Military Cross Medal?

[andalucia]

Hi all

A friend of mine has a family story and I wondered if anyone can help. He has been told his Great Uncle was awarded the Military Medal. Is there anywhere I can check if he was?

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1744355/JONES,%20GEORGE%20VICTOR

This is the guy in question on the link above. Now it says he is listed on the Vis En Artois Memorial, but the family think he is buried in West Derby Cemetery in Liverpool? Is it possible he could have been named on a memorial by mistake?

This is how my friend has told me the story..............

" He was torpedoed on a troop ship either coming back from France or going , him and a young soldier were in a Dinghy and he gave him his overcoat to keep the young lad warm they both died of exposure when they were found huddled together and he was awarded the Military Cross for Bravery. he was given a Gun carriage funeral through the town to West Derby Cemetery were he is buried I believe so I am going to find out were the plot is, this was told to my uncle today from his Aunty who was told by George Victor Jones Sister Ginnie many years agop the young lad warm they both died of exposure when they were found huddled together and he was awrded the Military Cross for Bravery< he was given a Gun carriage funeral through the town to West Derby Cemetary were he is buried I believe so I am going to find out were the plot is, this was told to my uncle today from his Aunty who was told by George Victor Jones Sister Ginnie many years ago "

Is it family stories going wrong or could it be true?

Cheers

Ant

[andalucia]

Messed up here

Of course the CWGC link shows he was awarded the MM Medal. My friend said Military Cross, just asked again and it is the MM Medal.

Can I find out anywhere how he won it?

[keithmroberts]

The Military Cross and the Military Medal are different awards. Both are published in the London Gazette which is free though sometimes tricky to search. The Military Cross was generally only awarded to officers.

Soldiers Died in the Great War lists him as being awarded the Military Medal as does the CWGC entry that you link to., and as being killed in action. Men killed in action were not repatriated to the UK for burial, although some seriously wounded men were returned to the UK for treatment and then died in the UK. Being listed on a memorial should mean that his body was not recovered.

16th Lancashire Fusliers were serving on the Western Front from November 1915, although they would receive drafts of reinforcements from time to time. Their war diary can be downloaded from the National Archives for a small fee. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4555548&isFullDescription=False

If there is any substance to the family story you will be able to trace newspaper reports and funeral records. These may require some local investigation.

The family story does not appear to fit with the records, but without further research it is hard to say.

Keith

[keithmroberts]

MM records are not normally supported by a citation, but war diaries occasionally mention the award if it was tied to a specific action.The London gazette entry would normally be some considerable time after the award,

Keith

[keithmroberts]

This page covers the location of cemetery records. http://www.liverpoolhistoryprojects.co.uk/deathinthepooloflife/corporationcemeteries/

The local studies library in Liverpool will have old newspapers - a time consuming task to work through.

Keith

[keithmroberts]

He has a military death certificate - not always much help. Cheapest ordered through https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate

Year 1918

Volume L 13

page 386

GRO War death Army other Ranks 1914-1921

Keith

[andalucia]

Thank you Keith. They are looking in to what you have posted.

Ant

[Ken Lees]

The MM was awarded for "Bravery in the Field" and could not be awarded posthumously, so the circumstances don't really fit the family story.

[collectorsguide]

The MM was awarded in the London Gazette 24.1.19. while he was serving in the 16th bn Lanc Fus.This gazette carries awards for the Battle of Amiens which began on 8th August 1918,he was KIA on the 28th August in France.

The family story is clearly wrong. best wishes, Howard

[andalucia]

Thank you all

It must have been on the Battlefields that he won the medal.

Ant

[kathleen donaldson]

Just to confirm. I have extracted all soldiers buried in the Liverpool Cemeteries and there is no record of George Victor Jones being buried there in August 1918

[ralphjd]

History of the Lancashire Fusiliers lists him being awarded the MM along with 5 other ranks concerned in the Battle of Amiens as Collectorsguide has posted. Six MCs were awarded for this battle to the 16th also. He and the other Privates T Heald; L Jones; W Walker; F Ryding and H Ward are not mentioned within the report of this battle. Ralph.