paulabls Posted 12 May , 2011 Share Posted 12 May , 2011 My GGrandfather Cyril Hant was awarded the MM---it is on his grave at the AIF burial ground in Flers --he was killed in action 25/08/1918 --how can I find out why he was given it? I may be missing something but I have tried the London Gazette search and come up with nothing. He was in the 10th battalion West Yorks Regiment when he died and previously in the Leeds Rifles 1/8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 12 May , 2011 Share Posted 12 May , 2011 Medal card of Hant, Cyril Corps Regiment No Rank West Yorkshire Regiment 2384 Private West Yorkshire Regiment 305559 Private http://www.nationala...pe=1=* http://www.edinburgh...3027/pages/2361 MM Citations were not published in the LG. Local press of the time would be your best bet. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBettsMCDCM Posted 12 May , 2011 Share Posted 12 May , 2011 You may be lucky in the contemporary Local Paper {around September 1916~January 1917}as it is an early award,so promulgation in the Gazette would have followed the "event" reasonably quickly,and the Press had not become "jaded" to War News & Heroes as they tended in some cases to do later,so MM press releases are published with more regularity in the Local Press to where the REcipient lived pre~War,as it is an early{ish} MM there is a slight possibility that it might be included in the Battalion War Diary prior to the LG Promulgation of December 1916,sometimes lists of those recommended for awards are included & if really lucky transcript of the recommondation /or event it was awarded,it is however a very hit & miss affair & more often than not we have to satisfy ourselves inn the knowledge,that he obviously came to the attention of a higher power for some signal act or continued gallant conduct.... HB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 12 May , 2011 Share Posted 12 May , 2011 paulabis Harry will be mixing up the FLERS dates (1916 was the main battle there)as your man was killed, as you say,in 1918,so you will adjust the dates of local paper searches accordingly ! The War Diary Harry refers to will be in WO95/2004 at Kew,you might be lucky to find a citation there. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBettsMCDCM Posted 12 May , 2011 Share Posted 12 May , 2011 Harry's not mixed up the Dates!! The Edinburgh/London Gazette Promulgation is 19th December 1916,so suggests a MM Recommendation for actions around August September 1916 [or a month or two before,or even after] ,True there may be a repeat of Why he was awarded the MM in his Obituary as well.THE LG date would not be so close in my experience to the Actual event,it is usually around a month or two prior to Promulgation.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutchbarge Posted 13 May , 2011 Share Posted 13 May , 2011 My GGrandfather Cyril Hant was awarded the MM---it is on his grave at the AIF burial ground in Flers --he was killed in action 25/08/1918 --how can I find out why he was given it? I may be missing something but I have tried the London Gazette search and come up with nothing. He was in the 10th battalion West Yorks Regiment when he died and previously in the Leeds Rifles 1/8. Here is the London Gazette page on which he is mentioned: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29864/supplements/12221 and the page declaring the award of the Military Medal: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29864/supplements/12219 As already mentioned, no citations were published for ranker in the LG. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrrip Posted 13 May , 2011 Share Posted 13 May , 2011 Hi I have done a fair bit of research into the relationship of MM award dates and gazette dates for London regiments. (survival of several hundred citations/book references helps considerablyy - have about 135 for LRB alone)For the Somme battles MMs were usually gazetted 3 months after award so look around mid september. Is there a Divisional History? Brigade war Diary might be useful. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulabls Posted 13 May , 2011 Author Share Posted 13 May , 2011 Many thanks to everyone for your help--I guess it was a schoolgirl error to search for Cyril rather than C Hant in the Gazette. I have the war diary of the Leeds Rifles for the relevant date so will look through that--unfortunately I don't know whether at that stage he had transferred to the 10th battalion--so I shall have to try to view that as well. I had one of his medal cards but not the MM one so I am about to buy that. I shall have to try to get access to the local Leeds paper as well--plenty to go on for now! Paula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 13 May , 2011 Share Posted 13 May , 2011 The later 305559 number is in line with the renumbering of the 8th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment that occured in March 1917. If he had transferred before that date he would have received a new number, so the transfer is after March 1917 at least. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 13 May , 2011 Share Posted 13 May , 2011 HarryB My apologies for doubting your skills ! I'll stay in the cupboard under the stairs until you say I can come out. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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