Pirate Posted 4 May , 2021 Share Posted 4 May , 2021 Hi can anyone help me. Ive come across a British war medal to J LYE 129433 MGC. Anu information would be great. Kind regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 May , 2021 Share Posted 4 May , 2021 Dave- what have you learned so far ? The Medal Index Card for this John Lye shows entitlement to British War Medal and Victory Medal, but if I follow the annotation on the card then it wasn't until 1936 that they were finally delivered ! Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 May , 2021 Share Posted 4 May , 2021 (edited) Further- There is another man John Lye 19087 of the Yorkshire Regiment who seems to have similar notation on his Medal Index Card (except he also has 14/15 Star). I think they are one and the same man- ie started with Yorkshires at Gallipoli then later to Machine Gun Corps ? BUT NEEDS DOUBLE CHECKING He reinlisted in 1919 (but was discharged almost immediately ?) so he may have a service record held by the Ministry of Defence at Glasgow ? Charlie Edited 4 May , 2021 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 May , 2021 Share Posted 4 May , 2021 (edited) Further 19087 John Lye (born c 1896) of the Yorks Regt has several Hospital Admissions Records- 1916, 1917 and 1918, the last being October 1918 with 8th East Yorks. 129433 John Lye of the MGC- His number looks like a late 1917 issue which would conflict with what I've noted for 19087 above. Needs further work. What do you think ? Charlie Edited 4 May , 2021 by charlie962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted 4 May , 2021 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2021 Hi. Thankyou for your reply. Its definitely 129433 J lye. Didn't now you could tell when they enlisted from the number. Ive just found his medal record. Looks like he was a prisoner of war. Where and when ? Kind regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 May , 2021 Share Posted 4 May , 2021 2 minutes ago, Pirate said: Looks like he was a prisoner of war Go to the ICRC site and you will find his cards Here is one. If you tap in the ref no in the box on the right you will get to a backing sheet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 May , 2021 Share Posted 4 May , 2021 If you have followed that through correctly, you should have found this, courtesy ICRC: It tells you his unit 20th Co MGC, B Captured Bouchy 22/3/1918, unwounded b 16/9/1893 Glasgow, but perhaps living at Netheredge Sheffield. His Mother's Address (as next of kin) The camp he is currently held in (handwritten) That would seem to rule out 19047. There must have been some confusion for the Medal Office to be working on both cards in 1936! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 4 May , 2021 Share Posted 4 May , 2021 There is a second card PA25981 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted 4 May , 2021 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2021 Ive managed to fine the first card. Now to look at the second. Amazing you have found this for me 👍🏻👍🏻 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 4 May , 2021 Share Posted 4 May , 2021 20th Bn MGC war diary here on ancestry or free to download once a free registration is completed from the National Archives here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted 4 May , 2021 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2021 Thank you Jay. What a great find. Kind regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 5 May , 2021 Share Posted 5 May , 2021 1) Do note that Lye will probably have been called up mobilized to an Infantry Regiment in the UK and subsequently been transferred to the MGC and given a new service number whilst still in UK in December 1917. Hence why his only number on his MIC is that with which he served overseas ie MGC. 2) As noted above, the PoW record and the Hospital Admissions record conflict suggests that these two are not the same man: I'm still puzzeled by the two similar MICs. Perhaps an expert on Medal Cards could interpret the significance of the entries on these two cards, please? What was going on in 1936 ? Courtesy Ancestry: on the 14/115 Roll John Lye 19087 is noted as Deserted 6/8/19 on the BWM VM Roll John Lye 19087 is noted as discharged 15/1/19, Reenlisted 16/1/19 3) Dave, can you provide a likely UK region where the man might have lived - eg where the medal came from ? Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 5 May , 2021 Share Posted 5 May , 2021 For what it’s worth I think they are two different men and there was confusion in 1936 when 19087 applied for his medals. I can’t see any connection with the 20th Bn MGC (nor its predecessors) and the Yorkshire Rgt. As an aside 19087 John Lye is only 14 digits above my great uncle Frank (19073) also 6th Bn then 9th Bn. Incidentally I was born at Netheredge, Sheffield and great uncle Frank born just up the road at Fulwood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 5 May , 2021 Share Posted 5 May , 2021 1 minute ago, jay dubaya said: I think they are two different men and there was confusion in 1936 when 19087 applied for his medals I think that is probably so but very odd that both men had medals issued in 1936! MGC man was a re-issue and Yorks man was an issue (although both were effectively re-issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted 5 May , 2021 Author Share Posted 5 May , 2021 Hi. I got the medal from alcester Warwickshire. In was in my wifes uncles house that was being cleared after his passing. But his family is roberts. And there is no LYE's in the family. Kind regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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