Samuel Searle - farrier quartermaster sergeant, Royal Field Artillery

[syd]

Samuel Searle – one of my ancestors – was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre in 1919. He served in the Royal Field Artillery and was a farrier quartermaster sergeant when he left the Army in 1921. He also received the 1914 Star and Rosette and British War and Victory Medals. There appears to be only one record for him – on Find My Past – which gives his regimental number (1019723), the date of receiving the Croix de Guerre (September 4, 1919), and records that he served in India between 1909-1914 and in France between 1914 and 1919. In January 1921 he served in the RFA’s V (or Fifth) Reserve Brigade. Samuel was born in South Molton, Devon in 1890. In 1901, he was a shoeing smith, based at the Royal Barracks at Arran Quay, Dublin. He joined the Royal Field Artillery on March 11, 1902 when he was 22. In 1911 he was based at the Trimulgherry Barracks in Andhrapradesh, India. He was listed among recipients of the Croix de Guerre in The Irish Independent in September 1919. After the war Samuel lived in Navan, County Meath in Ireland. He died there in 1945. I have been unable to discover anything about his Great War service or why he received the Croix de Guerre. Is there any way of finding out who he served with and why he received the award?

[ForeignGong]

Hi

I have a note that his medals, 1914 star trio, LSGCM & Bel CdG were sold on ebay Feb 2015.

Unfortunately very few foreign awards have a citation, the best bet is War Diary or local newspaper. The LG states "Meath" and serving with 36th Divisional Artillery Column,.RFA

 

LG for CdG https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31537/supplement/11223 half way down RHS

MIC curtesy of Ancestry Free at the moment https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1262/images/30850_A001385-02826?ssrc=&backlabel=Return&pId=2680654&backurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ancestry.co.uk%2F

 

Peter

[sotonmate]

Syd

 

The LG pages (if you look back at the foreword on page 11207 where the lists begin) that Peter has provided show the consolidated list that was made covering various dates on which the King of the Belgians awarded the CDG, so it may have been that he was awarded it earlier than 1919. I know that some foreign decorations were  made available for award at the discretion of senior officers of our Army. It might be seen as a deserving case on more than one level,particularly as he had served in the war from 1914 to it's end.

Interesting to see that his unit on entering war was the 4 Brigade RFA, attached to Meerut Division of the Indian Army, so at some time he then joined the 36 (Irish) Division in France and Flanders, where he served the rest of the war.

[syd]

Thank you so very much - a much-needed breakthrough. Samuel's records have proved a tough nut to crack. The new information you have unearthed is greatly welcomed. Paul