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Remembered Today:

Military Medal announcements in the London Gazette


BillyH

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I remember reading on the GWF a year or so ago that it is possible to get a better idea of when the action took place for the award of a MM from the date it was announced in the London Gazette? I am blowed if I can find it now, so can anyone help please?

BillyH.

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 Rule of thumb is 3 months 

But I believe the schedule number may be more use 

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It varies enormously depending on the theatre of award outside France and Flanders or if its a retrospective gazette or a late gazetting or a POW award.. 
Large numbers of awards appear in 1919 with large gazettes in Feb, March and July 1919. 
Newspapers and war diaries are the best places to start looking for specific awards.

The schedule numbers only apply to F&F and Italy awards.
Plus the curve ball is schedule numbers for retrospective awards gazetted in 1916 and other years that relate to 1914 and 1915 awards.

Otherwise its simple.
If you are trying to find a specific man - post it and I'll have a look.
 

Regards

Chris 

 

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22 hours ago, Coldstreamer said:

 But I believe the schedule number may be more use 

17 hours ago, FlersChampagne said:

Newspapers and war diaries are the best places to start looking for specific awards.

Nothing in the newspapers or in the war diary. It was awarded in F&F

So can anyone advise me how I find the schedule number? Is it at the top of the first page of the Gazette entry (as below)

BillyH.

image_1fraj9gl38gv4551jfn1l831dr2l.png.c417839f4c0f93a4ec9f09db0cc0c1ce.png

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Hi Billy,

30873 is the number of the gazette supplement.

Bate & Williamson date MMs in that gazette to the later stages of the German Spring Offensive in April 1918, c.24th to 28th April 1918.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30873/supplement/10109

Schedule nos. in it range from 177,000 to 182,000.

The schedule number for each MM is on the individual's MM Index Card at the National Archives. They are available online.

Do you have the details (name, number, unit) of a particular man you are researching?

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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This soldier is in the same gazette. You kindly helped me research him (apparently his MM was for 1st March 1918!):

 

This man's MM was in that gazette too:

 

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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Right. He was 1079 Sgt Leslie Goodwin, Cheshire Regiment, Gazetted August 1918 as per the screenshot of mine earlier.

The London Gazette and the Regimental History both say he was with the 13th Bn when he won the MM, but this Battalion was disbanded in France in February 1918. I suspect he may have been with 10th Bn.  What has intrigued me is that I have seen an obituary for him (long after WW2) which claims that he was awarded the MM for "shooting down a German Ace Fighter Pilot" which seems extraordinary, but I have no reason to doubt this.

The MM is not noted on his MIC and I cannot seem to access his MM Card from the NA in order to get the schedule number.

BillyH.

Edited by BillyH
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The 10th Bn. war diary may mention him: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353361   

Or 25th Division A&QMG war diary: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14054346

7th Infantry Brigade WD may give greater detail on operations: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14054382

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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There are 5 MMs to the 10th Ches R in a small block of consecutive schedule numbers. These are all for the operations 10th to 18th April 1918. I know this as i have details of the award for one of the others Dunbebin.
Unfortunately this was practically their last action before being absorbed by the 15th Bn SWB who were then disbanded hence no War Diary and why the 10th Ches one finishes at the end of June.

The War Diary for the 10th to 18th April gives a good indication of the fierce fighting and the large number of casualties they took.

The shooting down aspect is doubtful - no mention of being straffed by planes as appears in other war diaries. Irrespective a hard won award.

Hope this helps. 

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Thanks for those replies, much appreciated.

I had suspected that it was 10th battalion but I am surprised that the Official History and the LG still gave 13th Bn.

BillyH.

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10TH BN CONFIRMED  best w, Headmaster 

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