trajan Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Sometimes BWM's and BVM's turn up over here, like this one, issued to somebody with the above service number... I don't have any further details as the name is apparently worn, and nor do I have an ancestry subscription these days, but as I do like to rescue GB things that turn up in foreign lands, I'd greatly appreciate it if somebody could check up on this chappie. Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Looks like William Fiddler Gordon Highlanders, Labour Corps 240056, 357129 Landed France 2 may 1915 Could be others, Ancestry search on service nos is not very reliable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 There are four with number http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_fn=&_ln=&_no=357129&_crp=&_ttl=&discoveryCustomSearch=true&_cr1=WO+372&_dt=M&_col=200&_hb=tna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Gosh, that was damn quick! Many thanks! I just checked with the owner who says there looks to be an 'A.' after the number (and possibly another initials?) but there is no letter before the number so would the latter rule out Arthur Graft, who was 'R 357129'? Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Is the medal too worn to read the name of the regiment or corps? With that and the number, there should be only one option. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Apparently so Ron, but would you or anyone else please give me the format of these things? I assume it was standard, and so something like 'number, rank, name, regiment'? If I have that information perhaps I can get some more from the owner. Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutley Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Julian yes the format would be number, rank, name and cap badge. It may be 357129 Gnr Arthur Maycroft RGA. Daz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Thanks. My contact has produced a photograph, and as things seem legible on this, I am thinking he might be acting for somebody else - Burasi Turkiye, which translates as 'This is Turkey [ - what do you expect?]'! Anyway, any thoughts? I have no experience in these things but if I can save a bit of interesting GB history I would like to do so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 It looks like an A then a G to me but should there not be a rank shown ?. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 It appears to be "A. G ......"which would point to Arthur Graft , ASC, whose MIC shows him entitled only to BWM His MIC says his number was R 357129, and I have no idea if his medal shows an R or not, or indeed whether the R Would have been included on a medal But really we are whistling in the wind. your contact should be able to read the whole rim, rather than us guessing ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2016 It looks like an A then a G to me but should there not be a rank shown ?. It appears to be "A. G ......"which would point to Arthur Graft , ASC, whose MIC shows him entitled only to BWM His MIC says his number was R 357129, and I have no idea if his medal shows an R or not, or indeed whether the R Would have been included on a medal But really we are whistling in the wind. your contact should be able to read the whole rim, rather than us guessing ! Odder and odder - no rank and possibly a man who who - on the records - is not entitled to this. But many sincere thanks you two and others for looking into this! It looks real enough to me, from the photographs at least, but I honestly don't know enough to judge, so I welcome all comments. Like I said, if I can save any bits of GB WW1 history that pop up over here then I am happy to do so. Hence the 'Death Penny' I bought a while back on the market here - albeit probably for an Aussie. I guess that apart from general interest, I just needed some idea the number and chappie and so probably the medal are all real! Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutley Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 What if its a Naval medal? There is a 357129 Arthur G Banks who is a Sick Berth Steward in the RN who is entitled to a trio. Daz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2016 What if its a Naval medal? There is a 357129 Arthur G Banks who is a Sick Berth Steward in the RN who is entitled to a trio. That's a good one! From memory a lot of BWM's were sold off from groups in the 1970's for silver content, so this could have been separated that way and also arrived over here in this land as scrap... Would a Naval BWM lack a rank? Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutley Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Naval medals are named in the following format: Number Initials Surname Rank Royal Navy or Royal Navy Reserve So in this case it may be: 3571297 A. G. BANKS S.B.S. R. N. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Nice one! I did a quick google and came up with BANKS, Arthur George, SB Stwd, 357129, MID [31604] at: http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishLG-Royal_Navy_Medals-Index1.htm So, an interesting chappie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Yes, I would go with that, the example I found was for someone's grandfathers BWM On the rim of each medal is the engraving "146470 A J. Wilson DH, RNR". The DH denotes Deck Hand. This was a rank for the trawlers and drifters (fishing fleet), drafted into the Royal Navy for anti-submarine and mine-sweeping duties. You could try a new thread on Navy Sub Forum, with a link back to this thread, seeing if they know more about AG Banks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Does anyone have any further details on him and why he was MID? I would greatly appreciate them! I am thinking of buying it for the usual expatriate sentimental reasons if nothing else! Trajan (whose navy nickname would be "Wiggy", according to a good but now deceased friend who was a submariner Lt.Comm. in WW2 and after!), Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFBSM Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 The London Gazette, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31604/supplement/12779, says it was for "valuable services during the prosecution of the war". His records are available on Ancestry: http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/60522/43283_adm_188_541-0129?pid=496229&backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3droyalnavyseamen%26gss%3dangs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn%3dArthur%2bGeorge%2b%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dBanks%26gsln_x%3d1%26msbpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msipn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26gskw%3d357129%26gskw_x%3d1%26_83004002_x%3d1%26cpxt%3d1%26cp%3d11%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3del4%26pcat%3d39%26fh%3d0%26h%3d496229%26recoff%3d4%2b5%2b6%26ml_rpos%3d1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true The records do not give additional information regarding the MID. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 11 March , 2016 Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Married 1905 Cert on Ancestry 2 Sep 1919 he became a Freemason (Ancestry) and this looks like him 1939 Register, Living at 25 Third Avenue , Harwich M.B., Essex,. Male Nurse Died 1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 11 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 11 March , 2016 Thanks! He sounds a likable chap! Could be why the medals were sold... Well, Iv'e heard nothing back from the owner/dealer, and although over-priced by 50% by UK standards, and still not certain who it is, could be worth doing a saving job to be on the safe side... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 12 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 12 March , 2016 The London Gazette, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31604/supplement/12779, says it was for "valuable services during the prosecution of the war". ... His records are available on Ancestry: ... The records do not give additional information regarding the MID. Thanks Mark, for those links. I'll renew my ancestry next week - having completed the family research last year it was time to cancel! One question on the LG list though: what is the abbreviation 'ON' as in "S.B.lS. Arthur George Banks, O.N. 357129 (Ch)" for? I assume Ch is Chatham? Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 12 March , 2016 Share Posted 12 March , 2016 ON = Official Number. Chatham is his Port Division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 12 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 12 March , 2016 Thanks! This is an entirely new area of WW1 for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFBSM Posted 12 March , 2016 Share Posted 12 March , 2016 Don't get Ancestry, download for £3.45 at: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6790181 Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 14 March , 2016 Author Share Posted 14 March , 2016 And Mr.Arthur George Banks it is. The medal came today, and reads: "357129 A.G.BANKS. S.B.S. R.N." Thanks one and all here and on the original thread for your help! On 13/03/2016 at 04:57, BFBSM said: Don't get Ancestry, download for £3.45 at: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6790181 Mark Mark, thanks for that suggestion. There is another thread running right now by Phil Wood from which I get the impression that you only get one shot each time you pay for the NA., and so if I was to do a series of look-ups (I have the names of men on three other medals held by the same dealer) which is best for that - NA, Ancestry (which I know gets things wrong), FMP? Bearing in mind I would probably get them all done in less than a month! Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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