Sleuth required

[Jim Strawbridge]

Trawling eBay today I have come across three items being sold by the same seller. I do not know the seller, I am not promoting the items but the seller seems less than conversant with medals and their naming. So here is what is being offered :-

lot 1 - WORLD ONE MEDAL AND VICTORY MEDAL. This is a BWM and victory medal pair offered as awarded to the Royal Anglian Regiment. The Q & A goes on to say that the medals are named to 838 PTE. G. CLARKE. R.A.V.C. (320581820312)

lot 2 - 1914 VICTORY STAR. This is, in fact, a 1914 star (I think). It has TWO rosettes and an "in the front line" bar. It is named to 4724 PTE. G. CLARKE. 6/UNS. (320581829407)

lot 3 - SPECIAL CONSTABULARY MEDAL. This is a George VI special constabulary medal with clasp named to GEORGE DRAGE. (320581833100)

I cannot help but think that these medals are a broken group. Also that the seller has poor eyesight and little knowledge as how medals are named. The first pair cannot be named to the Royal Anglian Regiment (it didn't exist in WW1) nor Royal Army Veterinary Corps as the Royal was not granted at the point when the medals were inscribed. My guess is that this is a poor reading of the R.A.M.C. but no soldier with the given service number could be found in the MICs. So the service number is probably misread as well.

Next is the 1914 star to G. Clarke in, I think, the 6/DNS (6th Dragoons). But, again, I cannot find a G. Clarke in the 6th Dragoons with this service number. But it is feasible that a G. Clarke earned a 1914 star in the 6th Dragoons and moved across to the R.A.M.C. to explain the unit on the pair.

Lastly, it is a stretch of the imagination to think that George Drage could be a misread of George Clarke but in view of the other strange naming on the other medals it is possible.

These could be renamed items but does anyone else have a view?

[SteveE]

I cannot help but think that these medals are a broken group.

Certainly the first two items are, I assume this is the man in question.....

Description Medal card of Clarke, George

Corps Regiment No Rank

6th Royal Dragoons 4724 Private

Army Veterinary Corps 838 Private

Royal Dublin Fusiliers 30925 Private

Date 1914-1920

Catalogue reference WO 372/4

MIC confirms entitlement to the 14 Star trio with clasp & roses. 1914 Star was issued off the Cavalry Rolls, the British War & Victory Medals off the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Roll but impressed with the AVC details. The latter two medals were reissued in 1943, I presume at the same time he claimed his clasp & roses.

Regards

Steve

[Jim Strawbridge]

If the medals were late issues that perhaps explains any anomolies with the naming. Thank you, Steve.