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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

When did war service officially cease to count for Chevrons?


Justinth

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Dear All

On other threads I have posted about Norman Harry Shutt 127459, who began his overseas service sometime at the end of 1917, having originally enlisted on the 30th August 1915 at the age of 16, mobilised into a reserve battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 3/4 towards the end of 1916 (around the time of his 18th birthday) and selected for the Machine Gun Corp at the end of 1917, going overseas (presumably the Western Front) in early 1918 (his 19th birthday wasn't until the last quarter of 1917).

On his discharge certificate (he was discharged according to the certificate on the 29th August 1919 - although the Victory/BWM register says 6/9/1919) it says that he has two blue chevrons, yet his foreign service cannot amount to two years, even if - as I have speculated and would like a forum pal to confirm - that service abroad until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles (or even perhaps service in Russia with Britain's forces supporting the White Anti-Bolshevik forces) counted towards the chevrons. Also how could less than two years overseas service earn you two blue chevrons?

Help would be greatly appreciated.

Edited by justin
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Also how could less than two years overseas service earn you two blue chevrons?

You became entitled to your first chevron (either red for 1914 service, or blue for each subsequent year) the first day you stepped overseas. You then became entitled to your next after a further years service (12 months, but with an allowance of up to four weeks home leave to still be counted towards it). So a soldier entitled to two blue chevrons needed essentially only to have served for more than one year but less than two. Overseas service towards stripes was counted up to late 1922 if I recall correctly.

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You became entitled to your first chevron (either red for 1914 service, or blue for each subsequent year) the first day you stepped overseas. You then became entitled to your next after a further years service (12 months, but with an allowance of up to four weeks home leave to still be counted towards it). So a soldier entitled to two blue chevrons needed essentially only to have served for more than one year but less than two. Overseas service towards stripes was counted up to late 1922 if I recall correctly.

Thanks Andrew for this answer, the fact that you earned your first chevron for simply beginning overseas service and then the next chevron had to be earned by doing at least 11 months (including one months leave) clears this up. Although I note that elsewhere it has been said that the chevrons were per calendar year. Either way his two chevrons cease to puzzle.

Phil, I wish I had the money to buy the officers jacket!

Edited by justin
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By coincidence there is an officer's SD tunic for sale on ebay, here - http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW1-EAST-SURREY-OFFICERS-SERVICE-DRESS-TUNIC-/350908535091?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item51b3c75133 with three blue overseas service chevrons.

Phil

...Although I note that elsewhere it has been said that the chevrons were per calendar year. Either way his two chevrons cease to puzzle...Phil, I wish I had the money to buy the officers jacket!

It's a common misconception unfortunately. An extreme example, but it is in fact possible to have served overseas in every year of the war and (through repeated wounds, home service, etc) still not accumulate enough time to become entitled to a second stripe.

As to the jacket, I would spend my money elsewhere in this case...

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