Bessie Carley - medal card query

[stabilis]

Assistant Matron Bessie Carley, TFNS went out to France on 30 April 1917 and was demobilised on 14 October 1919.  She qualified for the Victory, British War and Territorial Force War Medals.   There is no medal card or roll reference to her in Ancestry but I found her card in TNS's Discovery.  Having ordered a copy I find to my surprise that there is no mention of any medals.

 

However in the 'Remarks' column appears the following:

Return from E F 3 (B19)

Roll from EF3  TFW (40)

 

Can anyone elucidate for me please?

[royalredcross]

Perhaps her early death in 1920 before the issue of medals has something to do with it. 

[TullochArd]

The MIC is also here...... free on NA:

 

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6071214

 

MICs showing a zero medal entitlement are a curiosity.  The handwritten references you refer to on the MIC suggests the Medal Rolls might reveal more and the illusive reason.  There is also the possibility, occasionally offered on GWF, that a sloppy clerical error may have occurred......unlikely.  I would agree that, if she had served the prescribed period, she shuld be recognised by BWM and BVM.  Entitlement to the Territorial War Medal as TFNS would rely on her serving in 1914 and having volunteered for overseas service at that time.  I suspect that "prescribed period" might feature somewhere in the equation between "France" 300417 and "Return from E F 3 (B19)".  That said, the above comment by RoyalRedCross is most valid. 

 

Could "EF3" be British Expeditionary Force, 3rd Army?

 

Her 2001 CWGC gravestone records the award of Royal Red Cross (by post nominals) shown at:

 

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4945491

 

...... confirmed as RRC in LG 300519 which recognised her as ARRC in the same entries.  LG 230217 shows award of ARRC as "Miss B. Carley, Sister, T.F.N.S., 1st Eastern Genl. Hospl., Cambridge" 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 26 January , 2021 by TullochArd

[TullochArd]

...... there might also be further clues in the 77 pages of her Service Record at: War Office. WO 399/10280: Carley, Bessie. 1914-1920. WO 399 – War Office: Directorate of Army Medical Services and Territorial Force: Nursing Service Records, First World War. National Archives, Kew. 

 

What is clear is that you are spot on:  Her service at 55 (Gen) Hosp, Wimereux qualifies her for BWM and BVM and she was serving in August 1914 ..... although the fact she volunteered for overseas service at this point has to be established to nail the Territorial War Medal.  Her ARRC was for performance in the Home theatre and her RRC for performance in France.

 

Reading several of the articles online her family circumstances and death make the observations by RoyalRedCross seem most likely.  The medals were never applied for by NOK.

[TEW]

Also just read her record. Her sister Janet conveys the news of her death to Dame Sydney Browne and mentions an outstanding RRC 1st class and mentions campaign medals and Territorial Medal, this is May 1920. Probably Janet chased the medals up later on?

 

No idea on the codes except that EF 3 could refer to the TFNS pair roll which has an old index reference of Nurses 3.

 

An EF9 was a form used by officers to claim medals. Perhaps EF3 is similar but for nurses?

 

For the pair she should really be listed in WO329/2298 or less likely 2297. You could trawl the 320 odd pages in case she's scratched out. No idea why that would be the case though.

 

There are codes of EF2, 5, 6, 7, & 8 at issue of the pair against other entries.

TEW

[stabilis]

Thank you all. 

It's still a mystery but I'm inclined to think (and hope) that her siblings did apply for the medals - although I was under the, perhaps mistaken, impression that medals were issued automatically to NOK.

[TEW]

Can't say whether that was the case with nurses, was it automatic or an application needed?

 

Next unknown is the compilation of the TFNS medal roll piece 2298. No stamps, signature of officer & no office given. Don't know how the rolls were compiled, were lists of serving abroad nurses submitted by EG. TFNS or disembarkation rolls?

 

I did find an EF3 reference but not with anything akin to the B13 addition. The EF references are in the how disposed of column. However, there's no guarantee your EF reference equates to those on the medal roll.

 

Makes me wonder if other (or a high proportion of) deceased nurses had no medals issued unless someone chased them up.

 

Her sister was enquiring about medals in May 1920. The issue dates in the roll are for about a year later and up to 1927.

 

The MIC was presumably created following correspondence, either from Janet, another family member or from the TFNS. I haven't checked all 340 odd pages of the two rolls but I assume she is not listed, not showing via a search. Had a family member been more persistent I'm sure they could have proved her entitlement.

 

Perhaps Janet passed on and the claim came to nothing?

TEW

[BarbaraG]

Not sure if this of any help or interest

 

https://badingham-and-cransford.co.uk/2017/03/03/100-years-ago-today-decoration-of-bessie-carley/

 

https://badingham-and-cransford.co.uk/2020/07/25/bessie-carley-badinghams-decorated-tfns-assistant-matron/?fbclid=IwAR3kx2BXlTNbQBOstFqFnrKcr3nODmJsby5VUJ9aDzkfv5vm3KyCuhf-TUc

[PRC]

I kept thinking I knew that name from somewhere but hadn't made the connection to Badingham in Suffolk.

 

 

May be some more that might be of interest in the associated write-up on Flickr.

 

Cheers,

Peter