William James Cockrill RNR médaille militaire

[Christina Holstein]

Apologies if I've put this in the wrong part of the Forum but I hope someone might be able to help.

I've been asked by the family of a friend for help in finding the citation for the médaille militaire awarded to Skipper William J. Cockrill, RNR WSA1200.

The award was gazetted in the London Gazette, Issue 31182, page 2361, 14,15 February 1919, but the family has lost the French citation and hopes to find it in the Journal Officiel. They have no date or number for the original French award.

Knowing that it was gazetted on 14/15 February 1919, is there any way of knowing when it might have appeared in the French Journal Officiel? Or do I just have to go through pages and pages until I find it?

Any help would be gratefully received and thank you all in advance.

Christina

[sotonmate]

Christina

Here is the service record reference for William J COCKRILL WSA1200. It is BT377/7/125440 in the Discovery database at the National Archives and is downloadable for £3.36.

It may show the reason for his Medaille Militaire.

[ForeignGong]

Hi

This is the London Gazette for him

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31182/supplements/2361

as usual there is no citation for Foreign Award

[Christina Holstein]

Thank you both very much.

The Remarks column of the service record states "For distinguished service rendered during the War. Conferred by the President of the French Republic". The family was definitely hoping for something more specific than that!

Searching for references to the Médaille Militaire on the Forum, I saw a mention of it being 'self-awarded'. Does that mean that a number of them would be sent to various units and the individual commanders would then deal them out as he thought best? In which case, I suppose there would not be a French citation.

Thanks again,

Christina

[sotonmate]

Christina

There were many collective awards at War's end,including several batches by our own Monarch.

The citation quoted is how it was,a general appreciation of services rendered.

There might well have been an element of a batch of awards to be distributed to those that the Senior Officers of a unit thought more well-deserving than others.

[Christina Holstein]

That's very interesting, Sotonmate. Thank you. I think that's probably all I'm ever going to know.

Christina