SGT.JAMES HARMON - MILITARY MEDAL.

[steve140968]

Can anyone please help me with details of Sgt. James Harmon of the 16th Middlesex regiment who died of wounds on the 29/4/1917 , and was awarded the military medal ? Ideally i'm looking for details of his MM award or information as to where i might be able to find out about him , many thanks .

Steve .

[Stebie9173]

Steve,

These are from available online sources. Do you have any of this info?

From National Archives online

The following medal cards seem to be for James Harmon. He seems to have been awarded the MM whilst a Private, rather than a Sgt. The cost to view the cards is £3.50 each, hence I haven’t looked at them!

Medal Card References WO372/9 Service/campaign Medals

Sgt James Harmon

Middlesex Regiment

No PS/2341

Medal Card references WO372/23 MMs or DCMs.

Military Medal or DCM

J Harmon, Private

2341

Announcement of Military Medal (Gazettes Online)

London Gazette 29758 3rd Supplement 19-9-1916, Page 9201

Military Medals (Award details on page 9199)

2341 Pte. J Harmon, Midd’x Regt

Note : Medals were usually won about 3 months earlier, June 1916 perhaps?

From this website! :

16th Battalion Middlesex Regiment was attached to the 29th Division after April 1916. The Division fought at the Battle of Albert at the Somme from 1-7-1916 so the Medal may have been won here?

From CWGC.org :

Serjeant James Harmon, age 22, 2341, died 29-4-1917, Middlesex Regiment, Etaples Military Cemetry, Grave Ref. XVIII. D. 2.

There are obviously more experienced researchers here. This is my 1st post so if anyone disagrees I will defer to their exeperience!

Hope this helps,

Steve Beeby

Edit : PS The CWGC site also has details of the Cemetry and surrounds. James was probably killed at or near Arras in the Battle of the Scarpe. My Great-Uncle Herbert died of wounds on 14-4-1917 at Arras.

[Hambo]

Steve

SDGW has him born in Tottenham enlisted in Mill Hill and living in West Green Middlesex

Hambo

[Stebie9173]

Hambos info ties in with what the CWGC site has as extra notes : "Son of James Harmon, of Tottenham, London.

[steve140968]

Thanks Steve & Hambo , quite a lot of info there . My grandfather was wounded at Monchy le Preux whilst serving with the 16th Middlesex on the 24/4/1917 . I was trying to tie-in Sgt Harmons MM award with the same battle as my grandfather , alas this is not the case . Is it possible to determine where or when he received his fatal wounds to see if there is a link to my grandfathers action ? Also is it possible to trace why he won his MM ? Many thanks ,

Steve .

[Stebie9173]

Alas, the Gazette only very rarely, if ever, gives a citation for MMs (generally only the officers citations are listed). There was no citation in this case. The local newspaper may have a paragraph if you can find it at the local library...

Or there is rarely a mention in the Battalion War Diaries.

As for his wounds, the Etaples area (on the coast near Boulogne about 50km from Arras) housed hospitals which were probably well behind the front lines. If he was wounded on the 24th at around the same time as your Grandfather then it is conceivable that he could have been moved there and died on the 29th)