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Remembered Today:

London Gazette searching tips


snailybailey

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Hi all,

 

Having found this guy on the census (at last) I am now looking for his MM award entry in the LG (dated 10th August 1916) with no luck. I have tried filtering my search just using his name and  dates spanning the award date but it says 'No results found'??? I dont get it!

 

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/755710/ARTHUR%20DAVIES/

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His MM is in the London Gazette of 10th August 1916. (Below)    London Gazette is no good to search for on full names of Other Ranks- as you can see they only have an initial/ initials  The short-circuit tip is to put in the surname and the service number.

image.png.5cfcc2901e4312f7e6defef69466f091.png

 

 

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Thank you guys!...I’ll brush up

on my searching skills

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Morning,

 

Google this

 

"London Gazette" davies 9704

 

and up he pops.

 

Use "London Gazette" and the details, usually works (not always)

 

Regards, 

 

Graeme

Edited by GraemeClarke
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His MM Index Card is viewable here (TNA image below): http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6150724 No schedule no. on it.

He was with the 11th Battalion at the time.

Arthur Died 29 September 1916, but the LG of 10 August 1916 contained awards for April to very early July 1916.

It is worth checking the war diary of the 11th Battalion from April to August 1916: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353374

2100398290_ScreenShot2021-04-21at21_24_30.png.7e0030777c5641c57a8a97d15990c3f9.png

 

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L/Sjt. William Hall 13103, of 11th Bn. is listed on the next page of the same LG. L/Cpl. Edgar Trudgill 7671 was 11th Bn. too.

They each have the same authorisation number: 0137 2666. There may be others (a few are 1st Bn. e.g. Knighton, Williams, Yates).

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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  • 3 weeks later...

While looking for details of an Officer (Leggat, Maj. (actg. Lt. Col.) A., M. B.) in the London Gazette I found his name (among many others) but not being sure of why his name was there I looked back a few pages and found that the section was headed as follows:

"War Office, 10th January, 1918. The names of the undermentioned Officers, Ladies, Warrant and Non-commissioned Officers and Men have been brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War by General Sir Edmund Allenby, G.C.M.G.,K.C.B., Commanding-in-Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, for distinguished service in connection with military operations under his command:"

Does this in effect mean "Mentioned in Despatches"?

Martin

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Hello Martin,

  Being 'noticed' was a record that someone had done something which deserved recognition. It was only awarded outwith theatres of war and was a lesser award than being mentioned in despatches. It could be awarded to military and civilian personell. There was no badge or symbol, and no citations. The only public record was in the London Gazette and the London Times newspaper. Those who were'noticed' were supposed to have the fact recorded in their records. There are numerous examples of British Red Cross record cards with 'Mentioned in Despatches' in the awards section when the nurses were in fact 'noticed'. 

 

Regards,

Alf McM

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Thanks Alf,

On his MIC it has "Emblems" written in. Would that refer to his being "noticed"? He was also awarded a D.S.O., also written on his MIC.

Martin

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Martin,

  The 'emblem' was for being Mentioned in Despatches, so he should have another entry in the Gazette.

 

Regards,

Alf McM

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2 hours ago, tootrock said:

While looking for details of an Officer (Leggat, Maj. (actg. Lt. Col.) A., M. B.) in the London Gazette I found his name (among many others) but not being sure of why his name was there I looked back a few pages and found that the section was headed as follows:

"War Office, 10th January, 1918. The names of the undermentioned Officers, Ladies, Warrant and Non-commissioned Officers and Men have been brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War by General Sir Edmund Allenby, G.C.M.G.,K.C.B., Commanding-in-Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, for distinguished service in connection with military operations under his command:"

Does this in effect mean "Mentioned in Despatches"?

Martin

Martin

 

The preamble for most Mention In Despatch entries in the London Gazette starts with the "brought to the notice of the Secretary of State etc..." so what you've found there IS the entry for Leggat's Mention In Despatches in the London Gazette and as indicated by the 'Emblems' annotation on the MIC.  Without researching the man further there is always the possibility that he may have more than one "Mention" entry in the Gazette but that may not be the case and you've found the only one.

 

There was, as Alf points out, a lesser type 'notice' which I believe was recorded in the service record and quite possibly in The Times which came without 'emblem' and which shouldn't be confused with the MID.  I believe, although I'm open to correction, that the London Gazette only carried the 'official' Mention In Despatches awards and not those of the lesser 'notice'.     

 

Regards

 

Steve

Edited by SteveE
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Thanks for that.

He has 16 entries in the Gazette between 1913 and 1934, and that is the only one not relating to a change of rank.

I have now found a card on Ancestry referring to his being Mentioned in Despatches.

Martin

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Reading through Martin's first post again I can see it is actually a 'Mention in Despatches', since it clearly for service in a theatre of war. Therefore the only place a 'mention' will be recorded is in The Times newspaper.

 

Regards,

Alf McM

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48 minutes ago, tootrock said:

I have now found a card on Ancestry referring to his being Mentioned in Despatches.

Martin

 

That card also exists at the NA in the WO 372/24 series (the index cards for MID, MSM and TFEM) and leads you to the London Gazette entry preceded by the preamble you've shown in your opening post.

 

Steve

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