Chevrons

[Monnaux]

Hi,

My Grandfather arrived in France on 11/09/1914 and his discharge papers mentions one red and two blue chevrons.

I have been trying to understand why he only had three chevrons because I know he was in France, Belgium and Egypt in 1914-1915-1916-1917 and maybee in the beginning of 1918.

I have learned recently and this was confirmed in another thread that a chevron was awarded after each full year of service on the anniversary of the soldiers arrival in France.

I have not been able yet to find out when exactly he was last wounded but I was told that it was late in the war. If I understand it right, my Grandfather must have been wounded before the 11/09/1917 or would have been entitled to a fourth chevron. Am I correct or is there another possibility?

He had been wounded twice in 1915 and 1916 and was sent back to England but I believe these periods of time were not deducted. He also got maaried in 29/01/1917 but I can't imagine that this absence would have been long enough to be deducted from his time abroad. Or could this indeed be the case?

I have a letter from a chaplain sent to his parents from a hospital on 8/05/1918 reporting on my Grandfather's health. I can only assume that this was after the amputation of his leg. If there was no time deducted from his service abroad, this would mean that he was injured before the 11/09/1917 and was still very ill on 8/05/1918. He was discharged in 3/04/1919 so a long time after his injury which brings another question: at what time was a soldier discharged after an injury?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Gerald

[SteveE]

Gerald

This post by Joe Sweeney elsewhere on the forum seems to answer your question.

Regards

Steve

Instituted by AO 4 of Jan 1918.

Chevrons were awarded for time served overseas and not year served. The red was awarded if point of service started before 31 Dec 1914, the next award was an aggregate of 12 months later.

AO 4 1918 is paraphrased below:

The date of award of the first Chevron was that on which the individual left the UK, or in the case of those serving abroad at the outbreak of war, 5 August 1914. For Overseas troops, the first chevron was awarded on the date of leaving their own country or were employed on local operations. Further Chevrons were awarded for each succesive aggregate period of 12 months. One month of leave was permitted in calculation. If first point of service was before 31 Dec 1914 a red chevron was awarded after 1 Jan 1915 all were blue.

There are more rules and ammendments with the army orders assoctiated with these chevron's etc. At first PoW time was not counted and this was ammended.

A man who had a red and two blue chevrons, shows that he had 24 months of service overseas starting in 1914. This is calculated by time served overseas and not the year excepting service before 31 December 1914 earned the man a red chevron for his first. The award of the blue chevron came after an aggregate of twelve qualifying months later and not just because 1915 was the next calendar year. A man with one red and 2 blue chevrons could very well have only been authorized these chevrons even though he served for 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918 in France but his accumulated time was only 24 months.

[Monnaux]

Gerald

This post by Joe Sweeney elsewhere on the forum seems to answer your question.

Regards

Steve

Thanks Steve (and Joe).

Am I right to understand that the time spend in convalescence in England would not count for the attribution of the chevrons?

Gerald

[SteveE]

Am I right to understand that the time spend in convalescence in England would not count for the attribution of the chevrons?

Gerald

That's the way I understand Joe's post, any time spent convalescing in the UK wouldn't count.

Regards

Steve

[Monnaux]

Gerald

That's the way I understand Joe's post, any time spent convalescing in the UK wouldn't count.

Regards

Steve

Thanks again, Steve!

Regards,

Gerald