4th Battalion Kings Liverpool Regiment

[john_alty]

The Daily Mail runs a 'Questions and Answers' column for readers. In their issue of 1 May 2009 a Barrie Egan from Manchester posted the following question:

'While serving with the 4th Battalion The Kings Own Liverpool Regiment in the summer of 1915, my grandfather won a Russian award - the Medal of St George, 4th class. As he never went near the Eastern Front, why did he, and other British soldiers, receive this award?'

The question hasn't attracted any responses yet and I wondered if a forum member could help? I'm interested in the answer because my own grandad served with the 4th Battalion and it might help me place where he was at the time.

Cheers.

John

[JMcCulloch]

Short answer was that the Czar wanted to decorate allied soldiers for their assistance. After large actions, Russian liaison officers would gather names from regimental commanders etc. for awards.

There is actually a three/four volume set of St. George citations published (it is in Russian) and sometimes the number of the medal can tell you exactly why the chap received it "bravery shown at the battle of Jutland"...etc..).

[john_alty]

Thanks for the reply J

I'd also stumbled across an item in the Manchester Evening News of 26 August 1915 which mentioned a large batch of these medals being awarded to local soldiers from numerous regiments, including a private E Egan of the 4th Battalion Kings Liverpool Reg.

John

[Ken Lees]

John,

They were reciprocal awards, designed to demonstrate the unity of the allies. Each allied nation gave medals to the forces of its allies, usually to be distributed as the recipient nation saw fit.

A foreign award does not indicate that the recipient saw action with, or in, the country of th medal's origin.

Ken