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Remembered Today:

Citation for Belgian Croix de Guerre?


Old Owl

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Hi All,

I wonder if anyone out there has information regarding the existence of citations for WW1 awards of the Belgian Croix de Guerre? I am trying to find out why a Royal Engineers officer was awarded the Belgian: Chevalier of the Order of the Crown and Croix de Guerre, apparently for some deed performed at Dixmude in 1917.

Both boxes are original and each have the Belgian Crown with the officer's name and 'Dixmude 1917' embossed in gold lettering on the box lids. The awards were gazetted in July,1918,

but sadly the officer had already been killed in action on 12/6/18 whilst serving with 'Z' Special Company, Royal Engineers.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Robert

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Hello Robert,

My friend Peter Roets is working on "Koninklijke besluiten" , translated= Royal Decrees. Most of the people would say this is boaring literature. But... it is full of Royal decrees, citations and names all in connection with medals. So far 1914,1915 and 1916 are published. Within a few months the part of 1917 will be released. The index is made by love4history, a user of this forum, and will be released a year later or so. Both guys are doing a hell of a job.

When the part 1917 is published I will take a look. If I forget this ... please don't hesitate to send a PM. By the way, do you have a name of the recepient?

with kind regards,

Jef

attached pic is the 1916 part published early this year.

post-64837-0-48590100-1383029207_thumb.j

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Hi Jef,

Thank you very much for this most useful information--as you say 'Both guys are doing a hell of a job'--possibly an understatement? This is terrific news and something which I had hoped may be tucked away in an archive in Brussels.

I will PM you the details later.

Many thanks,

Robert

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You are right Robert, it really is an understatement. Both guys wear the heart on the right side for history. Imagine you have to publish some topics of the London or Edinburgh Gazette....

I'm afraid we will have to be more patient. For to know more about the year 1917 we will have to wait at least a few month's.

But I cannot promise I will find the information you would like to hear.

all the best

Jef

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Very interested to learn of this research Jef - my ancestor was with "N" Company RE and was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre on 28 October 1917 for action at Dixmude along with 2 comrades (according to the London Gazette of March 1925!!) all three (L/Cpl H S Watson, Acting Corp E W Evans and Corp R E W Careswell MM) were killed south of Steenkerke less than 3 weeks later and I would love to know what they got their medals for (and why it took till 1925 for the news to be posted in the LG.

Cowgate

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Dear Cowgate,

I will check that as well as soon I have the info.

Jef

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello Robert and Cowgate,

This morning I saw the author of the Belgian Decree book and told him about your quest for Belgian War Cross citations. He told me he didn't find any to British recipients. Maybe it was published in 1918????

The book will be published next year, I will check the dates.

I am sorry I wasn't more helpful.

Jef

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Thanks for the update Jef

The only reference I have is the London Gazette 31 March 1925 which gives the date of action as 28 October 1917 at Dixmude. My man's company ("N" Coy RE) was definately involved at Dixmude on that date according to the War Diary and the 1934 book Gas! An Account of the Special Brigade....and he and his fellow recipients (Evans and Careswell) all died the following month so couldn't have earned the award in 1918.

Thanks for offering to keep your eyes open for me - its appreciated, and if anyone else out there can shed any light on the action that merited the award at Dixmude I'd be very pleased to hear - its one bit of the jigsaw that has so far eluded me. I also remain intrigued as to why it took 8 years for the award to be mentioned in the LG?

thanks

Cowgate

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Hello Robert and Cowgate,

This morning I saw the author of the Belgian Decree book and told him about your quest for Belgian War Cross citations. He told me he didn't find any to British recipients. Maybe it was published in 1918????

The book will be published next year, I will check the dates.

I am sorry I wasn't more helpful.

Jef

Hi Jef,

Well, that is a little disappointing, so it looks like it's back to the drawing board for this one!! Many thanks for checking this out anyway and lets hope that something appears elsewhere.

Robert

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  • 1 year later...

I appear to be more than 12 months behind on this post but it is of interest in my research into Captain William Wesson Frith of the 169th Siege Battery of the RGA. He was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre first class and the Order de Leopold Chevalier according to entires in the London Gazette in 1918 but he died on 3rd November 1917. He is buried at Steenkerke so there may be some link to the other men referred to in this post.

If there are any updates in the records of citations to 1918 now then I would be very interested to hear them.

Many thanks

Steve C

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