Victory Medal - Did Gilbert ever get his?

Post by **emanday** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:43 pm

I've been doing a fair bit of research on my son-in-law's family.

His Great Grandfather was killed in what is now Israel/Palestine area in 1916.

I recently found him on a list of men entitled to receive the Victory Medal and/or British War Medal. Many of the men have a note in the remarks column, either verified, verified authorised or authorised (at least I think it is a shortening of authorised). His name is one of those which has no such notation.

None of the family have any knowledge of him having any of these medals, but could they have been buried in his war grave with him? Anyone know how I find out if either of these medals were ever given to him?

Rockford · Post by **Rockford** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:18 pm

Hi Mary,

I think that the WWI medals were all sent automatically to the recipient or their next of kin. However, I don't think they were issued until after the war in 1920/21. From the soldiers' records I've seen for my own family, there seems to have been an official receipt that had to be returned.

In WW2 I think the medals had to be claimed, which is why my grandfather never got round to it!

Have you checked his medal card, which would show his full entitlement? These are on ancestry, although I don't have a subscription to check it for you.

Best wishes

Brian

Post by **emanday** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:21 pm

It's worth a try, thanks Brian.
I'll go have a look.

Post by **emanday** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:27 pm

Brian,

You're a star!

Apparently he did get both the Victory and British War medals. It's a pity, but the family have absolutely no memory of ever seeing them.

Post by **emanday** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:14 am

Bit of an update!

Shortly after Gilbert was killed his wife and family were evicted from their home, not being able to pay their rent (Grateful nation and all that, but not on the part of their landlord apparently!)

Anyhow, this means that if these medals were sent to the address the authorities had for Gilbert, the family were no longer there to receive them.

Anyone know what happened then? Would they have been returned to the "War Office"?

Can the family still claim these medals?

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:44 am

Hi Mary

Shortly after Gilbert was killed his wife and family were evicted from their home, not being able to pay their rent (Grateful nation and all that, but not on the part of their landlord apparently!)

Don't have an answer to your question, but how very, very sad.... his poor wife.

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **emanday** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:06 am

Yes, Lesley.

Her and their four wee boys had to squeeze into a bedroom in Gilbert's parents' home!

Family legend has it that the landlord who'd evicted them never had a happy day in his life after that. Hmmm!

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:50 am

Hello Mary,

It doesn’t look as if there’s any way of applying for missing or possibly unissued WW1 medals.

There’s much discussion and about all that can be said about unissued etc WW1 medals here http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forum ... 64613.html

Some of the remarks therein raise the question of who of the possibly hundred or more of great grandfather’s descendants has any more right to the issue of unissued medals, if such a thing were possible, than any of the others. Does an interest in genealogy or medals or great grandfather’s military career give any greater moral right to possession of medals than those who have passed them down and cared for them over many years? It’s Medal Wars almost a century after the event.

And on the question of purchasing medals from a dealer and doctoring them to appear to be a great grandfathers what a comic opera scenario would be created if the hundred or more descendants all decided to do the same thing and front up together suitably decorated on remembrance day.

Hope that’s useful,
Alan

Post by **emanday** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 12:04 pm

Thanks for that link Alan.

Looks as though there's no chance of getting Gilbert's medals, then

I know the family wouldn't be interested in replicas or renamed "erased" ones, (what a horrible thing to do!).

Post by **joette** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:17 pm

We have my Grandpa's war medals.My younger brother will no doubt inherit them-which miffs me a bit.
My Mum was given her Father's elder brother's war medals as my little brother was named for him & Grandpa wanted them to go to him.-Grandpa was the youngest son but was given them because his eldest son was named for said Uncle.
We had them for years before Mum decided it was fairer that her brother who bore his Uncle's name should have them.When he died his daughter's son inherited them.
I told my cousins then that if he wasn't interested in them I would be very happy to pass them onto my nephew Thomas who bears the original Thomas's name-Mum was mad at me for interfering but I want them to be with family who know his story & my nieces & nephews know his story well.

Young David is now in possession of all the info I have on my Great-Uncle & hopefully his sacrifice & medals will be more appreciated now.