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Remembered Today:

Medal Forfeiture RGA soldier


Pierce09

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Whilst researching a relative, I found a MIC and several entries into the medal rolls that I am unable to fully understand.

 

12242 Pte William C Shortman South Wales Borderers later 221822 Gnr Shortman RGA. 

according to the MIC, he enter the Asiatic theatre (5a) on 12.7.15 (Mesapotamia)

 

MIC has him eligible for 15 star, BWM and VM. All were forfeited under K.R 392 (XI) Auth NW/9/2353

 

BWM & VM retd (forfeited) CRV 800/B 1/6/22 NW/9/2353

15 star retd (forfeited) CRV 432 7/6/22 auth NW/9/2353

 

It is also possible he may have served post WW1 with the number 1415027 in the RA and was possibly awarded an IGS. The medal roll number IGS/M/RGA/1 page 6 for the entitlement. This was forfeited Para 392 (XI) K.R 13.5.22

 

There is some writing on the back of the MIC that possibly says 

"Oi/c RGA Recs. (Dover funds) list of forfeitures of medals 2/6/22"

 

I'm unsure of the bracketed part. 

 

Questions I have;

 

a) does anyone have any insight into this forfeiture? 

b) why does his roll entries still have reference to his SWB rank and unit whilst the entry is in the RGA roll?

 

Thanks in advance

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The reverse of the card actually reads "RGA records, Dover fwds (forwards) list of forfeitures of medals. 

 

Para 392 (XI) relates to misconduct.

 

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Dover Fwds

so

the Office I/c RGA Records Dover forwards.....

Para 392 (xi) is being discharged for misconduct. So one assumes the misconduct led to forfeiture.

The  other answer is the rolls reflect what was stamped on the medals. So, for instance, the 1914/15 Star was earned whilst with 4th Battalion SWB and so His SWB details will have been on the Medal.

Edited by Mark1959
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I think that the CRV (Certified Receipt Voucher) references show that he did actually get the medals. Hopefully, an expert can advise.

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Edited my first post with more detail. 

The CRV ref refers to when the medals were received by the medal office after forfeiture.

Edited by Mark1959
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12 minutes ago, Mark1959 said:

The  other answer is the rolls reflect what was stamped on the medals. So, for instance, the 1914/15 Star was earned whilst with 4th Battalion SWB and so His SWB details will have been on the Medal.

 

The 15 Star roll has his entry in the RGA roll and the SWB 15 Star roll entry is crossed out and marked 'in error'. Would that mean his 15 Star had SWB details or RGA? 

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A William Shortman was convicted at Lawford in November 1921 for stealing six savoys from an allotment. (Western Daily Press 25 November 1921) (FMP)  Surely he wouldn't lose his medals for that? Mind you by January 1928 he had "other convictions". (27 January 1928 - Western Daily Press).

RM

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There is a W Shortman in the UK, Naval and Military Courts Martial Registers, 1806-1930

(in Fold 3) on Ancestry  The date of appears to correspond   with Rolt969's post above

Name:

W. Shortman

Court or Trial Date:

25 Nov 1921

Court or Trial Place:

Bordon

Regiment:

R. F. A.

Reference Number:

WO 86/91

 

Ray

 

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I have found two W Shortman RFA courts martial. It will take me a while because of the way the registers were written, to line up the next pages to see what for. I was about to say that it couldn't be the man who with his friend stole savoys, but since I think both cases involved desertion, perhaps it could have been.

RM

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All medals were impressed with the first unit a soldier served with abroad

In Williams case the RGA as indicated by the x and four dots  on his MIC  (never did know what its name was)

 

His 15 star was entered on the S.W.B medal roll in error this was corrected later and crossed out

 

If Williams medals were  forfeited for desertion I would have expected to have seen that on his Medal Index Card and also on the medal rolls

 

Which indicates that as previously stated that the medals were  most likely forfeited for some kind of misconduct

 

Ray

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Thank you for the information.

 

I'm assessing he was serving in India in 1921. The press clip states he was in court November 1921 so it's possible he returned for his father's funeral in June 1921 in Monmouth and absconded then, if returning from overseas service for a death of an immediate relative was something that happen in 1921.

 

 

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