Eligibility for Medals: Frederick WHEELHOUSE, 2nd Battalion, The She

[djanej]

I am a Genealogist, and am currently researching my family members who fought in World War 1. I have found Medal Index Cards helpful and informative, but in one particular case, I have been surprised by an apparent omission.

I would be very grateful for any help anyone can give me that might explain this anomaly.

Frederick WHEELHOUSE (b Nottingham 1886) was the husband of a 2nd Cousin. He originally joined the Militia (4th Derbyshire Regiment) whilst still under age, in 1901. He became a Regular soldier, serving in India with the 1st Battalion The Sherwood Foresters at the time of the 1911 Census. I am not too sure of the subsequent chronology, but Frederick was killed at Hooge with the 2nd Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters, on 9 August 1915. His Regimental Number was No 9890. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate and on the War Memorial outside St Mary’s Church in Nottingham.

Frederick’s Medal Card shows a Disembarkation Date of “9 August 1914“. It also shows he was part of BEF in 1914 and that he was “K in A: 9-8-15“. Frederick was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal, but there is no sign that he received either the 1914 nor the 1914-1915 Star. I find this very odd. He was apparently eligible for the former, but certainly for the latter. Please can anyone help to explain this.

Many thanks,

Jane J

[ss002d6252]

Frederick was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal, but there is no sign that he received either the 1914 nor the 1914-1915 Star.

Its not too uncommon for men to have a separate card for the star. That being said, I can't see a card for him but its also the case that not all MIC's have survived.

Long Long Trail does not show that any of the units of the Forester's were in France on 9 August 1914 so he may have been temporarily posted to another unit to bring them up to strength, if so it is possible his card is under another unit.

[Old Owl]

Hi Jane,

You probably need to check the medal roll for the 1914 Star awarded to men serving with the 1st Bn Sherwood Foresters, this should show if his star was issued or returned for some reason.

Robert

[djanej]

Thank you for your suggestions.

The date of Frederick's arrival in France is a bit of a puzzle in fact. I wonder if there has been a slight error made in entering the dates on the MIC.

Frederick died on 9 August 1915. The card gives this date, and also gives 9 August 1914 as the date Frederick 'disembarked'. The 2nd Battalion (in which he was serving when he died) left the UK on 9 September 1914, landing in St Nazaire on 11 September. They were engaged in fighting immediately.

The 1st Battalion were still in Bombay at the outbreak of War in August, but set out for home on 3 September, landed in the UK for the first time in several years on 2 October, and was sent straight back out to France without time to acclimatize to European temperatures. They arrived in Le Havre on 5 November.

Because I do not know when Frederick moved between Battalions, I do not know which Battalion he was serving in when he went to France. I wonder if he was already with 2nd Battalion in 1914, and if the date of disembarkation shown on the card should read 9 September, and the writer has muddled the date because of the coincidence of the date of his death.

Just a thought....

Jane

[Stebie9173]

The card is a specific 1914 Star card with a stamped box for the later issue of the BWM/VM medals. The 1914 Star medal roll reference is actually the F/1/2/174 above that box. So, the card is complete, notwithstanding a probable date error.

Steve.

[djanej]

Steve,

I am so grateful for this. I realised that the Card was an early type, but I had not actually grasped that it was supposed to be specific for those who were eligible for the 1914 Star. I have another Medal recipient, again the husband of a Second Cousin, who was killed at Festubert with the Grenadier Guards in 1915. He was given the same type of card although he was a 1914-1915 Star recipient, and the Roll number of the Star appears in the 3rd box on the stamp. His MIC is stamped 1914-1915 in the Campaign field. A third relative, who served with the 33rd Brigade RFA and survived, won the 1914 Star but again, the reference appears within the 3rd box on the stamp.

I am delighted, and so relieved for Frederick's sake that he did get the 1914 Star..

Very best wishes

Jane J

[mikebriggs]

Jane J

Unfortunately I don't have the 1914 Roll, but here is the BWM and VM Roll showing Frederick's entitlement to those medals

cheers

Mike

[spof]

Thank you for your suggestions.

The date of Frederick's arrival in France is a bit of a puzzle in fact. I wonder if there has been a slight error made in entering the dates on the MIC.

Frederick died on 9 August 1915. The card gives this date, and also gives 9 August 1914 as the date Frederick 'disembarked'. The 2nd Battalion (in which he was serving when he died) left the UK on 9 September 1914, landing in St Nazaire on 11 September. They were engaged in fighting immediately.

The 1st Battalion were still in Bombay at the outbreak of War in August, but set out for home on 3 September, landed in the UK for the first time in several years on 2 October, and was sent straight back out to France without time to acclimatize to European temperatures. They arrived in Le Havre on 5 November.

Because I do not know when Frederick moved between Battalions, I do not know which Battalion he was serving in when he went to France. I wonder if he was already with 2nd Battalion in 1914, and if the date of disembarkation shown on the card should read 9 September, and the writer has muddled the date because of the coincidence of the date of his death.

Just a thought....

Jane

Jane

Nice detective work Here is his entry on the 1914 Star Roll.

8th August seemed too early for infantry to be heading across the Channel and he eithre went ahead of the main body or, as some records offices seemed to do, he was passed from the home oraganisation to the expeditionary force as soon as he got on the boat for an overnight crossing. THe war diary may help clear that up.

Glen

[mikebriggs]

I agree with your interpretation of the date mix up. MICs were taken from the Service records after the War and the clerks made many mistakes.

I can also add the Frederick enlisted mid-1905.

This purportedly shows the 2nd Battalion in Plymouth August/Sept 1914 (although its possible they are mobilised Reservists)

[djanej]

Mike and Glen,

Thank you both SO much. The various pieces of info that you have put on this thread about Frederick are great, and the photo is wonderful isn't it - it looks as though it was taken today, it is so crisp and clear.

I did not have Frederick's original date of joining up in the Regulars, so that is really useful. And the 1914 Star Roll confirms that my surmise about the mix-up of dates WAS correct. On the Roll, (unlike the Card) the date of disembarkation IS 8.9 and not 9.8, but 9.8 IS the date he died (albeit the following year). Also, by absolutely confirming that he disembarked for France on 8.9.1914, the date establishes beyond doubt that he had moved into the 2nd Battalion BEFORE leaving for France.

Interestingly, this also proves that he came back from India sometime between Census Day 1911 and the outbreak of War, separate from his Battalion, and was clearly posted to the 2nd Battalion instead. Was this a common occurrence for an ordinary Private? I have to say that although I am still unpicking the records, I believe that poor old Frederick's domestic life was more like the plot of a cheap soap! Might he have been given compassionate leave to come home from India, to try and sort things out?

Thank you again, very much,

Best wishes

Jane

[Stebie9173]

A man would usually sign up for a period of 12 years in the Army. This was divided into an active service (full time) period and a reserve period (a home in civilian employment and on a much reduced reserve pay). Normally the period of active service was seven years* with the balance of five on reserve. If a man was serving overseas at the time of his active period expiring this could be extended to eight years with the four year balance on Reserve.

So in theory, unless he extended his period of active service to the full 12 years, he should have been sent home on Reserve in 1912 or 1913, and thus been a recalled Reservist when the war broke out. The battalions that went overseas in August and early September 1914 usually conisted of a very high percentage of reservists.

If he had signed on for the full twelve years (which tended to be a fairly small proportion of men) then he would have had to have had a different re4saon to switch battalions.

* For a period after the 2nd Boer War this was often three years active and nine on reserve, though men serving overseas had nearly always already extended that period to the normal seven and five.

Steve.

[BRONNO]

Just to add, the 2nd Battalion left Southampton at 4.15am on the 8th November 1914 and embarked in S.S.Georgian. Bdr Gen Congreve V.C. and the staff of 18th Infantry Brigade were on board. They put to sea at 2.30 p.m. The ship had been fitted chiefly to carry horses and the accommodation for men was not good. Practically no cabins for Officers who nearly all slept on deck. Weather was fine and the sea smooth.

The Nottingham Evening Post shows he had a brother 7219 Pte Leonard Wheelhouse 1st Battalion also killed in action and died of wounds received when was gassed in a bombing raid on the German trenches dated 3rd October 1916 with an address at 5, Alvey's Yard, Fisher Gate, Nottingham and also shown as 17, Kings Arms Yard, Woolpack Lane, Nottingham. BRONNO.

[djanej]

Thank you very much Bronno.

The account of their travel to France is quite new to me, and it adds wonderful colour to the event. I actually thought they sailed from Plymouth, not just because of Mike's piece above. However, possibly this is because Plymouth is where 1st Battalion arrived back in the UK on their return from India .

I knew about Leonard's death, though not the full details. They were closest in age, though Leonard was a little older I think, and it is possible that Frederick originally joined the Militia to be like his brother.

Best wishes

Jane