Spook1940 Posted 4 August , 2018 Share Posted 4 August , 2018 Folks, Just thought i'd share this - gems still to be found! Was at a local auctionhouse a while back, they were selling a massive amount of clothing and costume items belonging to an old drama group that had gone under. Most of the items were bunched together into random lots, I purchased a couple of them. This tunic came with two modern 1990's SD tunics - I bought them and this lovely item for a cool £90. Wee gem of a thing, pictures below for your consideration. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark holden Posted 4 August , 2018 Share Posted 4 August , 2018 brilliant find nice to know bargains still to be had! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 4 August , 2018 Share Posted 4 August , 2018 Excellent find...any progress on the owner, Major Keith? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainfleet Posted 4 August , 2018 Share Posted 4 August , 2018 That's a great buy, good score! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 4 August , 2018 Share Posted 4 August , 2018 Dear Josh, Thanks for sharing. A super find and an equally super bargain. Well done! Surely Major Keith can be fairly readily researched? Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 Given the Overseas Service Chevrons and Wound Stripes, two candidates appear in the MIC's: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D3616732 Reference: WO 372/11/112824 Description: Medal card of Keith, James Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Field Artillery Captain Royal Field Artillery Major And: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6509639 Reference: WO 372/24/34775 Description: Medal card of Keith, J Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Field Artillery Temporary Captain /Acting Major Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 (edited) Yes, I thought it was James Keith CBE (1879-1953). The second medal card mentioned above is his MID Plenty about him online if you search for his address, Pitmedden House, Aberdeenshire, which he gifted to the National Trust in 1952. . Edited 5 August , 2018 by IPT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 (edited) It might well be James Keith, but it seems a bit odd that his SD jacket was tailored in October 1917, if he returned home and ended his service in the August. Though perhaps his original jacket was damaged beyond repair when he was wounded and he did not fail a medical board until later. What a great find. Good to see that it has escaped silly eBay prices! Edited 5 August , 2018 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 I think that saying that his military career came to an end in August 1917 is probably inaccurate. I suspect that his overseas military career came to an end. There are a large number of entries for him in the BNA (via FMP) This is from the Aberdeen Evening Express of 6 August 1918 (something similar appears in several newpapers a day or two either side): This is from "The Lord Provost at Tarves Sale [for the Red Cross]", Aberdeen Daily Journal, 2 November 1917: He is also on the Weekly Casualty List for 6 August 1917. There are more newspapers to plough through, but I suspect Major Keith of Pitmeddan probably is our man. ( 2 wounds for a start). He was obviously mobile by November 1917, so I don't think he would have been discharged by then. I am struggling to find the MRIC. The latest ancestry index version seems to work well enough for a serial number but not if there is no serial number. I have found both the suggested TNA MIRCs on the genealogist - one would work well as the date of going to France is in 1915 (2 overseas service chevrons) - but that version doesn't have the other side of the card which would give the address to which the medals were sent. RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 (edited) 25 minutes ago, rolt968 said: I am struggling to find the MRIC. It's here: MIC 25 minutes ago, rolt968 said: the other side of the card which would give the address to which the medals were sent. Pitmedden, Udny, Aberdeenshire Edited 5 August , 2018 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 27 minutes ago, rolt968 said: the date of going to France is in 1915 (2 overseas service chevrons) 30/1/16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 52 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: It's here: MIC Pitmedden, Udny, Aberdeenshire 49 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: 30/1/16 Well done! You have greater patience than I have! Interesting! From the front of the card only I had thought it was more likely to be the other. 30/1/16 would still work for two blue overseas service chevrons. This him at the "Welcome Home" for 157 Bde. RFA in Aberdeen (Aberdeen Daily Journal 17 April 1919), welcoming rather than returning: RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 48 minutes ago, rolt968 said: Well done! You have greater patience than I have! Thanks, it was a long arduous slog... Actually it wasn't ... Entering 'James Keith, RFA' in Ancestry, only brought up 9, of which he was the first in the list. Some days Ancestry is good. Most of the time it isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 12 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: Thanks, it was a long arduous slog... Actually it wasn't ... Entering 'James Keith, RFA' in Ancestry, only brought up 9, of which he was the first in the list. Some days Ancestry is good. Most of the time it isn't. I forgot to try RFA, only Royal Field Artillery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 5 August , 2018 Share Posted 5 August , 2018 1 hour ago, rolt968 said: I forgot to try RFA, only Royal Field Artillery! It was Royal Field Artillery that I entered. I tried it again- now there are only 4!!! Ancestry Eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spook1940 Posted 7 August , 2018 Author Share Posted 7 August , 2018 Well, this certainly paints a picture! I've contacted the folks at the Pitmedden estate and the National Trust, offering them a loan of the tunic for public display. Hopefully a little bit of history can finally go home. Many thanks gents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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