MM info wanted

[DCLI]

Am I expecting too much to ask if anyone out there can track down the extact details of an MM I have?

It was awarded to 59595 (easy number to remember) Sjt Alfred Ackland of the Royal Engineers. Date of Gazette was 28 July 1917. I believe he received it at Messines.

I would like to know for what, exactly - if possible.

best regards to all

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Am I expecting too much to ask if anyone out there can track down the extact details of an MM I have?

It was awarded to 59595 (easy number to remember) Sjt Alfred Ackland of the Royal Engineers. Date of Gazette was 28 July 1917. I believe he received it at Messines.

I would like to know for what, exactly - if possible.

Citations for WW1 MMs are notoriously difficult to trace,There were no "Official" Citations/Recommendations apart from a Few @ the End of The war Mainly for Russia,Which were Gazetted in Full,Occassionally "Citations" can be found in War Diaries,but again Rarely,& unless you knew the Company/Brigade Etc for this Engineer it would prove very Difficult,The best source of MM details is generally from Contemporary Local Newspapers ,if you know where he came from,though even these are pretty thin on the ground,they vary from "Pte XYZ has been awarded the Military Medal" to Full details,usually dependant on how keen the Reporter was & how late in the War it was.You may just have to console yourself that your man was one among a 100000 who was considered to have excelled himself & was noticed by his superiors,I do wish you luck however.

[DCLI]

Thanks for that. He was 25/D Sig Coy.

Ironically, I have the citation, from a newspaper of my Grandfather's MM - but only that. The medals were stolen by an ex-girlfriend. Therein lies a story.

regards