Joseph McMillan Posted 3 August , 2020 Share Posted 3 August , 2020 My Uncle Alexander McMillan ,private, number 53 1st.Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was awarded the Cross of Karageorge 1st. Class With Swords [ Serbian Cross] in 1916 by King Peter of Serbia. I have been unable to ascertain what he did to merit this award. I contacted the regimental headquarters in Stirling Castle and although they are aware of the award they too did not have any information on why he was awarded it. All of his family are now deceased and cannot help. It is mentioned in the London Gazette for 15th. February 1917. It has been suggested that it was for an action of heroism during the battle of Bala & Zir but I have not been able to verify this, A family story is that he single handedly blew up a railway bridge with a German troop train on it but again I cannot verify if this was true. Any help in this quest would be very welcome. Joe McMillan, South Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 3 August , 2020 Share Posted 3 August , 2020 The battalion's war diary for the period is at the National Archives http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4558045 but has not been digitised. As you probably can't visit, you'd need to have it copied or pay a researcher to look at it although there is no guarantee that the event is recorded in detail. Foreign awards are gazetted as coming from tthe Emporer of....the King of... or the President of..., it does not mean that the award was presented by that person. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeignGong Posted 3 August , 2020 Share Posted 3 August , 2020 (edited) Hi There are very few citations / recommendations available for foreign awards, as you have tried the regiment then all I can suggest is the unit War Diary or possibly his local newspaper of the time may have something. The page of his award is 1609 but if you go to page 1605 under the heading regards "The King of Serbia" it states Sept and Oct 1916, so if you get to see the WD I would check those dates for a possible reason or at least and area/ battle. I see he was awarded an MM see below Edited 3 August , 2020 by ForeignGong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrewer Posted 3 August , 2020 Share Posted 3 August , 2020 A few other Argyll's were awarded Serbian honours at the same time, but no mention of which battalions... it might be interesting to see if they are connected to a particular action or campaign. Courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrewer Posted 3 August , 2020 Share Posted 3 August , 2020 A prior discussion on this forum.... https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/219131-cross-of-karageorge/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 3 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2020 Thank you all for replying to my request.I did try the local library in Dumbarton to see if there was any mention in the local papers of the time, but alas, there was no mention which i find very strange.When i was at school in Dumbarton there was a large wooden honour board displayed with the names of former pupils who had been awarded prestigious medals during WWI and my Uncle`s name was displayed on it.Yet the local papers had nothing about it. I did visit the Archives at Kew in London several years ago when on a visit to the UK but again i could not find anything relating to the award.I also contacted the Imperial War Museum with the same result. It is a complete mystery to me and one which i have been trying to solve for many years. The sad part is that i knew my uncle Alec and could have asked him myself but i was only a young boy when he died and at that age one is not really interested in family history.. We can but try, Thank you all again. Kindest regards, Joe McMillan, South Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 3 August , 2020 Share Posted 3 August , 2020 Dear Joe, Well done for trying! One thing is certain, with an MM and a Foreign decoration, your late uncle Alexander (Alec) McMillan, was a gallant and capable Soldier... Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 3 August , 2020 Share Posted 3 August , 2020 The 1st Bn Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders took part in the 'Action of The Karajakois and Capture of Yenikoi' 30th Sept to 4th Oct 1916 in the Struma valley. This seems like a good fit for a gallantry award. Above information from 'The Official History of the Great War Military Operations Macedonia Volume I' by Captain Cyril Falls p175. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 4 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2020 Hi Gardenerbill, Thank`s for that info, it must have been a very fierce battle and a lot of gallantry awards were issued for it. Still don`t know what uncle Alec did to get his medals Cheers Joe McMillan, South Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 4 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2020 Hi MaxD, You said that the 1st.Battallion`s war diary is at the national archives at Kew and as i cannot visit i would need to either have it copied or hire a researcher to do it for me. How would i go about having it copied,Any help would be appreciated., or is there anyone out there who could have a look for me. Just hoping. Cheers, JoeMcMillan, South Australia. Hi Kim, Thank you for your kind words regarding the gallantry of my uncle Alec, much appreciated, Cheers, Joe McMillan, South Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 4 August , 2020 Share Posted 4 August , 2020 Hi Joe, The action at Karajakois and Yenikoi is covered in the book 'Under the Devil's Eye' by Alan Wakefield & Simon Moody. If you want to get a better understanding of the Salonika campaign I would recommend you get a copy. Under normal circumstances there are researchers who will get a copy of a war diary from Kew for a fee but I don't have details and am not sure how that would work with the Carona virus situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 4 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2020 Hi Kim, Thank you for your kind words regarding the gallantry of my uncle Alec, much appreciated, Cheers, Joe McMillan, South Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 4 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 4 August , 2020 Hi Gardenerbill, I did visit the national archives at Kew many years ago but time restraints and looking for other items meant that i could not access the war diaries so unfortunately i had to leave empty handed. I am aware that there are researchers who undertake research for a fee but i have no idea how to contact any of them. Any suggestions ? Cheers, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 4 August , 2020 Share Posted 4 August , 2020 (edited) Sorry Joe can't help, I've been to Kew but never used a researcher. You could try starting another topic in Soldiers and their units or Documents - Requests and Offers. Something like "1st Bn Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders war diary lookup" and ask if someone has it and would they be kind enough to do a look up . Edited 4 August , 2020 by Gardenerbill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 4 August , 2020 Share Posted 4 August , 2020 Two sites (there may be others) known to charge a tenth of the fee that Kew charge. All incl Kew obviously affected by the dreaded virus Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 5 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2020 Hi Gardenerbill, It seems like a never ending quest to locate this data.I will " Google " researchers at Kew and see if i can come up withsome info on them. By theway, i am chuffed at my promotion to Lance - Corporal, there is hope for me yet. Cheers Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 5 August , 2020 Share Posted 5 August , 2020 13 hours ago, MaxD said: Two sites I thought I had included the details!! My post should have included : https://www.arcre.com/copyservice Drew5233@hotmail.com Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 6 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 6 August , 2020 Hi MaxD, thank`s for the links to researchers i will have a look and see wghat they can offer. Cheers, Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 6 August , 2020 Share Posted 6 August , 2020 I should have also given the link to the NA own copy service so you have a comparison: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/record-copying/ the fees are linked from that piece (£8.40 for a page count and quote then £1.20 a sheet for digital copies) Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 7 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 7 August , 2020 Hi again MaxD, The links you are providing will, i hope, enable me to decide if i want to pay exorbitant fees to researchers with no guarantee of success or should i wait until this virus dies out and while visiting relatives in the UK, make a quick visit to the National Archives myself and see what i can find. I will give this some serious thought but i have resolved myself to accepting that i might never find out what uncle Alec did for his medals. Cheers, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 7 August , 2020 Share Posted 7 August , 2020 Dear Joe, The researchers tend to find more than oneself (as I have found) - and their fees are peanuts, if anything is found. No risk, no fun! Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 7 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 7 August , 2020 Hi KImberley, Which researchers are you referring to, do you have any specific ones in mind. I did access the National Archives web site and typed in the search box for War Diaries for 1st. Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and was informed that no records exist in their files.I tried different variations on the search criteria with the same result.So i am at a loss as to whether the WAr Diaries do in fact exist. Cheers Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 7 August , 2020 Share Posted 7 August , 2020 (edited) Hi Joe, The war diary for their time on the western front can be found in the National Archives reference WO 95/2263/2 link here: WO 95/2263/2 Edited 7 August , 2020 by Gardenerbill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 7 August , 2020 Share Posted 7 August , 2020 And I think this one is the the diary for the Salonika campaign WO 95/4892 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph McMillan Posted 7 August , 2020 Author Share Posted 7 August , 2020 Hi Gardenerbill, Many thank`s for the links to the war diary records.I have had a look and have signed up to the National Archives web site and have been told that due to the Coronavirus i can download digitised items free i brought up one of the documents but i have no idea how to download it to my email address ,any suggestions.There does not seem to be a " button " to click on to achieve this result. Cheers, JOe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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