Hi. A question re. medals, if I may?

[snock]

Hi all,

Firstly, please allow me to introduce myself.

I am Pete, a 38 year old supervisor from Aylesbury, and I'm pleased to be here.

Okay, here's the question.

I have bought a set of 'Pip, Squeak and Wilfred' from a guy who's a member on the forum I'm an Administrator on.

The Mons Star, British War medal and Victory medal are stamped "2140 Pte (or) Cpl. B .Aston W. Yorks Reg."

I intend to return them to the family of Corporal Aston, an easier-said-than-done job, I know, but I feel it's important to do. Failing that, I'd like to get some info on him, then request the regiment's museum take them from me.

Can anyone please point me in the direction of finding this info, other than see what the regiment's representatives say when they return my emails?

Any help in this would be gratefully received.

Thanks,

Pete.

[dundeesown]

Hi Pete,welcome to the Forum.1st up he didn`t get the 14 Star ( Mons ) he had the 14/15 star his name was Bernard and his other numbers are 200544--83426--4524996 all W.Y.R.,and he is my GGrandfather please send to,only kidding good luck with your quest.

Gary.

P.S. have a Look in The Long Long Trail above ( LLT )

[Nigel Marshall]

Hello Pete,

Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will find your time here rewarding. I'll declare my interest right away. I'm a collector of West Yorkshire Regiment medals for the Great War period, but don't worry I won't badger you about the medals!

I would be wary of donating them to the regimental museum. A 1914 Star Trio is a fairly ordinary and pretty common group of medals and if the museum gets them they are likely to be consigned to a drawer, gaining no more than an entry in a catalogue. And be warned, museums often sell donations to fund 'more attractive' acquisitions. If you decide the museum is the place for them, offer them on some kind of permanent loan arrangement.

Returning the medals to the family is a noble sentiment, and some members of this forum have succeeded in doing just that, only to find the medals back on the market within weeks and seeing the research that had been done on them bumping up the asking price. It is easy to get your fingers burnt doing this.

You asked about how to find out about the recipient of the medals. I use the following;

1. Soldiers Died in the Great War to identify a casualty and where he came from.

2. Commonwealth War Graves Commission to locate his commemoration, and check for family details.

3. Check Ancestry.co.uk for, a) Service Record, B ) Dept of Pensions Papers, c ) Medal Index Cards (these can also be consulted at the National Archives in London).

4. Check Absent Voters Lists.

5. Check Census

6. Check local directories (often Kelly's)

7. Check London Gazette online, your man might have had a bravery award you didn't know about. In the case of officers, it will help map his promotions and appointments.

This is a list giving examples of what I do. Its not exhaustive and I'm sure others will suggest things I haven't.

Using the above should give you a good start though.

I hope you get a break.

Cheers,

Nigel

[snock]

Wow! I'm amazed at the responses it has got!

Nigel: thanks for the insight into tracing the recipient - it's invaluable to have reliable info from someone who knows what they're talking about.

Gary: You have me flippin' going there!!

Thanks all.

Pete.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Also be aware that 90 odd years own most Families will have grown somewhat!!!

If you consider "Yer Man" married in the War or early 1920s & had two or three children,they will be in @ least their late eighties; if still with us,if each of those had two or three,or more children now in their seventies, sixties & fifties,who begat two or three children.... You see where I'm going with this.... You could potentially have a Dozen or more eligible claimants to a Trio of medals...

My advice would be to Start collecting yourself or give the Trio a home with you on display framed & documented up for posterity...!!

[snock]

Thanks, Harry, you raise some very good points.

Hmm, I have a bit of research to do, but armed with all the info I can muster will allow me to make the decision.

Things aren't always easy, are they.

Pete.

[dundeesown]

Only the bit about him being my GGrandfather was a joke,the other info is true.

Gary

[snock]

Only the bit about him being my GGrandfather was a joke,the other info is true.

Gary

Really?

Where did you find this info, Gary? Can I view it? What else does it tell us?

Thanks,

Pete.

[Nigel Marshall]

Pete,

The number 200544 in Dundeesown's post is indicative of service with the 5th Battalion. This was a Territorial Force Battalion.

Have a look here and here.

Oh, and here, and I would put money on it that his birth was registered in York in the first quarter of 1897 ref 9d 33.

Because he was a York man, you should also look here too.

Cheers,

Nigel

[snock]

Fantastic, Nigel! Many thanks indeed!

Right, okay, I know a little bit more about him now, but I'd love to know what became of him before the war ended ie, if he survived was K.I.A., or was a POW.

Also, what does the 9d 33 refer to?

I'm sorry for all the questions, but I'm like a fish out of water with this having never done it.

I'm learning, though, but I'm not confident of my ability yet.

Thanks.

[dundeesown]

I cant see any records for your man but he did get The General Service Medal ( Kurdistan )

all the best gary

[Nigel Marshall]

If he got the GSM for Kurdistan he must have transferred to a regular Bn. The 2nd Battalion earned this medal and bar combination and that would explain his 7 digit service number. The Kurdistan operation was in 1923. Records for soldiers still serving after 1921 or so are still with MOD, so although you know the record will have survived the Luftwaffe bombing of the storage warehouse in 1941, you can't get to see them unless you can prove you are now next of kin for Bernard Aston, which you're not.

The full Ref for the birth registration is 1897 York 3/4 9d 33. These are the details you would need if you wanted to order his birth certificate from General Register Office. The 9d 33 part of the reference is the volume and page number. There is probably not much worth in you getting the birth certificate because much of the detail will be on the 1901 census, such as parents names, father's occupation. It will however give you his exact date of birth which you might not get elsewhere (his death register entry will give it if you can find it!).

Cheers,

Nigel