Joseph Carrie Fisher

  General Notes:

Joe Fisher was part of the Highland Light Infantry in the war, but put in for a transfer to the Highland Cyclists battalion, since they did not have to wear kilts!
He spent a portion of the war in India (earning the India General Service Medal with the clasp "Afghanistan – North West Frontier" in the process). He apparently learned to swim in the Red Sea on his passage out to India - men who couldn't swim were thrown into the sea, literally having to learn to "sink or swim".
He wore glasses through much of his life. This would have delayed his entry into the war (and possibly saved his life). He never fought in a battle in his time in the army (a blessing, certainly for us, his descendants).
Up until January 1916, men wearing glasses were generally barred from joining the Army. From this date, the rules changed - allowing Joe to enter the war. I assume he may well have joined around this point.
Conscription Categories in the Great War
From Military Service Act - 27th January 1916.
On 27th January, 1916, the Military Service act became law, ever man between the ages of 18 and 41, if unmarried, was 'deemed to have enlisted'. On 25th May, married men were 'deemed' to have done the same. The following categories were established:
A: General Service.
B1: Garrison Service Abroad.
B2: Labour Service Abroad.
B3: Sedentary Work Abroad.
C1: Garrison Service at Home Camps.
C2: Labour Service at Home Camps.
C3: Sedentary Service at Home Camps.
The Official History records the physical standards defining each category:
A: Able to march, see to shoot, hear well and stand active service conditions.
B: Free from serious organic diseases, able to stand service on the lines of communication in France, or in garrisons in the tropics.
B1: Able to march five miles, and see to shoot with glasses and hear well.
B2: Able to walk five miles to and from work, see and hear sufficiently for ordinary purposes.
B3: Only suitable for sedentary work.
C: Free from serious organic disease, able to stand service conditions in garrison at home.
In contemporary usage, a 'Category Man' was anyone assigned to a category below 'A'.
An expanded definition of B1 duties is as follows:
"B" (i) Fit for Garrison units, Divisonal Employement Coys, Area Employement (Garrison Guard) Coys,, Labour Coys employed at the front, NCOs as Perminent Staff of Reinforcement Camps and Conv Depots, Men in employement in lieu of RAMC Nursing or General Duty Ordelies and Stretcher Bearers on LoC.
He was awarded three medals for his war service. The Victory Medal, the India General Service Medal with the clasp "Afghanistan - North West Frontier" (see above) and the British War Medal. He did not value these medals a great deal, since they were handed out to everyone who served in those areas, just for being there!

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Child Protection Officer.

• Census: 1901, 31 Mar 1901, 10 S George Street, St. Andrews Parish, Dundee, Forfarshire.

• Occupation: Shop Assistant, 25 Feb 1925. ³

• Residence, 25 Feb 1925, 18 Kinloch Terrace, Dundee, Forfarshire.

Joseph married Isabella Gair Milne. (Isabella Gair Milne was born on 22 May 1909 in Dundee, Forfarshire,⁴ died on 15 Apr 1996 in Kings Cross Hospital, Dundee, Forfarshire ⁵ and was buried on 18 Apr 1996 in Camperdown Crematorium, Dundee, Angus ⁶.)