Medal Recognition

[Adrian Roberts]

Can any of you medals experts tell me what are the medals in this photo?

We re-discovered the photo while turning out some drawers recently. The wedding is that of my wife's paternal grandparents, about 1922. We know little about them; we don't know the groom's first name; the surname was King, which is a common name so not much help looking in military records for him. My father-in-law's 1998 obituary in a local paper says that he was born in 1924 in Malta to a "serving Lance-Corporal", though the wedding photo makes it look as though they were married in England.

Identifying his medals may tell us if he served in WW1.

[Sepoy]

The medals were known by the soldiers as "Pip Squeek and Wilfred" . Officially they are the 1914 Star (also known as the Mons Star) with 4th August to 22 November 1914 sew on bar; British War Medal and Victory Medal. The Star was awarded to those who had served in France and Flanders at the start of the war with the bar being awarded to those who had been under fire. A typical group for the Old Contemptibles.

The cap badge is probably that of the Dorset Regiment but it is a little difficult to see at the angle and may by the Essex Regiment.

Hope that helps

Sepoy

[rksimpson]

Hi

I agree and the 1 stripe on his coat sleeve shows him as a Lance-Corporal. The marriage must have been after the war for him to have the medals so 1922 would be about right.

regards

Robert

[CGM]

Do you know the bride's first name? This might just help with the search.

CGM

[auchonvillerssomme]

The 2nd Bn Essex regiment did serve in Malta post war.

[battiscombe]

I find men of 1st Bn Dorsets in Malta 1924

2nd Battalion Essex regiment were in Malta 1922-23 ish

some Malta records here

http://website.lineone.net/~stephaniebidmead/british_forces_church_baptisms.htm

[Adrian Roberts]

Thanks everyone.

The Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, then. So he had served right through the war. Would it be surprising then, that he was only a Lance-Corporal? I wonder if he was a POW, or hospitalised for some of the war.

It sounds as though he was interesting enough for us to dig deeper into his history. Unfortunately, my wife isn't that interested, not least because her parents divorced when she was 14 and she sided with her mother, only seeing her father occassionally after that. I do remember her saying that her father was a social climber who was ashamed of his parent's humble origins, and he had little to do with his family as he moved up in the world. His father "only" being a Lance-Corporal might have been outweighed for him the fact that his father had been an Old Contemptible.

Adrian

[rksimpson]

Hi Adrian

My Grandfather served in the war and got a trio (15 star), but he was only a Lance Corporal as well and by the end of the war he was back to a private. Lots of soldiers did not get promoted. Promotion was not on time in the army, but on leadership qualities. It is possible he was hospitalised for some time, lots of men were wounded and as for being a POW you can search the Red Cross site to see. But you both should be proud of him, no matter what his rank was.

It is a shame her father was like he was.

regards

Robert