Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Meritorious Service Medal card - what does Registered Paper 0137/5353 mean?


gtkingston

Recommended Posts

My relative Michael Quinn (Regimental number S/4345)  was a sergeant and acting sub-conductor in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in World War I. Although his medal card for Victory, British, and 15 star medals lists service in France, he also got a Military Medal and a Meritorious Service Medal for action in East Africa. I haven't found the medal card for the Military Medal, but have the Edinburgh Gazette entry for it. I have found the London Gazette entry and the medal card for the Meritorious Service Medal, both confirming action in East Africa. The MSM medal card also makes reference to Registered Paper 0137/5353. Does anyone know what that refers too? I presume it is important, and I have no idea what he got these medals for, or indeed what his experiences in the war are likely to have been. I include attachments of the MSM medal card and the Gazette entries for both the MSM and the Military Medal (five attachments in total, with two pages for each Gazette). Thanks for any help you can offer. He survived the war and died in Yorkshire in 1935.

Michael Quinn Meritorious Service Medal card.png

Michael Quinn's Military Medal for service in East Africa, Edinburgh Gazette, 1919 (pg827).png

Michael Quinn's Military Medal for service in East Africa, Edinburgh Gazette, 1919 (pg828).png

Michael Quinn's MSM, London Gazette 7 Feb 1919 page 1944.pdf Michael Quinn's MSM, London Gazette 7 Feb 1919 page 1945.pdf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could the Edinburgh Gazette have made a mistake and published these as MM when they were actually MSM ? Was the London Gazette date for the MSM a day or so earlier ? -edit -yes its supplement is  dated 7/2/19 and list is identical to Edinburgh's so I'm convinced Edinburgh made a mistake and missed out the word 'meritorious'.

 

I checked Becklay and Hanchard and Luntley and find the same results for them. And the date announced in local papers was Feb 1919. Too much of a coincidence ?

 

Charlie

Edited by charlie962
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only Michael Quinn to be awarded the MM was Pte 16931 13/Bn RScots   L/Gaz 20.8.19.

Both the MM and MSM employed Schedule Numbers and RP/Numbers.

The Schedule numbers are unique numbers allocated to individual awards and are extremely useful.These are normally only found on awards for F and F starting around 19000,and for ITALY numbered from 1 upwards in order of award.(see my book GREAT WAR MEDAL COLLECTORS COMPANION VOL 1for more info).

I am still getting to grips with the RP/Numbers.Some examples from the 80,000 examples I have are:

0137/ 5353 LINKS THE AWARD TO EAST AFRICA

0137/4004 LINKS THE AWARD TO ITALY IN 1917

01374913 LINKS THE AWARD TO 307 BATTERY RGA FOR ITALY

0137/5357 LINKS THE AWARDS TO L/GAZ  29.3.19 FOR ITALY.

0137/2890 LINKS THE AWARDS TO SOMME GAZETTES

The second format looks like this:

68/121/414 LINKS THE AWARDS TO L/GAZ 19.3.18 FOR ITALY

68/121/57 LINKS  L/GAZ 14.9.16. 1ST DIV ATTACK ON BAZENTIN LE PETITE WOOD ON 15.7.16.

Confused so am I .My OMRS EXHIBIT in September this year is on the Italian Campaign and my book on the Annotations on the reverse of the MM Cards (Bate Williamson MM Project) should clear the fog away.best w, Howard Williamson

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you both, Howard and Charlie. I think you both seem to be in agreement that my Michael Quinn only got the MSM, and not the MM (which may have been a typographical error in the Edinburgh Gazette). He died in 1935, and his headstone is inscribed "CONDr MICHAEL QUINN RAOC MSM" - so the mention of MSM but not MM may further support that conclusion.

 

I remain curious about the reference to Registered Paper 0137/5353, which Howard says links the award to East Africa (which of course makes sense in this context). Is there actually a document for Registered Paper 0137/5353 that would tell me more about where he was serving in East Africa or a citation detailing what precisely the MSM was awarded for?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For background information about East Africa, see the online book

A History of the Army Ordnance Services, Volume III: The Great War by Major General Arthur Forbes 2nd edition 1932, first published 1929. Archive.org, mirror from Digital Library of India.

 

For more information about the MSM, perhaps

RLC [Royal Logistic Corps] Digital Library.  There are some online Gazettes from 1920 which may  possible may contain WW1 information. Free to search, but pay to view.

 

The Royal Logistic Corps Museum appears to be currently closed.

 

All these links, with some extra details,  are on  the FIBIS Fibiwiki page Royal Army Ordnance Corps

https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Royal_Army_Ordnance_Corps

 

Cheers

Maureen

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Maureen. So it doesn't sound like you think there is specific information on the reason for Michael Quinn's award. I'm still not clear on what exactly Registered Paper 0137/5353 is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...