Medal Card or Battalion History?

[Cameronian Volunteer]

I am trying to decide whether a soldier actually served in France, or whether he remained at home.

Bandsman T Patience is recorded in the Battalion History as being in No 7 Company on the roll of 5th Cameronians who landed in France on 5th November 1914.

I have been unable to find a medal card for him on Ancestry. There do not appear to be any entries on the medal rolls for him, and no service or pension record survives.

The only T Patience I can find is from NA

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6382253

which records him awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal in August 1930 and a reference to EM(T) in August 1934. I presume he would only actually receive one medal.

Given that there is no record of service other than this, would I be safe in assuming that he did not go to France, and that he is incorrectly recorded on the published battalion roll.

There are other discrepancies between the published roll and the information from medal rolls and cards, which I am trying to resolve. T Patience might be easier than J Smith !

Any advice or opinions on this gratefully received.

[Lawsyd]

Is this your man? Could the initial 'T' either be short for Ted = Edward or is the 'T' misprinted & is actually an 'E'?

Hope it helps.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=1262&iid=30850_A001206-02099&fn=Edward&ln=Patience&st=r&ssrc=&pid=3978778

[Cameronian Volunteer]

Thanks for looking. I had also thought about Edward and Teddy as I had a cousin with the same familiar name.

I have identified #6303 Rifleman W M Patience and #5499 Rifleman E Patience who were also recorded on the battalion roll.

Barrie Duncan kindly gave me a spreadsheet of 1st Lanark Volunteer Rifles which became 5th Scottish Rifles. Bandsman E W Patience is on this roll and is likely to be the one for whom you gave the link.

As T Patience was also a bandsman I think it is possible they may have been relatives.

[Ron Clifton]

A number of bandsmen were enlisted as boys (under 18). The minimum age for service abroad was 19. Might he have been on the strength of the unit but under 19 at the relevant date?

Ron

[Cameronian Volunteer]

Ron

I think that's possible. He could well be the son of E W Patience, and he might have had to stay at home, but somehow remained on the paperwork. I think I will have to check the 1911 Census.

Thanks

Eddie