WT. SCHLMR

[Kate Wills]

My friend is researching her family history, and a relation has possesion of two medals awarded to an ancestor, but cannot fathom the inscription around the edge.

The inscription reads:

WT. SCHLMR Mr C. Page RN

Cecil Page was a schoolteacher, which suggests this was his job during the war, perhaps at a shore establishment. He spent much of his professional life at sea post war, and sent back postcards from all sorts of exotic locations.

Assuming SCHLMR is an abbreviation of schoolmaster, what does WT. signify?

My thought was wireless telegraphy, but this is just a guess.

Thanks

Kate

[RNCVR]

Hi Kate,

His rank is Warrant Schoolmaster - he was warranted from the ranks - altho he rated as an officer in the RN, he did not hold a commission, so approx Army equivalent, he would be a step up from WO1. Warrant Officer were referred to as "Mister" in the RN (ie: he would be referred to as " Mr Page")

He possibly ent'd the RN as a Naval Schoolmaster (he would have been a teacher in civilian parlance) then Warranted during WWI, he would be in the Royal Naval Lists so you could locate his exact date of Warrant - his SR should be available in the PRO as well.

Its not a common rate/rank seen on the BWM/VM pairs.

Bryan

[Kate Wills]

Bryan

Many thanks. Ann will be delighted with this information.

Kate

[RNCVR]

Glad to be able to help out - always have been interested in medals to Naval Schoolmasters, I have two Victorian Naval Schoolmaster medals - one of them went on to become the HeadMaster at HMS Excellent for many ys prior to WWI.

Was a Secondary school teacher for 32 yrs myself!!! so thus the interest.

Wonder if you would post Mr Page's service details if you or Ann are able to obtain his SR ?? Would be interested in his service.

Bryan

[Guest]

Hi Bryan

I had to join this forum to contact you about these

I was researching some medals I was selling and the only, and I mean only research

I could find , including from the archives in the UK

was your posted response about Wt Schlmr

 

I found that its such a rare rank that the archives dont provide its use in their extensive summary of abbreviations for all services

then I found your post was 8 years ago, so not much has changed !

anyway, these are now on ebay at present and thought it only appropriate to drop a line here

as I later read into these posts on the forum to find you seek out this area

This chap is unresearched but what confirms his education background was his

two old Kings Medals for 1903 and 1905=6 with the pair

Kind regards Tony

[horatio2]

Not so much rare as, perhaps, overlooked: 221 Warrant Schoolmasters are on the WW1 RN Medal Roll.

[johnboy]

Bryan has not visited for 13yrs,