micromoose Posted 27 April , 2020 Share Posted 27 April , 2020 Hi, I am researching my Great-Grandfathers WW1 history with a view to visiting some locations he served at this summer. That's obviously out of the window now but I've found out some info which has whetted my appetite. William Charles Danks 117181 was a Sergeant with 261 Seige Battery in 1916 to 1918. Through a bit of digging I've obtained his discharge papers, medal card and the war diary for 4th Brigade R.G.A for 1918. The discharge papers show he was awarded the Military Medal but it is not mentioned in the diary. I found the announcement confirming the award in the Gazette dated 27 June 1918 but there's no citation as to why the medal was awarded. Using the NLS trench maps I've managed to plot the battery locations for March/April 1918 but I'd like to know what he did there. Can anyone suggest where to look next for any further detail on why he was awarded the MM? Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 27 April , 2020 Share Posted 27 April , 2020 local papers are your best bet war diaries sometimes record the award but very unlikely as to why Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micromoose Posted 27 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 27 April , 2020 "local papers are your best bet" Good idea, I hadn't considered that - thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 27 April , 2020 Share Posted 27 April , 2020 Occasionally such things crop up in old comrades association magazines though admittedly its usually as part of an obituary> Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrewer Posted 27 April , 2020 Share Posted 27 April , 2020 Where was he and his family from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrewer Posted 27 April , 2020 Share Posted 27 April , 2020 From The Midland Daily Telegraph, June 29th 1918, courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 27 April , 2020 Share Posted 27 April , 2020 I went to Coventry library years ago. A great deal of papers are not on line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micromoose Posted 28 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2020 Thanks fellas, appreciate the input. As you've already worked out he was from Coventry. The 4th Brigade diary puts him in the First Battle of Arras around the time of his medal. The battery was located around Boiry-St-Martin, Ficheux and Bellacourt. The family story is he saved a gun with a team of horses (he was a coal merchant so good driving horses) but I believe a Siege Battery commonly consisted of guns too large to be moved by horses so I'm not sure this will be the case. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micromoose Posted 28 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2020 I've been onto TNA this morning. In addition to some more War Diaries I've found William's MM award card. I've seen the gazette entry on 27/6/18 but it didn't give me the reason for the award. Can anyone advise what Registered Paper or Schedule Number are and how I take this forward? Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micromoose Posted 28 April , 2020 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2020 Ok, so with your help I think I've found out what I can. On 21st March 1918 Germany launched Operation Michael as part of the Spring Offensive. Although William Danks was with 261SB, teams were ordered to withdraw guns belonging to 131HB located at B.18.a.3.4 (Map 57C.NW) - source: WO-95-298-6 According to the Midland Daily Telegraph on 3rd June 1918, William was awarded the MM for conspicuous gallantry and good work on March 21st. Although I have no direct proof (yet) this corroborates the family story above. I've located B.18.a.3.4 to the D10E4 NE of Mory. Many thanks for the help. If there are any more suggestions on an actual citation then I'd gratefully receive it. I've gone up a level to VI Corps records and although there's a lot of reading there, a quick skim of the 21/22 March hasn't shown anything up yet. Thanks, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micromoose Posted 21 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2020 So I still can't find an actual description of what my Great Grandfather did to receive his MM. I've got a pretty good picture of the day from various sources. I've got the war diaries for VI Corps and 4 Brigade and searched the British Newspaper archive and London Gazette to no avail. I'll keep looking but can anyone offer any more suggestions in the meantime? Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOVE23 Posted 21 May , 2020 Share Posted 21 May , 2020 The actual citations were destroying during bombing in WW2 so unless the deed was quoted somewhere else it may be impossible to narrow it down further than what you already have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micromoose Posted 22 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2020 Ahh, ok thanks. My company was involved some years ago in the microfilming of the WW1 Burnt Records maybe it was related to that. Thanks for your response 12 hours ago, JOVE23 said: The actual citations were destroying during bombing in WW2 so unless the deed was quoted somewhere else it may be impossible to narrow it down further than what you already have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 17 July , 2021 Share Posted 17 July , 2021 On 21/05/2020 at 15:35, micromoose said: So I still can't find an actual description of what my Great Grandfather did to receive his MM. I've got a pretty good picture of the day from various sources. I've got the war diaries for VI Corps and 4 Brigade and searched the British Newspaper archive and London Gazette to no avail. I'll keep looking but can anyone offer any more suggestions in the meantime? Many thanks Hello Chris, I've just joined the forum (as I've only just discovered it) and your post. I'm currently validating records for my family tree and got to the Danks' side (coal merchants - paternal grandmother was Clara) which means he was my granduncle. I've found nothing so far on your topic, as JOVE23 suggests, many records may have been lost, but digitising records is so labour and time intensive, as I know from experience. Couldn't send you a message, maybe as I only joined today, but please feel free to get in touch if you wish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_history_buff Posted 17 July , 2021 Share Posted 17 July , 2021 There's a passing reference to him in the Coventry Evening Telegraph on 3 June 1918, 'gained the Military Medal for conspicuous gallantry and good work on March 21st' which is better than nothing, but still elusive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 17 July , 2021 Share Posted 17 July , 2021 2 minutes ago, Keith_history_buff said: There's a passing reference to him in the Coventry Evening Telegraph on 3 June 1918, 'gained the Military Medal for conspicuous gallantry and good work on March 21st' which is better than nothing, but still elusive. Thank you, Keith - I'll check it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micromoose Posted 19 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 19 July , 2021 On 17/07/2021 at 12:19, Flyboy said: Hello Chris, I've just joined the forum (as I've only just discovered it) and your post. I'm currently validating records for my family tree and got to the Danks' side (coal merchants - paternal grandmother was Clara) which means he was my granduncle. I've found nothing so far on your topic, as JOVE23 suggests, many records may have been lost, but digitising records is so labour and time intensive, as I know from experience. Couldn't send you a message, maybe as I only joined today, but please feel free to get in touch if you wish. Just pm'd you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Anderson Posted 19 July , 2021 Share Posted 19 July , 2021 (edited) Howard Williamson states that the LG of 27 June 1918 mainly contained awards for the German Spring Offensive - specifically from 23 March to 1 April 1918. There are quite a few RGA awards in it: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30768/supplement/7589 e.g. L/Bdr. Maurice Day 296218 was with 152nd Heavy Battery RGA - schedule number 168135 Cpl. Charles Devitt 285018 was with 301st Siege Battery RGA - schedule no. 168141 (both not far from 168129). It is more likely that these Spring Offensive awards are listed at Divisional or Corps war diary level at the end of April or May. Edited 19 July , 2021 by Ivor Anderson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micromoose Posted 19 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 19 July , 2021 That's excellent, I'll do a bit more digging. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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