Curtis Posted 21 May , 2016 Share Posted 21 May , 2016 Good Day: My great uncle received the MM in 1919, a year after his death. I've found the listing on the London Gazette, it doesn't mention why he received it, is there anyway to determine this? Curtis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev2386 Posted 21 May , 2016 Share Posted 21 May , 2016 Chester, Have you got anymore details about your g uncle? Service, name, rank, number, regiment, etc? There will certainly someone on here that can help. Trev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 21 May , 2016 Share Posted 21 May , 2016 Probably not. Although his unit's war diary may possibly record it. Diaries can be downloaded from the National Archives and are available on Ancestry. I would look from, say, three months before his death to a few weeks after the Gazette date. FWIW, Gazette entries usually appeared about three months after the event. So, in his case, it's seems like it may have been a sort of "catching up" exercise with awards for being a "good bloke", rather than a specifici act of bravery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis Posted 21 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2016 Hi His name was William Arthur Johnson of Ninga, Manitoba. Regiment 11th Field Ambulance Canada, unit 531668. Died 28 Sept 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 21 May , 2016 Share Posted 21 May , 2016 Hi His service record is here (no citation in there, though). Does detail his injuries. http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=4909-23 Regards, Graeme (appears to be 2 threads of a similar enquiry going on) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 21 May , 2016 Share Posted 21 May , 2016 Ah. Canadian. In that case, his service file will still exist with the National Archives in Ottawa. See their website for how to access it - some have been digitised, others are only available on microfilm. That's agood bet for finding more details. (EDIT: Graeme was quicker off the mark!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 21 May , 2016 Share Posted 21 May , 2016 The file doesnt appear to have any details, other than mention of the award. I think you're back to war diary but I'd also check the local newspapers for around the time that he died to see if there was an obituary. It may mention some recent act for which you could probably guess is the likely action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 21 May , 2016 Share Posted 21 May , 2016 It would be worth examining the war diary of the Adjutant of 4th Canadian Division. I have found more details of MMs in Adjutant's war diaries than in any other primary source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 21 May , 2016 Share Posted 21 May , 2016 His wounding is mentioned in 11 CFA diary, (Sept 1918 page 10) fair few ORs being mentioned for leave, returns, injuries, promotions etc. Had a look at May 1919 but nothing there. Not sure if the MM was for an earlier specific act (which would get mentioned) or for compounded good deeds over a period. Not sure I fancy going through all these pages though! http://data4.collectionscanada.ca/netacgi/nph-brs?s1=Field+ambulance&s13=&s12=&l=20&s9=RG9&s7=9-52&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESOFF&Sect4=AND&Sect5=WARDPEN&Sect6=HITOFF&d=FIND&p=1&u=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/02015202_e.html&r=13&f=G In the other post I suggested the 30 CCS diary but then said it might not be the right one. Now I'm going to say it is the correct one but at only 27Mb for 2+ years it must be a bit thin. 11 CFA diary also shows they were near Bourlon Wood when he was wounded. Other pages give medical arrangements for that operation. He must have been treated by his own unit, possibly at their MDS and then evacuated to 30 CCS at Boisleux au Mont 30Km away as the crow flies. He is buried in Fisheux not far from where 30 CCS was located. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis Posted 22 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Hi Really impressed with the response! Some of this I already had, but you chaps seemed to find it so easily. It was suggested that he got the medal for either 'compound deeds over a period' or 'being a good bloke.' As I say, it was awarded in May of 1919, and I found the Gazette record and it's pages of men getting medals. My questions is how many people got medals in this manner? I've read his record and the war diaries and I don't see anything. Another comment was check a paper, Ninga is too small to ever had a paper. Another comment see notes of Adjutant of 4th Canadian Division - how would I find this information? Curtis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Canadian diaries don't seem to use Adjutant, I think they may be under Administrative. Not all of them are digitised. TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broznitsky Posted 27 May , 2016 Share Posted 27 May , 2016 it was awarded in May of 1919, and I found the Gazette record and it's pages of men getting medals. My questions is how many people got medals in this manner? I've read his record and the war diaries and I don't see anything. Unfortunately, the Canadians awarded truck loads of Military Medals in the 1918-1919 period for which no citations seem to be available anywhere. So, really any valid reason for getting a medal of that stature can be accepted. Obviously he did something gallant that caught the eye of the upper echelon, through channels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam1981 Posted 27 May , 2016 Share Posted 27 May , 2016 Have you tried looking in the local newspaper circa 1919. They can often have a 'mini citation'. Not sure how this works in Canada, maybe contact a local history group or a researcher if you aren't in the area yourself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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