Rifle Brigade/East Kent Regiment

[deluan]

Hello…I'm new to the forum and I hope that I'm doing this correctly. I'm researching background information about my great-uncle possibly born in Ramsgate, who was one Private A. (Albert?) Munday, Rifle Brigade, Later East Kent Regiment. Although I no longer have them, he won the following medals during his army life…

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, three clasps - Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1902 (7450 Pte. A. Munday. Rifle Brigade).

1914-15 Star (203. Pte. A. Munday, E. Kent. R.).

British War and Victory Medals (203. Pte. A. Munday, East Kent Regiment).

War Medal 1939-45; Russia St. George Medal, fourth class, reverse numbered 165094 (203. Pte. A. Munday, 2/E. Kent Regiment).

It would be a great help if I could find – or alternatively, if someone could offer advice where and how I might find out the following information…

1. When did he join the army?

2. When he died –was it while still in the army?

3. Was he retired or did he just leave?

4. The South African medal indicates that he was involved in three battles there. So, is there any way of finding out which battles and information about the battles.

5. Similarly for his WW1 service and his Russian service.

Great Uncle Albert(?) was an uncle to my father (also George Munday), who was a talented, albeit untrained, amateur artist. I am about 40% of the way through research about my father for my book, but information about great-uncle is so far alluding me. I currently live in Ireland, but hope to get over to England to complete more research next month (July), in which case any leads that I get can be followed up.

I will be very grateful for any help, no matter how small that I get and my sincere thanks for taking the time to read and hopefully, reply.

George Munday

[Chris_Baker]

George, with WW2 service his record should be obtainable from the Ministry of Defence. It will give you specific information about the dates, and a great deal of personal, medical and military information besides. Details of how to get it: http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html

The three bars to his QSA are not battle clasps. They record his presence in those provinces. This page gives the specific entitlement criteria: http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishgu...frica_medal.htm

Hope that helps a little.

[ForeignGong]

Hi George

This is the London Gazette for Alberts Russian St. George Medal, fourth class

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/292...upplements/8516

Peter

[SteveE]

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, three clasps - Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1902 (7450 Pte. A. Munday. Rifle Brigade).

1914-15 Star (203. Pte. A. Munday, E. Kent. R.).

British War and Victory Medals (203. Pte. A. Munday, East Kent Regiment).

War Medal 1939-45; Russia St. George Medal, fourth class, reverse numbered 165094 (203. Pte. A. Munday, 2/E. Kent Regiment).

It would be a great help if I could find – or alternatively, if someone could offer advice where and how I might find out the following information…

1. When did he join the army?

2. When he died –was it while still in the army?

3. Was he retired or did he just leave?

4. The South African medal indicates that he was involved in three battles there. So, is there any way of finding out which battles and information about the battles.

5. Similarly for his WW1 service and his Russian service.

George

Answers to a couple of your questions.....

1. Although there is an earlier number sequence where the number #7450 could have been issued in 1894/1895* I suspect that his particular number was issued from the next sequence and would date to around the end of January 1900 (note, #7440 for the Rifle Brigade was issued on 17th January 1900). He would have signed up for a total of 12 years, 7 with the colours and 5 on Army Reserve.

* See Paul Nixon's "Army Service Number" blog here... http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/200...battalions.html

4. His QSA medal has three clasps, none of them specifically for battles. Chris has already posted a link detailing what the clasps were issued for, but the South Africa 1902 clasp on the QSA suggests he didn't arrive in South Africa until that year. Although the 1st and 2nd Battalions were already in South Africa the 4th Battalion arrived in South Africa in January 1902 so I wonder if he was with that battalion (although not conclusive #7440 had the same clasp combination and he arrived with the 4th Battalion).

The Rifle Brigade's Queen's South Africa Medal Roll at Kew, National Archives ref. WO100/210 will confirm what battalion he was with.

Hope this helps.

Steve

[deluan]

Thanks every one - its all been a great help and each little bit is adding more pieces to this jigsaw!

I'll follow up Chris's tip on the Veterans UK website when I get a little more information...ForeignGong's link to the London Gazette allowed me to confirm that his name really was Albert, as indeed I half remembered. From SteveE's indication that he enlisted in 1900, I was able to guess his birth as being somewhere between in 1880 and 1884 and my wife has been able to find out via the web that he was possibly born in 1883. And died in 1935 aged 52.

Coincidentally I managed to find 'The Queens Own Buffs Message Forum' and amazingly found a posting specifically about him by a Mick Mills, who wrote...

"Munday was a Special Reservist and had enlisted in late August or early September 1914 (perhaps that's re-enlisted - George). He joined the 2nd Battalion of the Buffs and he was with them when they proceeded to France on 17th January 1915. Their two main engagements on the Western Front were the First Battle of Ypres (where they were subjected to the first gas attack by the Germans on the allies) and Loos. The 2nd Battalion remained on the Western Front until they were moved to Salonica in October 1915 where they remained for the duration of the war..

Munday was transferred to the Labour Corps at some stage because he had been medically downgraded due to wounds, age or fitness, etc. He was discharged to the Army Reserve on 5th August 1919.

He was awarded the Russian Medal of St George (as were 6 other Buffs). I have no idea why he was awarded the medal as there is no mention of it in the war diary or the official history. He was also entitled to the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal which were all British campaign medals for the Great War."

It's all very intriguing and I'll keep on digging; but in the meantime if there's any more information out there I'd love to hear from you. Thank you. George

[deluan]

As I mentioned in my last post, there was a snippet of information about Albert Munday's service in Russia, on the 'The Queens Own Buffs Message Forum'...

"He was awarded the Russian Medal of St George (as were 6 other Buffs). I have no idea why he was awarded the medal as there is no mention of it in the war diary or the official history..."

I think it took place after WW1 and although I've dug further around further, I've not come up with any leads. Does anyone know where and how I can find out more about this part of the Buffs history?

Many thanks

George