Middlesex Regiment numbering

[zoe4]

We are researching a private of the Middlesex Regiment, named William Theobald, but we cannot find for sure a medal card for him.

We know from an entry in the local paper that he went missing between 9th and 12th April 1918 after having been in the trenches for only 5 days.He had joined in August 1917 and was born 8th July 1899.

Looking at the Medal Rolls Index Cards there are two possibilities. They have different number as one would expect. Both were Private soldiers. One is G/13461. The other is G/54179.

Would he have received medals if he had been only 5 days at the Front ?

And if he did indeed received medals , is it possible to decide which one is his card from the very little we know ?

Neither feature in the GRO War Deaths Indexes. In fact we are convinced he survived, being probably taken prisoner on the day he went missing. A William Theobald died in Greenwich Registration District in 1975, with the same date of birth 8th July 1899.

Many thanks in advance.

[David_Underdown]

Someone else may know the numbering better, but from the dates you suggest, the higher number would seem more likely. There is also a William D Theobald, PW3943 according to The National Archives' version of the cards. The PW prefix indicates he served with one of the Public Works battalions (to start with at least), ie the 18th or 19th Middlesex. The medal rolls themselves, which are not digitised and so can only be viewed at Kew may give some more information which would help, but there's no guarantee. They would at least state the battalion, which might help depending which battalions of the Middlesex Regiment were in action on the dates you mention.

Qualification for medals required only entry into a theatre of war I think, so 5 days service in the trenches (which would have been preceded by a spell at an infantry base depot in France in all likelihood) would have been sufficient.

[BIFFO]

sorry to jump in on your post but I have sim query

my man ended up in the royal fusiliers city of london reg in his suplimentry notes it says

formerly 168139 53rd (Y.S) T.R battn middx regiment so what does that mean

Biff

[David_Underdown]

Biffo, that was 53rd (young Soldiers') Training Reserve Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. I think I've read on here that effectively if you approaching the age to be conscripted you could opt to join a Young Soldiers' battalion, which would effectively mean you got a longer training period before being sent overseas.

In your case it will be worth checkign the actual medal rolls as the Royal Fusiliers are often very good about dating entry into theatre and transfers, even after there was no Star eligibility.