AndrewThornton Posted 9 February Share Posted 9 February On 04/02/2020 at 23:01, Tracy said: Hello - maybe not the correct forum. I rescued some old booklets when my neighbour was disposing of them. They are regarding the Woolwich and District Branch Annual Dinner Dance in 1927 and 1928 and have been autographed by various members such as Sir H. Uniacke, Rev Owen Watkins, W Leaney etc. The toastmaster was Capt Dann in 1927. Would anybody know if they are of value to anybody? Happy to donate them to the IWM if they would be interested. Many thanks Tracy Hello Tracy. I have sent you a PM. Link to post Share on other sites
Bardess Posted 9 February Share Posted 9 February @Tracy You will need to make a further post to enable access to the PM system [which shows as an envelope to the left of your name on the header] Link to post Share on other sites
Dia Posted 3 March Share Posted 3 March I am looking for for my grandfather's name in the contemptible list I have a photo which I have found with stuff as I trying to do my family tree! my grandfather is Arthur john George Veness? Dont know how to upload the photo!!!! Many thanks Di Link to post Share on other sites
MaxD Posted 4 March Share Posted 4 March Welcome Dia 16 hours ago, Dia said: I am looking for for my grandfather's name Was he a Seaforth Highlander? Max Link to post Share on other sites
Ellen Docking Posted 8 March Share Posted 8 March I have a letter sent to my grandfather from king George in 1918. Would this be of interest to any museum ? Link to post Share on other sites
Ellen Docking Posted 8 March Share Posted 8 March I have a letter sent to my grandfather from king George in 1918. Would this be of interest to any museum ? Link to post Share on other sites
Admin Michelle Young Posted 9 March Admin Share Posted 9 March Welcome to the forum Ellen. Who was your Grandfather? Was he a member of the Old Contemptibles Association? If so @AndrewThornton would be very interested I'm sure. Michelle Link to post Share on other sites
Dia Posted 10 March Share Posted 10 March On 04/03/2020 at 14:02, MaxD said: Welcome Dia Was he a Seaforth Highlander? Max Yes have found out that he was. Link to post Share on other sites
MaxD Posted 10 March Share Posted 10 March There is a medal card for 10382 Acting Company Sergeant Major A G Veness (shown as AGJ Veness on a medal roll) who served with 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders and who went to France on 23 August 1914. This would entitle him to be called an Old Contemptible. Whether he joined the Old Contemptibles Association is another matter. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5680349 If you say whereabouts he lived, someone may be able to say where the local branch was but whether the records exist I don't know. Max Link to post Share on other sites
Dia Posted 10 March Share Posted 10 March Not sure where he lived during the war but lived in battersea in 1924 when my mum was born then but lived in Plymouthin (1934) later in life and died in Weymouth 1939 mum was 14. Link to post Share on other sites
Dia Posted 11 March Share Posted 11 March Do you know what any of the wording means in the remarks box? Cant make it out. Thanks Di Link to post Share on other sites
MaxD Posted 11 March Share Posted 11 March It looks as if it refers to him returning his 1914 Star perhaps for addition of the clasp to the Star (which he had to apply for) and it being re-issued to him. CRV is the Certified Receipt Voucher which recorded the receipt and IV is the Issue Voucher when it was sent back. The Clasp referred to is the Clasp and Roses:https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/campaign-medal-records/the-british-campaign-medals-for-the-great-war/ (scroll down to Clasp to the 1914 Star) Max Link to post Share on other sites
Angela Douglass Posted 9 May Share Posted 9 May I have come across an Old Contemptible badge number 5501 in my late father's belongings. The registration number is 726347. Thank you Link to post Share on other sites
Admin Michelle Young Posted 9 May Admin Share Posted 9 May Welcome to the forum. Calling @AndrewThornton who is our resident OCA expert. Michelle Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewThornton Posted 9 May Share Posted 9 May Hello Angela. Does the four-digit number have a letter after it? I will be able to give you an approximate date when it was issued from these details. The number 726347 is the registration number for the design of The Old Contemptibles Association badge with the Patent Office. Link to post Share on other sites
Raxawa Posted 17 May Share Posted 17 May I am very new to researching my grandfather's past in WWI. So far I have been able to determine that he was in fact an Old Contemptible. Is it possible that he would be one and not be part of the Old Contemptible Assoc. and therefore not have a badge number? Link to post Share on other sites
Admin Michelle Young Posted 18 May Admin Share Posted 18 May Welcome to the forum. If you let us have details like his name, date and place of birth, regiment if known, members can help you. Have you looked up his medal index card (free on ancestry) to see if he was entitled the 1914 star with clasp and roses? Michelle Link to post Share on other sites
Raxawa Posted 18 May Share Posted 18 May 5 hours ago, Michelle Young said: Welcome to the forum. If you let us have details like his name, date and place of birth, regiment if known, members can help you. Have you looked up his medal index card (free on ancestry) to see if he was entitled the 1914 star with clasp and roses? Michelle 18 hours ago, Raxawa said: I am very new to researching my grandfather's past in WWI. So far I have been able to determine that he was in fact an Old Contemptible. Is it possible that he would be one and not be part of the Old Contemptible Assoc. and therefore not have a badge number? I am very new to researching my grandfather's past in WWI. So far I have been able to determine that he was in fact an Old Contemptible. Is it possible that he would be one and not be part of the Old Contemptible Assoc. and therefore not have a badge number? Link to post Share on other sites
Admin Michelle Young Posted 18 May Admin Share Posted 18 May If you post his name and details, I'm sure that @AndrewThornton might be able to assist. People can't help you without the basic details I'm afraid. Michelle Link to post Share on other sites
Raxawa Posted 18 May Share Posted 18 May Yes, I have found his medal index card, and it indicates he was entitled to the 14 Star, but it doesn't say anything about the clasp and roses. His details: Thomas Knight, born 1892 in Walworth, Southwark,London, Regiment - ASC. # T/29155. I would also like to understand some of the details on the medal Index card. There are numbers which I don't understand. Beside the Victory medal line - RASC /101 and then B /141; Beside the 14 Star line - ASC / 3 - whta do these numbers and letter B mean? I understand the RASC and ASC codes. Thx Link to post Share on other sites
Admin Michelle Young Posted 18 May Admin Share Posted 18 May Medal cards all explained here https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/campaign-medal-records/how-to-interpret-a-campaign-medal-index-card/ Link to post Share on other sites
Admin Michelle Young Posted 18 May Admin Share Posted 18 May I can't find the card on Ancestry (nothing new there) is there a date of entry to theatre of war marked? Link to post Share on other sites
MaxD Posted 18 May Share Posted 18 May His date of entry to France was 22 Aug 1914. Clasp and Roses had to be applied for by the man (or next of kin if he didn't survive). There is nothing on the award roll to show he applied. Others on the same roll, same unit, did apply and received the clasp. The letters and numbers refer to the roll on which the awards are listed, these can be found on Ancestry so ASC roll 3 has his 1914 Star, the others are the reference number of the BW and V roll. As you see both have page numbers following. I am unsure what evidence the Association needed for him to belong, perhaps as he never applied for the clasp he never applied to the Association.. On the face of it, the medal roll would do me! Max Link to post Share on other sites
Raxawa Posted 18 May Share Posted 18 May MaxD, thank you for your explanation of the Medal index card numbers. I read the explanations on the Longlongtrail site but these specific number allocations aren't described. So is it at all possible now to apply for / get the clasp and roses? and the Old Contemptible badge? Another question I have, and this may not be the correct forum, is how to find out information on his Corp / Division / Unit etc. The medal index card shows 2 Coy (is a Coy the Corp?), 4.Div.T which I interpret to be the 4th Divisional Train??? but also not sure what that means if it is that!! Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewThornton Posted 18 May Share Posted 18 May (edited) The annotation on the 1914 Star Roll is for No. 2 Company of the 4th Divisional Train, Army Service Corps. With regard to applying for a Clasp and Roses to be issued retrospectively, I am afraid that it is highly unlikely that the MoD Medal Office would agree to this after nearly a century. The Old Contemptibles' Association no longer exists and therefore no badge would be issued to next of kin. They were only ever issued to individuals who had their eligibility checked and could show (in the vast majority of cases) that they qualified for the Clasp and Roses. This frequently involved potential Chums writing to the War Office Record Section to have written confirmation sent to them in order to satisfy these requirements. An issue of a Clasp and Roses despatched during the late 1920s and the 1930s (particularly late 1938/early1939) recorded on a Medal Index Card and on the 1914 Star Roll usually indicates that an applicant wished to join the Association. I have however come across individual cases of Chums being members of a particular Branch who did not however meet this requirement as they did not possess or qualify for the Clasp and Roses. How they managed to remain members of the Association I cannot explain as, unfortunately, the Headquarters Records no longer exist. Edited 18 May by AndrewThornton Link to post Share on other sites
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