APPLEJACK Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 Hi, I have 2 WW1 medals belonging to PTE W A Gladwell 19010 R.M.L.I. My father discovered them some months ago now in a recycle bin & i would like advice on how to return them to the Gladwell family, as i have no idea where to start!! Thanks Applejack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 It could be that it was the family that threw them away. Have you seen his service register entry? Name Gladwell, William Arthur Register Number: 19010 Division: Royal Marine Light Infantry: Chatham Division When Enlisted/Date of Enlistment: 07 September 1914 Date of birth 13 May 1897 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 His single-sheet records of service can be downloaded here:- http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1 and here:- http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1 He was initially discharged to Short Service (for demob), such an engagement not being open to him when he enlisted in September 1914. In addition, his attestation pack is available at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. He was born in Marylebone in 1897. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 If you have no luck with the family, the RM Museum have fantastic Medal Room. They could well be interested. Better there than sold into the hands of a collector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 He was awarded a 1914-15 Star trio of medals. He served in the RM Cyclists Company at Gallipoli. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 There were other Gladwells in the Royal Marines, so he might have been following a family tradition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APPLEJACK Posted 19 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 19 October , 2009 Thank you very much for your speedy reply. Chatham seems along way from where i am in Manchester, but as you say, better off with the museum than that of a collector! I shall get in touch with them. Regards Applejack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Blonde Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 If you have no luck with the family, the RM Museum have fantastic Medal Room. They could well be interested. Better there than sold into the hands of a collector. Dear Sir, I actually find that remark to be quite impertinent, many military medal collectors, myself included, have saved British military medals from being dumped, melted down, etc..etc.. and most collectors actively research the history of the medals in their collections. (You seem to have mixed up collectors with dealers, most of the later are only interested in the items as a source of income.) Whereas many Museums in the U.K. and elsewhere, are chock full of the more common run of the mill items, and do not hesitate to sell off what they consider to be surplus to their immediate requirements. Connaught Stranger, (unapologetic collector of Military Medals.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 The RM Museum might be interested in him as a member of the RM Cyclists Company at Gallipoli, but it is unreasonable to expect them to store every single WWI medal from WWI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APPLEJACK Posted 19 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 19 October , 2009 Although he was awarded the trio, the ribbon is missing squeak which looks like it has been cut off. Such a shame..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 Dear Sir, I actually find that remark to be quite impertinent, many military medal collectors, myself included, have saved British military medals from being dumped, melted down, etc..etc.. and most collectors actively research the history of the medals in their collections. (You seem to have mixed up collectors with dealers, most of the later are only interested in the items as a source of income.) Whereas many Museums in the U.K. and elsewhere, are chock full of the more common run of the mill items, and do not hesitate to sell off what they consider to be surplus to their immediate requirements. Connaught Stranger, (unapologetic collector of Military Medals.) As do I! (although I would probably have used a stronger term) I have medals in my collection that were disposed of as surplus by a museum and also a pair that were saved from Bedford council rubbish tip. Obviously not wanted by family or museum but cherished in my care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 I am well aware of the contribution that collectors make to saving our medal heritage. My personal view is that I would rather see these medals in the Medal Room at the RMM. That opinion, however much it may be disliked by medal collectors, is NOT "impertinent" i.e. rude, insolent, imprudent, disrespectful, irrelevant or inappropriate - choose your definition and, in keeping with forum rules, please choose a less offensive word to disagree with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westkent78 Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 Of course, if you do give them to a museum they'll just disappear in a draw with all their other 'ordinary' groups and never see the light of day again. They'll be glad to take them I'm sure, but won't do anything with them. So who is going to remember Mr. Gladwell then? Surprisingly, most collectors aren't in it to make money you know. At least they'd actively remember him. Finding his medals in a bin would either indicate they're not wanted or he has no family left. Why not keep them yourself if it seems insensitive for a 'random' collector to have them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa in Wirral Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 Hi Applejack, There's a lady who has a William Gladwell born 1897 Tilbury Essex in her tree on the site Genesreunited. It might be worth contacting her (if your not a member I could pass on a message as I am) and finding out whether she is a descendant of a sibling of William ~ or if he's on her tree because "her uncles wife had a brother who married Williams sister" type relationship! Teresa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshdoc Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 Yep return the medals to the family and we can bid on them on EPAY in December Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chloeflorence Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 Surely the important thing here is that the medals have been rescued and that William Gladwell has a chance of being remembered. I can understand all sides of the arguments that have surfaced in this topic: I am an avid collector (in a non-military field) and I share my knowledge with others of a similar bent, give displays etc. I am proud of my Father's (very ordinary) medals from World War 2, and have passed them on to my son who shares my pride. I would give my eye teeth for my Great Uncle's World War 1 medals (inc DSO and Order of the Nile), but some scrounging relation sold them when he died in 1948 - I doubt, however, that his widow would have kept them, and they may well now grace some cherished collection(s). I work part time as a picture framer, and have recently framed two sets of medals owned by the families of the recipients. They are proud of their family heritage, but there is no telling what future generations will think of them. They could easily end up on the scrap heap - much better to be in a collection or a museum than lost for ever. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardeb Posted 19 October , 2009 Share Posted 19 October , 2009 If you have no luck with the family, the RM Museum have fantastic Medal Room. They could well be interested. Better there than sold into the hands of a collector. Horatio2 Nothing wrong with medal collectors and a museum is an available optional home for the medals . Perhaps it is your implied tone that is seen as "impertinent". Regards to all who have in interest in all branches of military history. gardeb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattgibbs Posted 20 October , 2009 Share Posted 20 October , 2009 I am well aware of the contribution that collectors make to saving our medal heritage. My personal view is that I would rather see these medals in the Medal Room at the RMM. That opinion, however much it may be disliked by medal collectors, is NOT "impertinent" i.e. rude, insolent, imprudent, disrespectful, irrelevant or inappropriate - choose your definition and, in keeping with forum rules, please choose a less offensive word to disagree with me. I disagree. I know 2 people working in the museums industry, one as a collections archivist [large RAF museum] who does accessions [where people donate items which are then properly logged and admitted to the collection] and another who does interpretive history talks [very large social victorian history museum site] and works in museum stores. Both of them tell me many behind the scenes horror stories of things being in 'accidents' and written off, not stored properly and even one wholesale destruction of large numbers of items that over the years had suffered from bad storage, wholesale woodworm and a descision from on high to "just skip the lot". I would say that most permanent military museums with permanent medals displays will be unlikely to change them except for special items. They may have special additional exhibitions, but imho these 'usually' mainly gallantry medals or those of local heroes / worthies, officers etc. I don't collect medals as a main interest but in line with the views expressed by those who appear to, I have gone into much great depth to find out about those names, otherwise forgotten, things which museums just don't have space to do. However, I do agree with you that museums do have great medal displays, but how many WW1 Pairs or Trios can they display, almost worth asking the RM museum how many they actually have, versus how many on show. ttfn Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neiluwins Posted 20 October , 2009 Share Posted 20 October , 2009 "Better there than sold into the hands of a collector" Beware the EVIL Medal collector Medal Collectors keep more forgotten soldiers memories alive than the average person on this site, I have 3 close family members who served in the 1st World War who I have researched and many more distant members with my surname, of the three close family members ALL thier medals where either sold, given away or lost as people had no interest or thought they could make a few quid but luckily as an EVIL Medal Collector I have over my many years of collecting managed to return some of those medals back into my family. BUT also along the way as EVIL medal collector I have built up a collection of medals to almost 400 men who are ALL fully researched and remembered with in my collection, I visit my local Regimental Museum often and had many years ago considered leaving my collection to them when the time came BUT as I got to know the Museum staff I discovered just how many groups of medals they had sitting draws not on public display that had never been researched or seen by the public and was even told once that "it would nice to sell some of them to create some funds for the museum". Needless to say my collection will either be passed to fellow collectors or sold on the open market for new EVIL Medal Collector custodians to look after and keep the Soldiers memory alive. I wish you luck in finding the family of the medal recipient and if you do I hope they share our interest in the man behind the medal and dont just see the £££ in their pocket and sell them on Flea Bay. Regards Neil (An EVIL Medal Collector since 1978) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshdoc Posted 20 October , 2009 Share Posted 20 October , 2009 Prehaps all medal collectors on the forum should include an in their avatar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tafski Posted 20 October , 2009 Share Posted 20 October , 2009 why should we nothing about us at all tafski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbie4798 Posted 20 October , 2009 Share Posted 20 October , 2009 Couldnt agree with you more Neil James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dycer Posted 20 October , 2009 Share Posted 20 October , 2009 It's a pity this thread has degenerated into the pro/anti Medal collecting debate. Applejack asked a genuine question on what he/she should do with the Medals for their best safekeeping. Clearly it is her or his right to keep them,give them to a Museum or hand/sell them to a Medal Collector. We will never reach an agreement but thank you Applejack for posing the question, again. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 20 October , 2009 Share Posted 20 October , 2009 George you appear to have missed Teresa's contribution in post #14 that gave an awser to Applejack's question about how to contact the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Anderson Posted 20 October , 2009 Share Posted 20 October , 2009 Neil, I agree 100%. I can relate the story of a medal collecting friend of mine who recently visited a certain regimental museum here in Aberdeen. He had booked a special visit to the medal room, drawers and drawers full of campaign groups ( they only display the VC groups) all nicely numbered, unfortunatly on the day of his visit (all the way from Vermont USA) the computor system was "down" and they could not produce the catalogue which would have turned nameless numbered groups into memorials to men who had served the regiment. Also he was not allowed to photograph anything, to say he was just a bit disappointed would be an understatement. Needless to say my collection of WW1 campaign medals to the regiment will not be going to the museum. Donny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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