Military Medal

[ss002d6252]

From research I have undertaken I have found that my great uncle Pt Joseph Maddison Suddick received the military medal for action on 11 March 1918 with B company, 2nd Bn, South Wales Borderers.

I have a copy of a medal card showing all medals issued (including the fact that the medals had initially been forfeit becasue of a FGCM and awarded at a late date) and thanks to the South Wales Borderers regimental musuem I have copy of the specific medal card and apparently is rare to find one, his commanding officers original reccomendation for the Military Medal.

Was the MM numberered or named individually and if so is there a way of finindg out the actual issue number of the medal ? It may still be held by one of the distance family members but if I'm curious to see if is numbered whether I can trace its whereabouts.

[27thBN]

From research I have undertaken I have found that my great uncle Pt Joseph Maddison Suddick received the military medal for action on 11 March 1918 with B company, 2nd Bn, South Wales Borderers.

I have a copy of a medal card showing all medals issued (including the fact that the medals had initially been forfeit becasue of a FGCM and awarded at a late date) and thanks to the South Wales Borderers regimental musuem I have copy of the specific medal card and apparently is rare to find one, his commanding officers original reccomendation for the Military Medal.

Was the MM numberered or named individually and if so is there a way of finindg out the actual issue number of the medal ? It may still be held by one of the distance family members but if I'm curious to see if is numbered whether I can trace its whereabouts.

Hi yes all MMs very named with rank, number and unit.Try putting i your great uncles details in the london gazette search engine on the web you will probably find him and that will give you some more details but not much more .There is no issue number just the service number of the soldier in question .Approx 115,000 and 5700 second awards during WW1

MC

[ss002d6252]

Hi yes all MMs very named with rank, number and unit.Try putting i your great uncles details in the london gazette search engine on the web you will probably find him and that will give you some more details but not much more .There is no issue number just the service number of the soldier in question .Approx 115,000 and 5700 second awards during WW1

MC

Thanks.

I have his London Gazette details as it was included in a large pack of docs I have jsut received from his regimental museum (must say it was an exteremely quick and helpful service from them).

It looks like I may need to resort to trying to contact the more distant side of the family to see if anyone knows what happened to his medal.

[welshdoc]

is this him?

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/307...upplements/7015

[ss002d6252]

is this him?

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/307...upplements/7015

It is. This was in his second guise as a Pte in the SW Borderers, previously he had signed up to the 6th Bn DLI and lied about his age but then deserted when the regiment was posted to France about a year after he signed up.

He deserted at the end of April 1915, returned to his home (about 15 miles from the camp), signed up at the start of May for the S.W. Borderers and headed off to the Dardenelles where he suffered a FGCM and was sentended to death for sleeping on sentry duty, had it remitted to 5 years prison by Lt Gen Birdwood and then totally remitted about 4 months later.

The regiment then shipped off to Egypt and then France where he won the MM on 11 March 1918.

[27thBN]

It is. This was in his second guise as a Pte in the SW Borderers, previously he had signed up to the 6th Bn DLI and lied about his age but then deserted when the regiment was posted to France about a year after he signed up.

He deserted at the end of April 1915, returned to his home (about 15 miles from the camp), signed up at the start of May for the S.W. Borderers and headed off to the Dardenelles where he suffered a FGCM and was sentended to death for sleeping on sentry duty, had it remitted to 5 years prison by Lt Gen Birdwood and then totally remitted about 4 months later.

The regiment then shipped off to Egypt and then France where he won the MM on 11 March 1918.

Looks like he was very keen to get into the action .Yes quite a few court martials were for falling asleep on sentry duty ,he was very lucky no to get the 5 years or worse, but they needed the men .Anyway he did well and got himself a gong ...he must have wondered about the rush to join up so sone when the court martial came up.

MC

[ss002d6252]

His brother had joined up (at a legal age) not long before Joseph joined up so I suspect he was trying to follow his brother and then not long after his brother went to Salonika Joseph joined up and went to Gallipoli.

[Old Owl]

It is. This was in his second guise as a Pte in the SW Borderers, previously he had signed up to the 6th Bn DLI and lied about his age but then deserted when the regiment was posted to France about a year after he signed up.

He deserted at the end of April 1915, returned to his home (about 15 miles from the camp), signed up at the start of May for the S.W. Borderers and headed off to the Dardenelles where he suffered a FGCM and was sentended to death for sleeping on sentry duty, had it remitted to 5 years prison by Lt Gen Birdwood and then totally remitted about 4 months later.

The regiment then shipped off to Egypt and then France where he won the MM on 11 March 1918.

Hi,

On reading your interesting story regarding your great uncle and his FGCM, it reminded me of a group of medals which I have had for many years which has a similar story. The group is to Alexander Arthur from Northumberland, he joined the 6th Bn North'd Fusiliers in 1913 and proceeded overseas with his battalion on 20/4/15 as 6/1730 Pte., and was sentenced by FGCM to 2 years imprisonment with hard labour on 5/7/15 for "when on sentry, sleeping on his post" (sounds rather uncomfortable!) sentence confirmed 5/7/15, but this was suspended on 15/7/15, and remitted on 23/7/16. Similar to your uncle, although Alexander was not sentenced to death! sounds a bit harsh?

Alexander Arthur was awarded the Military Medal, L.G. 9/12/16 for "carrying messages under heavy fire"; many runners were killed whilst performing these duties. He was discharged on having been granted a commission in the 3rd North'd Fusiliers on 31/7/17. He was posted to the 25th(Tyneside Irish)Bn. North'd Fusiliers and was reported 'wounded and gassed' on 9/4/18. He was next attached to the 2/7th Bn. King's Liverpool Regt with whom he won the Military Cross, L.G.2/12/18:

"For Conspicous Gallantry and resource when leading his platoon through a village. So quickly did he follow up the barrage, that he reached the enemy machine guns before they were able to come into action. It was largely due to this officer that the operation was a complete success, his platoon alone taking about 150 prisoners and 15 machine guns."

Sadly, he was badly wounded on 28/9/18 and died as a result of these wounds on 1/10/18.

He is buried in Bucquoy Road Cemetery, France. He was aged 22.

I hope you find this interesting, and it does have some similarities! His medals were issued to his mother on 12/1/22.

Good luck with your research and I hope that you can find his medals amongst the family.

Best wishes, Robert