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Translation of medal cards please

H

Helen G

Almost a Brummie
Spent a very fruitful hour or 2 in the Worcester Record Office on Saturday. Amongst other things found Great Uncle JacK and Great Uncle Edgar listed on the Absent Voters list for Redditch.

Our modem stopped working on Thursday night, they fixed it this afternoon so have just been looking them both up on Ancestry's Medal Rolls.

Now, GUncle Jack was really Albert John Crow. According to the AB list, his address was Court 5 House 1 George Street Redditch. Reg No. 830252, 1st Bde, RFA. I have found his medal card under John Crow but being a girly I don't understand half the things written on the card. Can anyone decipher them for me. I can work out which medals he got and I think he made sergent but the rest is double dutch!!

GUncle Edgar Cross 26583 MGC (Machine Gun Corps) only lists his medals so I can work that out. But feel free to have a look at his too.

Sorry I can't post the images here for you all to look at. I have been trying for weeks to work out how to post images on this site but fail everytime.

thanks for reading this.
Helen
 
Yuo're right there. But there isn't a "they" at that website. It's just me!

This is what the cards tell you.

1. Your Great Uncle Jack.

Was serving as Bombardier 2046 when he landed in France on 31 March 1915.

Was renumbered to 830252 in early 1917.

Was a Serjeant by 11 November 1918.

Earned the 1914-15 Star, the British War and Victory Medals. Details can be seen in rolls RFA/6A&B page 743 and RFA/145B page 9103 (only available at the National Archives at Kew).

He was a Territorial. His 1917 number was issued to the 2nd South Midland Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, which served as part of the 48th (South Midland) Division. History of the Division: https://www.1914-1918.net/48div.htm

He was issued with a Silver War Badge (on roll RA/4971) when discharged on 7 April 1919. The roll will tell you why.

He seems to have re-enlisted after the war and served as Serjeant 725649 of 67 Brigade RFA. This number was not issued until 1920, and I reckon there is a good chance his army service record can be had from the MOD. This is how to apply: https://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html


2. Your Great Uncle Edgar did not go overseas before 1916. He served throughout his war as Private 26583 of the Machine Gun Corps. He earned the British War and Victory Medals. The roll MGC/101B20 page 2043 will probably tell you his unit.

Hope that helps.
 
cheers for that Chris keep up the good work on the website(on your own )lol ...much appreciated thanks:)(did post the link for someone before ?)great site:)
 
I knew you would be able to decipher it all Chris, you are a wonder and your site is too!!

I admit this is not the first time you have responded to a query/thread of mine. Having you to explain it all means I can learn from the master!

As a girly, well an old girly, I was never interested in soldiers and wars and things but over the last few months with a little shove from you in the right direction I have really got into the war records of my ancestors. If you had told me a year ago that I would be asking Santa to bring me a copy of "Answering the Call" letters from the Somerset Light Infantry 1914-19 I would have thought you crazy but I was so thrilled to find it in my stocking.

Now onto your site to read up on the Royal Field Artillery!

Thanks again, you truly are one in a million.

Helen
 
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Chris, one last thought.

Great Uncle Jack had at least one son, according to the 1911 census. I have no family member to tell me more.

Will the MOD accept me as next of kin if I try to find out more given that there might be someone closer somewhere in the ether?

Helen
 
Sorry Chris, i didn't mean anyhting by it and as you run it on your ow nit is a fantastic site.

could I use your in depth knowledge on something of my own??

I am trying to find out about a Private Horace Stafford who served with the Royal Army Service Corps. His service number was DM2 / 206692.

I know he was still in France on 6th August 1919 as he is mentioned by name and number in a discussion in the house of commons.

Many thanks
 
Paul, what did he do to get mentioned in the House of Commons?

My lot were very nondiscript except perhaps Great Uncle Jack who you can read about above. I think my lot just probably did their best/bit and kept their heads down. Hence, so far they all seem to have made it back.

I was never, ever interested in WW1 until the last few months, now I can't get enough of it, all because I am researching my tree. Maybe this is the way history should be taught in schools?

One last thought, the TV and family history magazines always seem to cover the European side of WW1. One of my Great Grandfathers was in India, Thanks to Chris and his site I have found out more but it is a pity that more is not publicized about this aspect of the war, maybe then we would understand better what we have been left with today.

Helen
 
Hi Helen
I have no idea yet. It was actually a discussion between Winston Churchill (then war secretary) and Sir Owen Thomas as below:-

Sir OWEN THOMAS
asked the Secretary of State for War whether it is a fact that the demobilisation Departments have been on several occasions applied to with respect to the release of the under-mentioned, namely, Sergeant H. O. Vince, No. M/305383, H.A.M.S., attached 503rd Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, France; Gunner T. J. Nelson, No. 129180, 3rd Company, Royal Garrison Artillery, Lewis Battery, Gibraltar; and Private H. Stafford, DM/206692, Royal Army Service Corps, 62nd Divisional (Mechanical Transport) Company, France; and, as the employment of over 100 ex-Service men with the Midland Vinegar Company, Limited, Birmingham, is dependent on the release of the soldiers referred to, will he cause the matter to be investigated with a view to the early demobilisation of the men concerned?

you can view the whole transcript at https://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1919/aug/06/applications-for-release

I havent been able to find out a lot more since. I have contacted the Imperial War Museum and even the Royal Logistcs Corps Museum for any information but havent heard anything back yet. The date of the transcript is 6th August 1919 so for some reason Private Horace Stafford was in France well after the end of the war.

I know what you mean, it is fascinating. I only started my tree at the beginning of the month and that got me so interested in it all. They dont teach kids enough these days do they!!
 
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