Help please with medal recognition.

[Sally B]

Can I call on your great fund of knowledge yet again? The soldiers in the group below I think are from a Canadian Regiment but I am hoping that one of the men is wearing a 'South African' medal. The soldier I am hoping to recognise was in the Grenadier Guards and fought in South Africa before emigrating to Canada and enlisting in the Canadian Infantry at the start of WW1.

Could it be the soldier in the middle at the bottom of the group? The soldier's 2xGt Grandson has sent me this picture and he does not know who is his 2xGt Grandfather.

Thank you.

[Coldstreamer]

hello

if you put the chaps name someone can check the qsa roll for the GG to confirm the clasps

great photo btw

Im more interested in the first medal!

[old joe]

I think the first medal may be a DCM.

He also appears to have a French or Belgian Croix de Guerre.

Regards,

Joseph

[clive_hughes]

Do you know whether the man in question had both the Queen's and King's South Africa Medals, or just the Queen's?

Top left and bottom right seem to have both medals ahead of their 1914-15 trios. Top right has something else with 2 bars - ?maybe an Indian General Service Medal - ahead of what might be a similar set of 5 as above (Guards didn't get the IGS, though he might just possibly have transferred unit). Bottom left has 2 indistinct medals ahead of the Trio, though the 2nd doesn't have the clear green-white-orange three-stripe of the KSA medal. Bottom centre has 2 medals again ahead of trio (he also has a French Croix de Guerre at the end) but not KSA: and if one is a QSA it only has 1 bar.

Your best bet might be to go to the Ancestry/FindMyPast sites with searchable British Army medal rolls http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1686 or http://www.findmypast.co.uk/boer-war-register-search-start.action and input his name and regiment, see how many QSA/KSA come up and how many bars the former has. Or try the QSA roll index at http://www.angloboerwar.com/other-information/91-research-and-family-history/1851-qsa-medal-roll-index

Clive

[Staffsyeoman]

They are all wearing South African War medals! (This may be the reason for the photograph; 20 years on, still serving...)

The two at the back:

L: Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902 with at least three clasps; King's South Africa Medal with the usual two clasps; 1914 or 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Allied Victory Medal

R: Indian General Service Medal 1895-1902 with two clasps (not unusual for this medal) Queen's South Africa Medal, King's South Africa Medal, 1914 or 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Allied Victory Medal, the last medal looks like a 1911 Coronation Medal as awarded to the Police. (I would think the IGS rules him out as a Guardsman)

Three at the front:

L: The lens flare has washed his medals out rather, but looks like South African pair, 1914 or 1914-15 Star Trio

M:: Distinguished Conduct Medal; I would say Africa General Service Medal 1902-56 with a pre-WW1 clasp; 1914 or 1914-15 Star; British War Medal. Below: Allied Victory Medal and a French Croix de Guerre avec Palme

R: Queen's South Africa Medal - with probably as many as five clasps, possibly four; King's South Africa Medal, 1914 or 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Allied Victory Medal.

Quite a gathering...!

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

After DCM, Unlikely to be "AGS 1902~56"?;that has thin straight clasps [as does QSA] and a light coloured ribbon, more like IGS 1908~36 with Waziristan 1908 clasp, or possibly ABOR 1911

[Sally B]

We know quite a lot about the soldier whose identity we are trying to confirm, his name is L/C Martin Riseley 201890 95th Battn Canadian Infantry, D Company. he was awarded the Kings South African Medal with clasps Cape Colony and SA 02 whilst serving with the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards (we have his service history both Grenadier Guards & Canadian Infantry) Sadly he died as a result of an accident while on leave in England on July 31st 1916, he was 39, so maybe the photo was taken before he left Canada.

[Coldstreamer]

It's the queens South Africa

[SteveE]

his name is L/C Martin Riseley 201890 95th Battn Canadian Infantry, D Company. he was awarded the Kings South African Medal with clasps Cape Colony and SA 02 whilst serving with the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards

Medal Roll shows that #8015 Pte. M. Riseley of 3rd Bn. Grenadier Guards was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony and SA02, the King's South Africa Medal couldn't be awarded on its own.

However, I'll venture that none of the men in the photo are he due to the small matter that he had died a few years before the 1914-15 Star trio they're all wearing was issued.

Regards

Steve

[Staffsyeoman]

After DCM, Unlikely to be "AGS 1902~56"?;that has thin straight clasps [as does QSA] and a light coloured ribbon, more like IGS 1908~36 with Waziristan 1908 clasp, or possibly ABOR 1911

Stared at it a bit longer, and will agree with that. Looked like a 'thin' clasp at first sight but IGS 08 more likely.

[Sally B]

As he died before the 1914-15 Star was issued that throws a spanner in the works!! His son Walter enlisted in August 1915, Royal Canadian Regiment 20316 , he survived the war but as he would not have any South African medals it could not be him, unless he was wearing his Father's medals?

[Sally B]

Do you think they are wearing Canadian Army Uniforms?

[Andrew Upton]

Do you think they are wearing Canadian Army Uniforms?

They are all wearing the Canadian 7-button version of the SD jacket, see:

http://www.kaisersbunker.com/cef/tunics/ceft01.htm

[Sally B]

Steve I have been looking for his Medal Roll Card, did you find it on Ancestry? I think I need to be on the higher subscription level to see it?

[SteveE]

Try this http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&gsfn=&gsln=Riseley&sx=&rg_f12__date=&rs_f12__date=0&f17=&f11=&f19=&f20=&gskw=&prox=1&db=campaignmedalrolls&ti=5538&ti.si=0&gl=&gss=mp-campaignmedalrolls&gst=&so=3 and if it doesn't work PM me.

Steve