London Gazette numbers for a Military Medal notification

[tyrese]

I have had to upload all these notices, but I am only interested in the one for George Murfin 44974. Can anyone tell me, please what 

a) Registered Paper 68/12/236 and 

b) Schedule number 94225 mean. 

Would these numbers help me find out what he was awarded the Military Medal for.

 

Thanking you in advance.

Tyrese

George Murfin Military medal.pdf

[PRC]

One for @Ivor Anderson methinks

[EDWARD1]

Arras awards for May 1917 included in 28th July 1917 London Gazette. 93rd Fld Coy were in the Arras area from 3rd May 1917

[Ron Clifton]

Schedule number 94425 is probably the page number in the LG. These re-started at 1 every 1 January.

Ron

[EDWARD1]

Schedule No,

"The Commander in Chief of the Army concerned would then forward a list of awards along with copies of AF W 3121 to the Army Medal Office in England. These were called `Schedules`. On the Army Form W3121 there is a column in the R H corner which states "Schedule No(to be left blank)" When the awards were confirmed each award was given a Schedule No (unique to that award. On receiving the Schedule Lists the Army Medal Office would then create a `Military Medal Index Card` which contained  surname, christian name , rank, corps, reg no , date of Gazette, theatre of war , registered paper no. and Schedule No."   From Vol 1 The Great War Medal Collectors Companion , Howard Williamson.

Edited 5 April , 2022 by EDWARD1

[tyrese]

Dear All,

 

Thank you all for replying to my post. All were helpful. That is interesting from EDWARD 1 that the July 28th Gazette entries were for May 1917. I had understood that the entries went into the LG 3 months after the deed, so have been looking at April 1917, not May 1917. But now looking at May 1917, nothing stands out that would be a deed meriting a MM, by anyone. George Murfin isn't named during that month.

Thank you again, 

Tyrese

[EDWARD1]

Info gathered from Great War Medal Collectors Companion  Vol 1 Howard Williamson

[tyrese]

Dear Edward 1,

Thank you for scanning that information. It is really interesting because George Murfin's schedule number of 94225 really falls in "April to June 1917 MM London Gazette 18th of July 1917 90,900 - 94,900, Arras, Vimy Ridge, Egypt." Yet it clearly says his entry was in the 28th of July 1917 LG. His must have been one of the odd cards found from 37,000 to 95,000 which were recorded in the 28th of July 1917 LG. And as you said before, it clearly puts his award as being for Gallantry in the Field, in Arras. It all stacks up with the war diaries. 

 

Thank you again for your help.

 

Tyrese

[Ivor Anderson]

 I've been away the past couple of weeks. You are correct that his schedule no. indicates that his LG listing seems to have been held back from the 18th July 1917 LG.

Most likely for Arras/Vimy Ridge as you noted. I had a great uncle killed at Vimy Ridge on 9th April 1917 while serving with the RCR.

The 17th Division A&QMG war diary may mention him in an awards list for April-May 1917: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352915

Try HERE: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14053764  EDIT: I tried it, but that link only contains diary from Jan 1918!!

Edited 14 April , 2022 by Ivor Anderson

[tyrese]

Thank you Ivor, but like the EDIT note, it started in 1918. I tried WO 95/1986/ Division 5, but that wasn't it either. But you have helped me with another avenue to explore.

 

Tyrese

[Ivor Anderson]

It's a needle in a haystack search for awards lists. They could be in among Army/Corps or Division HQ/A&QMG diaries for major actions like this.

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_(Northern)_Division "In April 1917 the division, now part of VI Corps, fought in the first and second battles of the Scarpe, both part of the Battle of Arras, where heavy casualties were sustained".

The VI Corps A&QMG WD may have a list of awards: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/836c0f97a89d40168120335178888fab

Edited 14 April , 2022 by Ivor Anderson

[Ivor Anderson]

They were working at FEUCHY, east of ARRAS, from 12th to 25th April 1917. One OR killed on the 15th and 2 wounded. 3 OR wounded on 19th, 2 on 22nd April.

They moved slightly NE to Gavrelle from 9th to 22nd May 1917. One OR was wounded by shell fire on 19th.

As his MM was listed in the next LG than that which his schedule no. would normally cover. I think it was likely for an action under shell fire around FEUCHY in April 1917.

There were wounded on the 15th, 19th & 22nd. He may have rescued a wounded or trapped colleague under shell fire?

Sapper Willie Duckworth 139599 was the man killed on 15th April 1917. A Sapper Joseph William Edgeley 67894 died on 21st April, presumably of wounds.

Willie Duckworth has no grave - comm. on the ARRAS Memorial: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1540695/willie-duckworth/

BTW Murfin was listed as wounded on 30th April 1918: https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn30/1941/5392/194153921.30.jpg

Edited 14 April , 2022 by Ivor Anderson

[tyrese]

Dear Ivor,

Thank you very much for all your information. I have followed all your links. All were very interesting. The Wikipedia entry for the 17th Division info fits in with what I knew about George Murfin's war history. From the VI Corps A&QMG WD link, I also found on the 23rd April 1917, 2 O.R. killed and on 24th April 1917 1 O.R. wounded, so those might be other days that he merited his MM. I found those war diaries interesting, because I have just read, "Six Weeks" by John Lewis-Stempel - the six weeks referring to the average length of time of the very young officers and when you see the names in those lists of casualties, day after day in April 1917, it brings the reality to his book. Thank you also for the link to George Murfin's death notice- how did you find that? Amazing. He was killed on March 23rd 1918, aged 24, having joined up in 1914. He is commemorated on the splendid Pozieres Memorial. 

I am grateful to you all for the help you have given me. All the info has given me a more complete picture of George Murfin's war service. I will probably never know the exact circumstances of what he did to deserve the MM, but I think your guess, Ivor is probably the most likely - or wiping out a gun enplacement single -handedly. 

[Ivor Anderson]

Glad to be able to help Tyrese. Was he a relative of yours? Do you have his MM?

I found his wounding in the casualty lists just by inputting his surname & service number.

It was listed after he died because it often took 6 weeks for a wounding to appear in the CL. That means he was wounded around mid Feb 1918?

If he has no known grave then either he was missing in action on 23rd March (German Spring Offensive?) or his grave was destroyed/lost in later fighting?

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1585865/george-murfin/

Best wishes,

Ivor

 

Edited 15 April , 2022 by Ivor Anderson

[tyrese]

George Murfin was my Granddad, Frederick Murfin's first cousin.  None of my Dad's generation that I have been able to speak to knew of him or his Military Medal. I found him whilst researching my Granddad's younger brother, Harold Murfin's death, from asthma, in WW1. George Murfin and his two sisters were similar ages to my Granddad, they grew up next door to each other, until George's family moved to Coventry. I think one reason no-one knew George Murfin was because Harold died on July 10th 1917, just before George's family heard about his MM on July 13th 1917. It was probably never mentioned because of that, as the familes were close. My Granddad travelled from Hucknall to Coventry the night after one of the Coventry blitzes in WW2, to pick up one of George's sisters who was hysterical with the bombing. I feel that this brave young man's story should be kept alive in our Murfin family. George's 2 sisters never had any children, but there are descendants of George's cousins and so I am finding out as much as I can, and writing it up to distribute amongst my generation and one cousin from my Dad's generation. 

A few months before I started researching George, his 4 medals, including his MM were sold. I did ask Britannia Medals, who had sold them, if they wouldn't mind asking the purchasers if they knew what his actual deed was, but I didn't hear back. I don't think I will ever find out, your guess, Ivor, is probably the most accurate, but with the help of everyone on here, I have managed to piece his war movements together and be able to write a story about this brave young man - though all the young men who servd in WW1 were all brave.

 

Best wishes from Fiona

[Ivor Anderson]

Thanks Fiona. His MIC (Free off Ancestry) shows that he was entitled to the 1914-15 star (arrived in France 16 July 1915), British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

His 4 medals would have looked like this set I have (photo below). Your Grand Dad's brother Harold was undoubtedly just as brave, in the midst of all the terror.

Edited 15 April , 2022 by Ivor Anderson