Sjt McCormick 27517 15th Canadians

[geluveld]

I have recently aquired an item, presumed to have belonged to

Serjeant McCormick Ernest

service nr 27517

15th Bn CEF
48th Royal Highlanders of Canada

On this tunic, it has 2 medal batons, one a 14-15 star and the second a Military Medal baton.

This together with rank, badges, 1st Div badges and overseas stripes, point to the forementionned person.

I have found his attestation papers and he enlisted at Valcartier Camp on 08/09/1914

So a very early join-up date, at an important place for the CEF.

Also I have found a page where, with the same service number and Bn, he is called McCormick C. MM

But now I'm stuck...

Could anyone be of some assistance to helping me out finding where and when this serjeant has won his MM.

As the 15th Bn was involved at Mount Sorrel, Hill62, St.Julien, etc (all places not very far from here), I'd be very interested to have some info on this person.

Thanks very much in advance

[ralphjd]

If you can find the MM award reference in the London/Edinburgh Gazette, the MM would have been "won" approx 3 months earlier.

[rolt968]

There might be more information in the battalion war diary. I'm not sure about what appears in the CEF war diaries. The British ones vary from noting what event it was for at the time it was gazetted to saying nothing at all!

The CEF war diaries are available from the Library and Archives of Canada site.

Roger.

[sotonmate]

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/020152_e.html

and then search for 15 Battalion CEF. The Diary is there from 1914 through. As you don't have an MM date it might be a long read ! It just might be that there is a database for MMs,worth a search on it's own.

Edit: link is accurately reproduced but not opening ! collectionscanada CEF war diaries might get you there.

[geluveld]

Thanks for the 15th Bn diary page.

Indeed it may be a long read, but if I can get any further info, it will be well worth the reading time

Edited 9 January , 2014 by geluveld

[HarryBrook]

It may indeed be a long read, Sjt. McCormick's M.M. was gazetted in 1920!

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31759/supplements/1223

And unfortunately also scuppers the action three months before theory.

[rolt968]

I would try to get the date when the MM appeared in the London Gazette, then look at the war diary. Even if you don't find a detailed mention in the war diary if you follow rjaydee's advice you can at least see what actions were going on.

Roger.

[geluveld]

link to the gazette is superb.

I presume the action the MM was awarded to will be either something in the last 100days...

As Roger suggests, the actions in the last few months of the war will give a possible clue

Thanks very much

[geluveld]

Have just went back a couple of pages on the London Gazette link and found the mentionning that he has been awarded his MM in accordance to Army Order 193 of 1919.

Just found on the forum some reference that AO193 of 1919 would suggest that he was either an escapee from a POW camp or still an effective POW at the end of the war.

Which could explain the fact that he has the 5 blue overseas stripes on his 1918 dated tunic...

Seems that there some more intersting info to be gathered from Sjt McCormick.

Finding out about a POW is however a complete new thing in my searches...

Would any lists exist where POW names are mentionned.

Have started reading the war diary as well, but sadly enough other ranks are not mentionned by name so it will prove difficult to get his name from there.

[rolt968]

I have just been re-reading you first post. You have read his attestation form. Have you downloaded his full CEF record? It should be available from LAC online, for a fee unfortunately.

Ed:

For a Canadian soldier whom I have been researching, I have a downloaded copy of a file card with the actual citation on it from a collection called "Canadian Military Honours and Awards Citation Cards 1920-1961". It is available through ancestry. (Though I confess I cannot remember getting it there! Old age creeping upon me?)

Roger.

[HarryBrook]

geluveld,

Sorry to disappoint you but Sjt. Ernest McCormick appears not to have been a P.O.W.

The London Gazette issue 31759 of 27.1.1920, the link above, was "a final list of rewards and mentions under the terms of Army Order 193 of 1919, for services in the field, and for services rendered in captivity, or in attempting to escape or escaping therefrom" (The Times Monday February 2 1920.)

The awards are listed in blocks in the Gazette as - for services rendered in the field, for services rendered in captivity or internment, and for gallant conduct etc. in escaping or attempting to escape therefrom.

If you go back to the London Gazette link above and scroll back to the first page, 1217, there begins the list of rewards for "services rendered in the Field...." Sjt. McCormick's M.M., on page 1223, is in this block.

Scroll forward to page 1225 and there begins the list for rewards "for valuable services rendered whilst prisoners of war or interned...." The M.M.s awarded under this categaory begin on this page.

Scroll forward again to page 1229 and there begins the list of rewards "for gallant conduct and determination displayed in escaping or attempting to escape from captivity...." The MMs awarded under this category begin on this page with awards of bars to the medal and first awards follow on page 1230.

So Sjt. McCormick's M.M. appears to have been just a late award, for whatever reason.

Trust the above is clear.

Harry

[geluveld]

Hi Harry

Thanks for the info.

This is in fact the first time ever that I'm looking up info on a gallantry medal, and up till today never used the London Gazette.

Pity that this isn't the outcome, but back to the final days of the war and the war diary then.

Roger, I do know that I can order the file

But I try to get info through gathering first, and then in the end will order his file (and another one that I have in the waiting list)