Medaille Militaire

[johnfletcher57]

Help needed please.

I have two cousins twice removed who died in the First World war.

The First is d/15349 Private William James Armstrong MM (Medaille Militaire)

and the second is SS/9912 John Edward Robins.

Pte Armstrong was wounded i think and died of his wounds on the 11th April 1918

I think he was wounded at the Battle of St Quentin, 21 - 23 March 1918

He was in the 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) part of the 2nd Division.

Third Army (Byng)

IV Corps (Harper)

6th Division

19th (Western) Division

25th Division

41st Division

51st (Highland) Division.

V Corps (Fanshawe)

**** 2nd Division ****

17th (Northern) Division

47th (2nd London) Division

63rd (Royal Naval) Division.

VI Corps (Haldane)

Guards Division

3rd Division

31st Division

34th Division

40th Division

59th (2nd North Midland) Division.

Is there anyway of finding out what action he was wounded in and perhaps a citation.

Pte Robins was killed i think on the Somme in 1916 he was in the 3rg Labour Company of the Army Service Corps

He Died aged 49 !!!! (on the Weston Front can you belive that) on the 20th December 1916.

Over time it appears as though they have largly been forgotten by the family and I am making it my business to remember them and make a small family memorial for them so that they didnt die in vain.

Thanking you all in advance for any help that you might give.

[Jon Shattock]

Hi

Armstrong was awarded the (British) Military Medal, not the French medal.

There is a write up on him in De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour. This says he died of wounds received between 25 March and 3 April in action at Hourges.

It also says he was awarded the MM for signalling under heavy shell fire and getting messages through after sever attempts had been made.

Jon

[derekb]

Good Morning John,

I don't know if you have seen this; Medaille Militaire

D/15349, formely L/7079, Private William

James Armstrong, Dragoon Guards (Lewisham)

From; The London Gazette, page 11946, Issue 30945, 8 October 1918.

Regards,

Derek.

Ooops! I was typing this reply whilst Jon was posting his reply, did William get bot MM's?

Derek

[ForeignGong]

Hi

He was awarded the French Medaille Militaire as per the following

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30945/supplements/11946

Approx 1519 gazetted for WW1, all services 7 all commonwealth empire. Not many when you compare it to MM's & DCM's

Peter

[Jon Shattock]

And here's the linnk to his MM: http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/issues/13128/pages/1712

So he was awarded both. Interestingly the French award was gazetted 6 months after his death.

Jon

[johnfletcher57]

The only information I have is that he got the one and i thought that he might have won( is that the right word) his medal at the battle of

The First Battle of the Scarpe (9 - 11 April, a phase of the Arras Offensive) but i may be wrong it seems Anyway Thank you all so much. Onward and upwards.

[johnfletcher57]

I had to come back to say how much i appreciate your help on this. Thank you all you have all done a tremendous job. Its what forums should be about. Now i have another great grandfather that i am starting work on who was gassed on the Somme. So This has given me great hope. Thanks again.