help with medal naming please

[adam1981]

hello

please see the attached medal index card. i cannot understand why his victory medal is named to the worcestershire regiment and not an officer, as it is clearly an early enough commission?

i think it may be:

he did not leave the country as an officer?

he had a pair also issued by the air ministry? (i think the note on the mic is referring to this?)

it was a mistake?

confirmation on this would be appreciated.

thanks

[sotonmate]

As I read it he landed in France on 2 May 1915 as an Other Rank with the Worcester Regt. It is at that point that his medal entitlement activates. His medals will have been marked thus.

He didn't receive his Commission until 11days later.

[Old Owl]

Hi Adam,

According to the Army List he was commissioned into the 13th Reserve Bn Worcestershire Regt as a 2/Lt on 13/5/15. I would suggest that he never returned to France following his commission because in the book for RFC casualties we have the following entry:

"Lieutenant E.J.Townsend, RFC., was accidentally killed while flying with Sec.Lt.F.Bissick, near Bristol on 2nd January,1917. Lieutenant Townsend being killed immediately and Sec.Lt.Bissicks dying in hospital the following day. At the inquest the evidence showed that Lieut.Townsend, who was under instruction, had had sufficient experience tro fly alone, and was navigating the machine, while 2/Lt Bissicks was a trained pilot. There was nothing either in weather or engine conditions to explain the accident."

Hope this helps.

Robert

[adam1981]

Hello

thanks for the replies

Sotonmate, my understanding is that it is just the Stars naming to which the date applies as this medal had date of entry requirements. this is why trios often have different ranks and numbers on the stars to the pairs.

Old owl, it must be the case that the pair was only named as an officer if they returned to a theatre of war. He appears to have been seconded to the RFC from the Worcestershire Regiment but i dont know yet what date this was from, so do not know how long he served as an officer with the Worcesters at home, i have his papers on order which should reveal all.

Thanks for the further detail, i have seen an account of his death in the flight magazine, but it is not in as much detail. i also was not aware of his Worcesters battalion.

Adam