Royal Marine Light Infantry Coporal Albert Ernest Ganner 12743

[MoodieCheshire]

I Have his full service History and was awarded the 1914 Star / British War Medal / Victory Medal / Naval Long Serice & Good Conduct and the Medaille Millitaire.

which has been on permanent lone to the Royal Marine Museum, and on display in Portsmouth.

I have spoken to the lead Archivist, who could only tell me the records are at Kew. And since found all his records, and more with people's help!

I believe he possibly won this for action at " Antwerp " .

i have a photocopy of the certificate he was presented at the time awarded the MM, as below.

any help helping figure out what action, diarys anything to help would be  gratefully received.

regards Darren.

Edited 21 November , 2019 by MoodieCheshire
Missed information

[horatio2]

1 hour ago, MoodieCheshire said:

I believe he possibly won this for action at " Antwerp " .

Unlikely to be for this single action lasting only three days. It is far more likely that he was selected (by the RMLI) for his total service in the RND at Antwerp and at Gallipoli, noting that the award was made one month after the withdrawal from the peninsula and that his ability had been assessed "Superior" for 1914 and 1915.

[MoodieCheshire]

Thank you Horatio2 for that, 

It also says in his records " served at Dunkirk" if I'm reading that right, does that mean he was helping evacuation, being evacuated or defending or something else? 

[horatio2]

The RM Brigade of the RND was  sent over to Dunkirk on 19 September 1914, They remained under canvas at Dunlirk until 27 September when Portsmouth Battalion moved to Lille. The move to Antwerp came five days later.

Blumberg (quoting the Official Naval History" describes the purpose of the move to Dunkirk: "...they were sent to create the impression on the enemy that they were the Advanced Guard of a larger British Force, which would threaten the enemy communications."

 

See -  http://www.naval-history.net/WW1Book-RN1a.htm#13    Sept. 11-17, 1914  MILITARY SITUATION

[MoodieCheshire]

Thank you again Horatio2 

[Fattyowls]

Can I add my thanks to Horatio for this. I'm looking at a man called Joseph Bean for my friend Margaret; he was killed at Kum Kale the following March and his records mention Dunkirk so the information is really illuminating. Thanks for asking the question MC.

 

Pete.

Edited 24 November , 2019 by Fattyowls

[horatio2]

Pete, A few notes on your man BEAN. Unlike Pte GANNER (the main subject of this topic), your man (Plymouth Battalion RND) did not move when Plymouth, Chatham and Deal Battalions were moved to Cassel with GOC RND on 27 September but stayed at Dunkirk. He did not go to Antwerp in early October. This explains why he was only entitled to the 1914 Star and not the Clasp thereto.

For future reference, an 'attestation pack' of documents for the RMLI service of Pte BEAN is held in the archive of the Fleet Air Arm Museum (National Museum of the Royal Navy). The pack will have more details of his service and, exceptionally, the pack contains BEAN's RND Record Card. [I say 'exceptionally' because very few RNDRCs for men of the RMLI have survived. A few are included with the naval RNDRCs in ADM 339 at Kew.]

Annoyingly, the NMRN is not accepting any enquiries at present and is unlikely to be able to provide copies of records until the middle of 2020 (at earliest?). Worth a follow-up next year?

 

[Fattyowls]

MC, apologies for hijacking your thread, thanks to Horatio I think that Bean and Ganner have diverged enough for me to start a separate thread.

 

4 hours ago, horatio2 said:

Pete, A few notes on your man BEAN. Unlike Pte GANNER (the main subject of this topic), your man (Plymouth Battalion RND) did not move when Plymouth, Chatham and Deal Battalions were moved to Cassel with GOC RND on 27 September but stayed at Dunkirk. He did not go to Antwerp in early October. This explains why he was only entitled to the 1914 Star and not the Clasp thereto.

For future reference, an 'attestation pack' of documents for the RMLI service of Pte BEAN is held in the archive of the Fleet Air Arm Museum (National Museum of the Royal Navy). The pack will have more details of his service and, exceptionally, the pack contains BEAN's RND Record Card. [I say 'exceptionally' because very few RNDRCs for men of the RMLI have survived. A few are included with the naval RNDRCs in ADM 339 at Kew.]

Annoyingly, the NMRN is not accepting any enquiries at present and is unlikely to be able to provide copies of records until the middle of 2020 (at earliest?). Worth a follow-up next year?

 

 

Absolutely brilliant information Horatio, thanks so much. Margaret knew little more than that Joseph had been buried at sea from the family, so this gives me a lot to tell her and a chance to follow up with the full records next year all being well. As I say I will start a separate thread when I've done some more digging.

Pete.