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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Medals Found In Crete


G.Driver 10thLF

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I have just come back from crete and during my wandering found a old anquies shop in chania. i managed to get a two medals for 50 euros. a 1914-1918 medal and the great war medal. both belonging to a 282748 Cpl. A Easton R.E. i think i have found his medal card. seems he moved about abit. can anyone explain the medal card for me.

also i wondered if anyone could expand on his history. How on earth did his medals end up in a 2nd hand bazzar in crete! any help would be fantasic.

- Graham

easton.th.jpg

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Hi Graham,

I wonder how old he was? Possibly served in Greece and Crete WW2?

During evacuation, my GF only managed to take his rifle and paybook, everything else "left for Jerry to clean up".

All spare equipment, uniforms, echelon (personal) packs etc were (in the most part) left behind due to the capacity available and the haste required to avoid capture of the remaining Allied force.

Bearing in mind the chaos ensuing following the successful German operation, IF he was there, and IF he had his full medal collection with him for his more formal uniforms or just as part of his belongings, it could well be conceivable that either a local or a German soldier found them.

However, the research ability of some of the Pals on this site never ceases to amaze me!

Someone may well know.

Just thought,

Perhaps the son of the medals owner? For the same reasons tho.

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Graham

It is unlikely that you will be able to find which unit he was in from the letters and numbers shown against the medal issues on the medal card (MIC). These translate to the original Medal Roll which is at Kew in the WO329 series. For such as Infantry you can trace the Battalion from these and thus the part played in the war of the individual's unit. Your man would have come into War Theatre after 1915 as he has no entitlement to the 1914-15 Star shown.

It seems possible to me that he was withdrawn from his first unit,maybe for sickness or injury and placed in a rear echelon activity in the ASC before possibly re-training/taking on another specialism before returning to RE,but again in the rear. I think I am right in saying that the WR prefix in the last shown number means Waterways and Railways.

An RE expert will hopefully expand.

Sotonmate

PS I will look the medal reference up next week and let you know what it says. Also a quick look in Ancestry for his record with no result,but it would bear a longer look at later pages of records.

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chances are he was possibly stationed there during ww2. im not sure if crete was involved in ww1 :S

chania was the main city near hitlers para landings in mailia. at the place i bought the medals there was a tons of medals, compasses, helmets, badges from ww2. some even included russian medals. you think there is a possiblitly that he served in both wars?

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Graham

I have a copy of the Medal Roll, if you want it I need an e-mail address.

There is no ref to which unit he served in though.

Sotonmate

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The recipient of the medals may not have had anything to do with Crete. From the description of the other goods in the shop, the owner appears to a have a great deal of militaria unconnected with the island, on top of which, servicemen did not normally take their medals on campaign service, which is still the case today.

He finally ended up in a railway unit of the RE.

TR

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servicemen did not normally take their medals on campaign service, which is still the case today.

I agree. That is why I have a Delhi Durbar 1911 to a South Lanc. who was killed in 1914.

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Wasn't there the remains of a soldier indentified because he had his QSA in his pocket? I don't think I dreamed that.

Mick

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So what we thinking? that this man served in ww2 aswell as ww1? unless its a relative who got the medals there. i dont think he could of bought them of ebay as the guy who owed the shop barely knew how to use a telephone , he was 74 :D, or so he told me.

in reply to terry he had alot of items from the ww2 occupation of crete by the germans. Chania was the first city invaded, paratroops falling just outside the city. alot of nazi helmets, copasses, medals and badges. he only had afew other bits from other ww2 forces (russian badge..etc). the only ww1 thing he had was Easton's two medals. is it possible that easton was serving in ww2 as a engineer> can anyone find a record of him serving in ww2?

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Dont look too deeply why the medal was in Crete, he may have retired there, an expat collector may have sold them and so on. If he had lost them in the invasion as a serving soldier, the odds on he would have apllied for replacementrs which would be indicated on the MIC.

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Mick

You may wish to re-read my post more closely.

TR

Which one? Can't see any mention of remains of man found with QSA?

Mick

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Very interesting thread. My dad was in Crete during that time a Royal Marine with MNBDO1 he told me they escaped over the mountains , only thing he ever told us about anything regardng hs wartime service

I have been to Crete but not to that side of it. Must go there and see what is there (can feel a holiday coming on) and to see if I come across any Great war items too (just in case Im told off for going off topic)

Caryl

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Very interesting thread. My dad was in Crete during that time a Royal Marine with MNBDO1 he told me they escaped over the mountains , only thing he ever told us about anything regardng hs wartime service

I have been to Crete but not to that side of it. Must go there and see what is there (can feel a holiday coming on) and to see if I come across any Great war items too (just in case Im told off for going off topic)

Caryl

well if your going crete the samaria gorge is a must see. you can book a tour and walk through it, its 18km usually takes about 6-8 hours. i highly reccommend it, just make sure you have a good pair of boots...i didnt lol. the village in the centre is apprently where troops hid during the occupation. If you ever go i can give you directions to the shop i found the medal and ww2 gear in. easy enough to find in Chania.

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