WW1 Medal Roll

[Currie]

Hello Smudge,

I’ll have a go but I wouldn’t take my word for it.

Any reference on the medal card to the Military Medal should probably appear simply as an M.M. next to the name as part of his title. I don’t know whether this is always the case as it’s not really meant to be a record of issue. Try the London Gazette. If you can’t find him there and the newspaper cutting is the only hint you’ve ever had about a possible M.M. it may be worth having a closer look at it.

Something has been deleted from another medal roll. Maybe he was about to get a double issue of British and War medals and it was just a correction of a clerical error? I can’t imagine it would have anything to do with the M.M.

The Victory Medal and the British War Medal are entered in the same medal roll and page. The 1914 Star was issued only to those who served in France and Belgium between 5 August, 1914, and 22 November, 1914, and is entered on a different medal roll. These medals were issued to eligible soldiers after the war.

The Clasp and Rose apparently had to be applied for and appear in this case to have been issued on 24 September 1920. They were ’attachments‘ to the 1914 Star and ribbon to avoid any confusion with the 1914/15 Star, and were issued to those who had served under fire.

Date of entry therein, 23 August, 1914, was the date the 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders landed at Boulogne, thereby entering a Theatre of War.

The asterisk or similar symbols are a bit confusing but they’re supposed to highlight the details that are inscribed in the rim of the medals. The Victory and the British medals appear to show the rank C/Sgt (Colour Sergeant) and 8502 etc. The 1914 star may be the one showing the C.Q.M.S. (Company Quarter Master Sergeant) and 31312 etc. The other rank that appears, L/Sgt, would be Lance Sergeant.

Hope that helps,
Alan

[smudge]

Dear All
Thank you so much for all your help. Some of the things you suggested I have tried with no luck includiong the archavist at the war museum at Edinburgh Castle. Visit to Kew later in the year will let you know how I get on. Thanks again.
Smudge