labour, his papers note “9th September 1910, an Application of Discharge ‘S.N.L.R.’ not approved but a report on this man is to be furnished in 6 months time.”
Soon after they write, “7th December 1910, Sentence of Dismissal at the expiration of 90 days Hard Labour, to be altered to 30 days Hard Labour and the dismissal changed to discharge SNLR.”
SNLR means “Service No Longer Required”, with a conduct of “Indifferent”, a more polite wording for “You’re Fired”, being discharged SNLR means you can’t claim any post service welfare and loss of pension and pay.
A final note reads:
“20th March 1911, Secretary of Soldiers and Sailors Help Society informed that it has been decided to prosecute Horn under the Soldiers and Sailors False Characters Act, for forging his SC.”
Being SNLR, he looks to have forged his certificate to hide this and gain help from the Soldiers and Sailors Help Society, but was caught when they probably sent a letter to the Royal Navy to check his conduct.
WORLD WAR 1, RNR Reserve and Royal Artillery Double Enlistment and a series of desertions.
With the outbreak of War in 1914, Albert wasted no time in joining the British Army, signing up at the Waltham Town Hall on 4th September 1914, joining the Royal Artillery, as far as they were aware he was a former “Royal Navy” sailor who had been discharged “Termination of Engagement” and had “No” prosecutions against him.
Joining 223 Battery on 2nd October 1914, it was clear he knew his way around a Gun, as he was instantly promoted twice up to Acting Sergeant on 19th October 1914.
However getting back to his old habits, he “Deserted at Bulford” on 1st March 1915, and deserted again on 21st December 1915, not returning to trial until 5th December 1916.
During this period he joined the RNR and deserted from them.
“Sentenced to undergo 18 months of Detention but remit 6 months by Brigadier General (R.W. Brooks?) Commanding.”
Conveniently, whilst he was missing, it took him a month to “Double Dip” enlisting into the 17th Middlesex Regiment on 22nd April 1915, service number 1395, “Served Navy 1899 to 1911, Discharge Papers mislaid for Australian Navy papers never returned by them”.
Once again he got a promotion on 4th may 1915, before a month later “Forfeits L/Stripes for absence”
Followed by on 9th August 1915: “Struck off the strength and transferred to 117 Fulham Brigade R.F.A.”
Albert had first managed to join up as a Deck Hand in the Royal Reserve(T), before doing a runner and deserting from HMS Victory on 19th November 1916.
He however had learned nothing, and his Medal Index Card actually notes that he “Deserted on 11th January 1918 and is Still a deserter” (by the time of the writing of the cards) leaving him disqualified from the medals he had earned with the Royal Field Artillery.
A Court of Enquiry was held on 2nd November 1918 finding:
“The Court having duly considered the documentary evidence declare that No 31503 Gunner AA Horn D Battery Reserve Brigade RFA(T) illegally absented himself without leave at High Wycombe on 11-1-18 and that he is still absent and they find that there is no evidence as to the articles of kit in possession of Gunner A.A. Horn.”
Luckily for him they forgave him, as he had finally returned, to be discharged on demobilisation, 25th May 1920, and was put back in on another roll for a claim for the WW1 Pair in 1921.
Albert later joined the Royal Field Artillery as a Gunner in World War 1, where he earned his British War & Victory Medal Pair.
This was not without incident, as he managed to desert the service on 11th January 1918 and his medal index card notes that by the time of writing the cards “He is still a deserter”, which left him disqualified.
Fortunately after the Army recovered him he got a proper discharge in 1920 and was allowed to claim his pair in 1921.
He was in prison from 28th October 1919 until 26th march 1920 having the rest of his sentence commuted, a certificate in his papers reads: “The Army Council as a Superior Military Authority have by War Office letter 10/Misc/6075 suspended the above sentence from Wandsworth Detention Barracks under the powers conveyed by the Naval, Military and Air Force Service Act of 1919.” Signed by CO Haig.
The 1921 Census notes he was a 38 year old Widower, living in Lambeth, finding work as a Rigger for Higgs as a Contractor in Lambeth and Wire Rope Splicer, but was out of work for this.
A letter in his papers dated 12th July 1920 reads:
“I write you asking you if there isn’t any mistake as to Character as I am anxious of rejoining the Army and that I have always had a very good characters previous to joining the army and in it I only had one crime and I wish to re-enlist to regain my character trusting Sir that you will see to this owing to the circumstances believe me to remain yours obediently, AA Horn.”
Albert lived to old age, and died in Brighton, Sussex during 1972.
