Royal Gibraltar Regiment......

[Laird of Camster]

Ladies/Gents,

Whilst researching something else I happened across this wiki page........ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Gibraltar_Regiment

 

I thought the below might be of interest.............. am curious to know whether any medals to this unit are known to exist? I assume they'd only be entitled to a BWM? 

World War I[edit]

During World War I, a group of local rowing club members volunteered to take up arms. Such was the interest that soon some 400 Gibraltarians joined. One of their tasks was to act as stretcher bearers for the many casualties arriving on hospital ships from Gallipoli. The wounded were taken to the Royal Naval Hospital Gibraltar and a number of temporary hospitals.^[5] The volunteers obtained recognition from the Governor, General Sir Herbert Miles, on 3 July 1915. Addressing the volunteers at Wellington Front, the Governor said that the Corps had "come into being not because of any official demand but as a result of their patriotic fervour and of their love and respect for the Crown".^[6]

The Corps was based at Orange Bastion, with the Headquarters on the ground floor of what is now City Hall. Later, the group moved to Wellington Front. The volunteers were divided into four rifle companies, A, B, C and D: each was commanded by a Captain, with two subalterns, one Sergeant Major, four Sergeants, eight Corporals, two buglers and about 80 men. The first commanding officer was Major G B Roberts of the Royal Engineers. During the war, the Corps provided reinforcement to assist in the defence of the Rock. The Corps was disbanded on 1 February 1920.^[6]

 

 

[Terry_Reeves]

They would not have received a medal. Gibraltar was not considered as being in a theatre of war for this purpose. To reinforce that, I have the name of a GVF member, Sgt Phillip Chipulina,  but  his name is not on the medal rolls. Moreover, Private Paul Cranfield Smyth of 2/7 Middlesex Regiment also served in Gibraltar, dis-embarking on 7 August 1915. Later  in the month the battalion sailed for Egypt, arriving at Alexandria on 31st August. Pte Smyth's MIC shows him as disembarking the following day which was the qualifying date for his 1914-15 star.

 

 I have a particular  interest in the Rock and am a regular visitor there. I will will make some more enquires locally in October. Just out of interest the GVC have a war diary in WO95/5446 covering July-August, 1915.

 

TR

Edited 17 August , 2017 by Terry_Reeves

[Laird of Camster]

Many thanks Terry, that's very interesting. 

[Laird of Camster]

Did they sustain any casualties? Is there a roll of honour? 

[kenf48]

On 8/17/2017 at 16:57, Terry_Reeves said:

They would not have received a medal. Gibraltar was not considered as being in a theatre of war for this purpose. To reinforce that, I have the name of a GVF member, Sgt Phillip Chipulina,  but  his name is not on the medal rolls. Moreover, Private Paul Cranfield Smyth of 2/7 Middlesex Regiment also served in Gibraltar, dis-embarking on 7 August 1915. Later  in the month the battalion sailed for Egypt, arriving at Alexandria on 31st August. Pte Smyth's MIC shows him as disembarking the following day which was the qualifying date for his 1914-15 star.

 

 

To be accurate a British soldier, e.g. RGA , did receive the British War Medal for service in Gibraltar as he had 'left his native shore', it did not matter whether or not his service in the Empire was in a theatre of war.  He was not entitled to either the 14-15 Star or Victory Medal.

 

For example, MIC of  Syd Tyrell 8 Coy RGA free download on Ancestry Of his experience there he wrote briefly;

"At Gibraltar lovely sunshine by day and at night a blaze of lights on shore and searchlights lighting up the sea for miles around. There I spent the next two years: at the time it seemed hard lines but looking back it takes the form of a very pleasant holiday in another land across the sea."

(A Countryman's Tale).  Gnr Tyrell was a conscript Medical Category B1 (having twice been rejected on medical grounds as a volunteer).

 

A native Gibraltarian, if he remained in Gibraltar on home defence would not have any medal entitlement.

 

Ken

[Laird of Camster]

20 hours ago, kenf48 said:

 

To be accurate a British soldier, e.g. RGA , did receive the British War Medal for service in Gibraltar as he had 'left his native shore', it did not matter whether or not his service in the Empire was in a theatre of war.  He was not entitled to either the 14-15 Star or Victory Medal.

 

For example, MIC of  Syd Tyrell 8 Coy RGA free download on Ancestry Of his experience there he wrote briefly;

"At Gibraltar lovely sunshine by day and at night a blaze of lights on shore and searchlights lighting up the sea for miles around. There I spent the next two years: at the time it seemed hard lines but looking back it takes the form of a very pleasant holiday in another land across the sea."

(A Countryman's Tale).  Gnr Tyrell was a conscript Medical Category B1 (having twice been rejected on medical grounds as a volunteer).

 

A native Gibraltarian, if he remained in Gibraltar on home defence would not have any medal entitlement.

 

Ken

Thanks Ken, that's very interesting.

Is there an MIC code for Gibraltar? Will have to keep an eye out for an example. I have one to an RAMC chap who served in Malta, but he must have arrived after 01.01.1916 as there is no theatre code on his MIC. 

 

 

 

[Terry_Reeves]

There are no codes for Gibraltar or Malta because they were not regarded as being in a theatre of war.

Further to that, qualifications for medals could only be awarded to organisations recognised by the War Office. That the Governor of Gibraltar gave his nod to the formation of the GVF was not an official recognition by the War Office.

 

TR

Edited 21 August , 2017 by Terry_Reeves

[Laird of Camster]

On 8/21/2017 at 18:50, Terry_Reeves said:

There are no codes for Gibraltar or Malta because they were not regarded as being in a theatre of war.

 

 

TR

 

That is very interesting, am I right in thinking then that my chap may have been posted to Malta before 01.01.1916, but because there is no code of Malta, his MIC would be blank for his deployment date? 

[kenf48]

Yes, you're right, as he didn't enter a theatre of war the date was not relevant for the award of the BWM.

 

'Date of Disembarkation' is only a heading on the 14/14-15 Star Rolls, not the BWM and Victory Medal Roll pages where usually Victory Medal is simply scored through for those men whose entitlement was the BWM.

 

Ken