Military Medal awarded to a French Private (Need help)

[genaude]

I have read the rules of the great war forum and agree to abide by them.

Morning all,

My great-grandfather has been awarded the Military Medal during the WW1. It is mentionned in his service record as the "Medaille Militaire anglaise" but without any date. I would like to find out more details about this event, i.e. in which circumstances he's been awarded.

I searched on the National Archives website but realized that it just indexes the Campaign Medals (not the gallantry medals).

I searched also in the Gazette without success.

I read on "The Long, Long Trail" website, that "The award of gallantry medals was always notified in the London Gazette. [...] If he won such an award, he is there somewhere." but I guess it's only relevant for british soldiers; I've got no result so far and I'm about to give up with that one...

Informations about British awards to foreigners are very poor and I just found a quick section on the National Archives website (http://www.nationala...antry.htm#20878) which is a little bit confusing for me...

My great-grandfather served within the 53th French Colonial Infantry Regiment (regimental #28106) from October 1914 to October 1917. Before he was in the 44th French Infantry Regiment, but the Military Medal was not yet established.

I don't know when he exactly had the opportunity to fight alongside the british forces.

Any clue or suggestion to help me moving forward on this investigation would be really appreciated!

[joanbelge]

Please could you tell us what his name was?

Joan

[archangel9]

Welcome to the forum.

Gallantry Medals are indexed at TNA. Military Medals can be found in WO 372/23 -

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=2858659&SearchInit=4&SearchType=6&CATREF=WO+372%2F23+

"Scope and content Women's Services, Distinguished Conduct Medals and Military Medals."

As Joan has said if we had his name something might turn up.

John

[genaude]

Hello,

Thanks for your answers.

His name is Edouard Séverin LABORDE (born in 1892).

When I follow the link to consult the piece WO 372/23, then click on "View Digital Images", I'm redirected to the "WW1 Campaign Medals" index. Does this include the gallantry medals? because the only LABORDE listed are british soldiers...

Arnaud

[archangel9]

When I follow the link to consult the piece WO 372/23, then click on "View Digital Images", I'm redirected to the "WW1 Campaign Medals" index. Does this include the gallantry medals?

Yes it does. It looks like your man does not have an index card for the MM. There were MM's issued unnamed and awarded to foreign recipients so perhaps this was the case and no MIC was required.

John

[joanbelge]

I understand your frustration. My great uncle was awarded the Belgian Medaille Militaire. Although this was listed in the London Gazette I haven't been able to discover anything about the circumstances but my understanding is that there were recipricol awards between nations that weren't detailed

Joan

[archangel9]

If you can get to Kew or get someone to do a look up you might find some details of the award here -

WO 388

War Office: Military Secretary's Honours and Awards Branch: Exchange of Army Decorations between Britain and the Allies Registers

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=13447&CATLN=3&Highlight=%2CAWARDS%2CAWARDS%2CAWARDS%2CAWARDS%2CFOREIGN%2CAWARDS%2CAWARDS&accessmethod=0

John

[healdav]

Have you tried looking in the Journal de Marche for the regiment or division? They sometimes mention things like this.

They are pretty well all available from: http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/

[apwright]

Welcome to the forum, Arnaud!

Have you tried looking through the war diary of 53me RIC?

If not, go to http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/jmo/cdc.html

And click through: Armée de Terre / ... régiments et bataillons / Régiments et bataillons de zouaves ... / Troupes coloniales / Régiments d'infanterie coloniale / 53e régiment d'infanterie coloniale

The image viewer is slow and cumbersome, but the diary is very detailed, e.g. here is Edouard being wounded on 14 May 1916:

And here is his citation for the (French) Médaille Militaire dated 23 July 1916:

Adrian

[archangel9]

Adrian,

Having posted a few times in this topic I'm very interested. Any chance of a translation?

John

[genaude]

Morning all,

Thank you very much for your answers.

Adrian, thank you for having taken time to read the JMO of the 53th RIC. I had indeed already read it to find explanation about its decorations.

I try a translation of the text:

"Soldier Laborde Edouard, 6th Compagny ; Brave soldier,

always volunteer for perilous missions, has shown the

greatest courage in returning from a patrol,

going during the day and under heavy fire of musketry,

and pomegranate, look for the bodies of his patrol leader

and two comrades fell 25 meters from the enemy lines.

Already mentioned in dispatches and wounded four times during the campaign."

Edouard has been awarded the Cross of War, the Médaille Militaire (French Military Medal), the British Military Medal, then has been raised to the dignity of Knight of the Legion of Honor (France’s highest order).

The only decoration I cannot yet explain is the British Military Medal, but following John's advices, I will try to get to Kew and search in the WO 388 piece.

To let you know the person we're talking about, here is a picture of Edouard taken in 1916:

Thanks again

Arnaud

[Keith_history_buff]

Here is a link to this man's <<matricule militaire>>
https://consultarchives.le64.fr/registre_militaires/139676

[Keith_history_buff]

It is recorded that he was awarded the M.M. but that is all. There is no citation, unfortunately.

He is recorded on War Office List 23 dated 20th June 1918. It is contained within the following file at Kew: 

WO 388/6/5   British to foreign: France - List Numbers 1 - 30.   1914 Oct 20 - 1918 Nov 1

This info has been published in book form in 2018.
The Military Medal Awarded to The Allied Armies by The British Government:
As notified in The War Office Lists 2 to 74

ISBN 978-1-9996727-1-3

Compiled by Howard J Williamson and privately published by Anne Williamson