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Remembered Today:

Lieutenant MCC on Queen Victoria's Own Sappers and Miners medal?


Ed ROBINSON

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Greetings chaps, I do not have much to do with medals to Indian units and I am looking at a IGSM with clasp Afghanistan N.W.F 1919. The naming on the medal is to 'LIEUT. MCC A. ALAN 2 Q.V.O.S & M.'

I have checked the Indian Army Lists for the 2nd Battalion Queen Victoria's Own Sappers and Miners 1918 & 1921 and cant find any Lt Alan. 

The MCC does not appear to be initials as there is no full stops between the letters. Would the MCC have any particular meaning in relation to the Indian Army as it is after his rank but before his name?

Thanks Ed

 

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Dear Ed,

Decades ago I attended Hale School and we lived in Nedlands, which you would know. I now live in sw Germany and collect to the IARO.

The naming on your IGS Afgh NWF 1919 could possibly refer to a Lieut. Mc C. A. Alan, 2 QVO S&M. (Mc Conochey or some-such).

I checked the Jan 1919 IA List, not finding him, but will search through later lists.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

 

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Ed,

The naming on the medal, is it sharp and clear? Or is any part, particularly the chap's name itself, indistinct and open to being misread?

I ask as I'm unable to find him either, as things are.

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Lt C A Alan, MC - military cross ? Just thinking outside the box 

Edited by Coldstreamer
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Hello chaps, sorry about the late reply’s I’m about 5,000 km from home at the moment in North Queensland. The naming on the medal is sharp and clear impressed naming. I don’t think it is for the M.C as it is definitely LIEUT. MCC. A. ALAN.

I was thinking that MCC was an Army of India abbreviation of some sort?

I will post a picture of the rim when I get home next Thursday.

Cheers Ed

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Hello Chaps, back in Perth again. It was hot and tropical in Queensland and now back in Perth its just hot at 42! This is the rim of the medal. Cheers Ed

20211209_082544.jpg

20211209_082454.jpg

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Dear Ed,

You possess a super camera - however I have been unable to find an entry for Lieut. Alan.

Kindest regards,

Kim.121616240_P1140505-Kopie_small.jpg.e437e64b83bc7138a2ea22f7b5215111.jpg

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Looking at the IA Quarterly List Jan 1920 for 2 QVO S&M there is no Alan.

However there is a Lieut (actMajor) A A McClelland.

2011882214_GWF2QVOSMIAList1920.JPG.d04bc13f043aae29443d5ddc93e6b7a1.JPG

Is it possible there was a mis-naming? A A stands for Alexander Allen

Here is the Medal Roll page for AA McClelland (Courtesy Ancestry). If the engraver is instructed from this document then no-way is the same. 31794_221581-00182.jpg.030f367ad440d9d380a6c756cacf2d6c.jpg

 

I find no Roll page for an Alan.

 

McClelland was commissioned during the war. In 9/5/1915 he was a Divisional Engineers Sapper 119,  aged 22,with 1st Field Co, admitted hospital with Bullet wound to foot.

 

There's a brief tree here for an Alexander Allen McClelland b 1893 (born Argentina 17/3/1893)

Attested RND  1914 record here- svc no 119 shows trf'd for commission to RE 3/11/16

Medal index card, courtesy Ancestry, is complicated.

30850_A000991-01890.jpg.1a0fe184fe887c6c5994f67b82c8e557.jpg

 

Coincidence ?? Thinking caps on please.

Charlie

 

 

Edited by charlie962
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Dear Charlie and Dai,

Good work!

Well researched and clearly the Calcutta Mint naming Dept. got it all wrong.

Apropos.

I once again attach the Capt Evans group with IGS detail (later Rev. Evans). This shows the tag of the shop which mounted his medals: 'EVENS'...

Kindest regards,

Kim.1656670656_EricandFredaEvansweddingJan1924.jpg.acabdeee7fcb64dd2a66b052c2a5b800.jpg

 

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Many thanks for all the interest and work that every one has done on this. However as charlie962 has said: Here is the Medal Roll page for AA McClelland (Courtesy Ancestry). If the engraver is instructed from this document then no-way is the same.

I would like to believe that the medal belongs to Alexander Allen McClelland but I have doubts due to: The naming on the medal is ALAN, if the engraver mistook his second name for his family name it is still not correct in that it is spelt Allen (two L's and E rather than A).

Also to get McCLELLAND from ALAN even allowing for the MCC to link ALAN its just too different from LELLAND. I have come across the odd incorrect spelling on British medals before but it has been the one letter and the name is still recognizable. 

Ive searched the online list of officers records at Kew and there is no one with the family name Alan, the Indian Army records of service are unfortunately not digitalized. I've had a good look at Ancestry and Find My Past looking at the family name Alan  with no luck with anything I can link to this man and finally the Quarterly Indian Army List 1920 with no luck.

Is it common for Indian Army medals to be badly named?

 

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If I were, at the time, the impresser of the medals to Lieutenant McClelland Alexander Alan (made up name here) then I would most likely have used the exact abbreviation and spelling as on the medal. The use of a lower case "c" would be an alternative BUT the array of punches available to me would normally not include lower case letters and from experience I can say that an upper case C would be the norm. I think that we are yet to find this officer and should be looking for one with a first name of Mc.........

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Another point is that he was lieut/ acting major. Which rank would be put on the medal?

McClelland Alexander Allen could easily be interpreted as MCC A Allen......or Alan?

But I agree that we need something better to corroberate.

Charlie

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