Military Medal for Actions before 25 March 1916

[Alan24]

I've been researching an MM which I believe was won for an action on 19 Dec 1915 (First use of phosgene gas by the Germans at Ypres).

 

However, just realised that the MM was only instituted on 25 March 1916...and the man in question was discharged 'Terms of Engagement' on 29 April 1916 with no evidence he ever rejoined, MSA or otherwise. His enlistment date is pointed to April 1911 by his service number and I suspect he may have had to do 4 years plus one for wartime.

 

Is it possible that he could have been retrospectively awarded?

 

The man in question is 6/1560 Sgt. James Watson 1/6th (Duke of Wellington's) West Riding Regiment TF

 

The war diary reads;

 

"19 Dec. Sgt. Garrett PH [3363 Phillip Henry Garrett] though gassed attended Cpl. Bullock and in so doing was wounded himself. Sgt. Watson, Machine Gun Sgt. throughout the day displayed great devotion to duty and was tireless in looking after his men."

 

Sgt. Garrett was awarded the DCM which was gazetted on 18 Jan 1916 but can't find any reference to the MM for Watson in the LG or anywhere else.

 

Ancestry does have the MM Rolls which gives me nothing more than what is actually written on the medal itself.

 

The MM I have is accompanied by 14/15 Star, BWM & VM. 

 

There is no mention of the MM on his MIC or Rolls for the BWM/VM.

 

The 147th Brigade diary is quite poor and tells me nothing that isn't in the Battalion diary.

 

Any suggestions where to look for further info?

 

Regards

 

Alan.

 

Edited 19 December , 2019 by Alan24

[Andrew Upton]

3 minutes ago, Alan24 said:

I've been researching an MM which I believe was won for an action on 19 Dec 1915 (First use of phosgene gas by the Germans at Ypres).

 

However, just realised that the MM was only instituted on 25 March 1916...and the man in question was discharged 'Terms of Engagement' on 29 April 1916 with no evidence he ever rejoined, MSA or otherwise. His enlistment date is pointed to April 1911 by his service number and I suspect he may have had to do 4 years plus one for wartime.

 

Is it possible that he could have been retrospectively awarded?

 

Google is your friend  :

 

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

 

"The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award was established in 1916, with retrospective application to 1914..."

 

Edited 19 December , 2019 by Andrew Upton

[Chris_Baker]

The award of the MM is possibly going to be mentioned in the war diary of the division's adjutant and/or in that of the adjutant of the corps under whose command it came at the time. They often included attached copies of the Routine Orders announcing the awards, and they were usually much closer to the date of the act than the eventual announcement in the "London Gazette". It may be worth searching for the period between December 1915 and April 1916.

 

Edited 19 December , 2019 by Chris_Baker

[MaxD]

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29819/supplement/10932

 

left column near the bottom.

 

Max

[Alan24]

Thanks for the replies, chaps.

 

Incidentally the same LG page contains No. 32 Sgt. J Webster from the same Battalion who appears in March 1916 in the war diary on a list of men going back to base to await discharge (T of E).

 

Watson is not on that list but later in early April 1916 there is another entry saying simply 15 ORs returned to base. 

 

Regards

Alan.

[David_Underdown]

The way the new Military Medal was announced in Parliament led to some confusion as to the award criteria, particular in the case of recommending men for actions earlier in the war. This was eventually resolved by the use of the MSM for actions not in the face of the enemy.  See my post on The National Archives' blog discussing the institution of the MM, based on the files held at TNA (from the War Office and the Royal Mint) and discussions in Parliament as recorded in Hansard https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/centenary-military-medal/

[Alan24]

Thanks David, that's great background info.

Now I've throughly read all the links in this thread, I'm convinced that the award was for actions on 19 Dec 1915 even though there is no citation.

 

I only borrowed the medal for a few days last week. It actually belongs to a colleague who turned up at work the other day and asked "What's this?"

 

I'm pleased that I can now give him a good deal of information on the medal.

 

Would love to add an MM to my own medal collection one day. 

 

Regards 

 

Alan