Cpl George Edward Scipio Military Medal

[Bootsie]

I am looking for any information on 592362 Cpl George Edward Scipio of the 18th (County of London) Battalion, (London Irish Rifles) the London Regiment.

Died of wounds 20 August 1917 aged 27.

CWGC has him on the Menin Gate and the certificate has him as being awarded the MM.

Time in theatre was from 17 June 1916 to his death on 20 August 1917.

His original regimental number was 4855 which would have put him enlisting between March - April 1916.  Regimental numbers were changed in early 1917.

I believe he was born on the island of St Helena in the South Atlantic, as his mother is down as being the recipient of his effects and she is shown on the CWGC certificate.

He enlisted in Plymouth.

As he died of wounds but has no known grave I assume that he either died in a clearing station and was buried close to that and that the grave has been either destroyed of any markers lost. 

[Matlock1418]

Here is his MM London Gazette award announcement (Issue 30234 page 8424) - no citation or date, just in a bulk list as was often the case with MM.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30234/supplement/8424

[Bootsie]

Matlock1418, thanks.

 

I managed to find him in the London Gazette after going to the unit web page and looking through their history, they have his MM as being Gazetted on 26 June 1917, so I worked from there.  MM gazetted on 16 August 1917, 4 days before he was killed.  He actually gets a mention in the unit history as being a gallant South African and being part of the Bombing Platoon.

 

I have been looking for documents etc about him after seeing a Facebook entry from a guy on St Helena who has been searching for years, and all he seems to have got is the CWGC entry.  I will email him all the info I have got.

 

Once again thanks.

 

Steve.

[Andy Twynam]

I expect you have already seen this photo of his name on the Jamestown, St Helena, cenotaph

 

http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=2498360

 

an entry on Ancestry has him as "formerly 26th London Regiment" no. 449 ??

 

Longwood, the area of St Helena where his mother lived, is where Napoleon is buried.

Edited 3 July , 2016 by Andy Twynam
further research

[Bootsie]

Andy,  Thanks for the link.  My wife is from St Helena and I am sure that I took a photo of the war memorial on my last visit to St Helena in 2010.

 

Napoleon lived at Longwood House until he died in 1821 and he was then buried in Sane Valley, Queen Victoria then allowed his body to be exhumed and returned to France in 1840.  Have visited both of his burial sites.

 

I can find no trace of the 26th London Regiment, appears they did not exist.  It might be a typo, and the number 449 does not fit in with the timeline, that number would have been issued very early in the 1900's.

 

I might take on a little project to try and find more details of those from the island that died or were killed during WW1.

Once again thanks for the link. 

[Andy Twynam]

sorry, I'm interfering where I'm not needed.  George also seems to have an entry in an Irish Memorial Records book but misspelt SCEPIO.  No additional information about him though.  You will I'm sure have seen his entry in the Soldiers Effects Register.

 

The Ancestry website has a Mr G E Scipio on an Incoming Passenger List arriving London - unfortunately I can't look at it because my subscription has lapsed.

[Bootsie]

Andy,

 

No you are not interfering at all.

 

Managed to find the Irish Memorial records and the Soldiers Effects.

 

Just had some more info from St Helena to say that it is thought that he went straight from the island to the UK and enlisted, so passenger lists were going to be my next step.  I am with Genes Reunited so I will try that site first.

 

Thanks again.