27 SQDN BUT NO MEDALS

[GROBBY]

 .I am researching  20394  Archibald Legg who jioned the RFC in 5.2.16 and his service record show that he served with 27 sqdn .I also know he served with 37 Sqdn at Goldhanger Essex because he was witness at an inquiry in 8.8.18 and was Fitter A.E there .My question is I cannot find any medals alocated to him but 27 Sqdn was in France all of the war as far as I can see.Why didnt he have medals ?. Can anyone help please ?

[Stevend]

Hi have you checked his medal index card.

He may have had them forfeited if he was a bad boy or did he not claim them.

 

Steven 

[kenf48]

As previously discussed regarding another airman:-

 

* RFC officers and airmen who served overseas before 1916 - medals were issued by the War Office. Details are on the First World War Medal Index Cards (WO 372) in The National Archives (£). Also available on Ancestry -the Medal Index Cards (free) and Rolls (£).
* RNAS personnel awarded campaign and long service and good conduct medals - Naval Medal Rolls (ADM 171) for officers only on Find My Past and for officers and ratings Ancestry (£). Digital microfilm copies of all these rolls can be downloaded from The National Archives for free.
* RFC personnel who first served overseas in 1916 or later or who joined after the formation of the RAF in April 1918 - there are no records for campaign medals issued by the Air Ministry. The only place you will find details about a medal entitlement will be on a service record.

(IWM guidance)

 

As this man enlisted in February 1916 he will not appear on the Army Rolls or Index Cards. 

His medals were issued by the Air Ministry.  As previously discussed if the 'Medal' box was not completed on the service record we will never know whether or not it was a clerical omission or that, in fact, no medals were ever issued.

It's unsatisfactory but that's the situation.

 

It might be worthwhile doing a search on the British Medal Forum or elsewhere to see if any medals have come up for sale in the last 100 years.  A medal collector, I'm not, may be better placed to advise.

 

[PRC]

Would also seem a bit of a co-incidence that when his RAF Airmens Service Record is constructed in April 1918 he was with 27 Squadron, (and there are no other entries in the Movements section of the form) but by August 1918 he is with 37 Squadron, which is not referenced anywhere on the record.

 

Could simply be a case that the entry on the Airmens Service Record is a clerical error, incorrectly carrying forward his unit from previous records - unless you have any other sources that place him with the 27 Squadron.

 

1 hour ago, Stevend said:

or did he not claim them.

 

Don't know if the RAF did anything different, but certainly in the Army and Navy other ranks did not routinely have to claim their medals.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

[GROBBY]

Thank you for your help .The medal forum seems another path to follow .Onwards and upwards as they say