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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Can Anyone Help?


Guest Hussar

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Hi All,

I have used this site for reference a few times and have (finally!) signed up.

I have been researching my Grandfathers Service History. He joined up in 1914 and was in the 18th Hussars, later being sent for MGC Training, and survived the war to be demobbed from Germany. I will probably have more questions later but, unfortunately, at the moment I appear to have lost/mislaid all my research.

However, to get to the point, I do have a couple of things I would like to ask.

Firstly, when he joined up, he was working in Bristol. What, if any, connection would the 18th Hussars have with Bristol to cause him to join them?

Secondly, and infinitely more perplexing, his 14-15 Star was not his! It has , unfortunately, gone missing from my parents house ( along with his other 2 and all the buttons, badges, bullets and casings he had collected) but I distinctly remember that the name on the Star was HUDSON. His name was G.E.B JACOMB.

Now, does anyone know why? More interestingly, does anyone out there have a relation with the name HUDSON, who was also in the 18th Hussars and do they, perhaps, have a 14-15 Star with the name JACOMB on it?. At first, I thought that it might have been a memento of a friend KIA but a check on the RoH doesn't show any Hudsons from the Hussars. Any thoughts??

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It's quite common for soldiers who have lost/damaged/sold etc. their medals to pick up one of the same type (or add another if they feel they were entitled to it - I've got an MM to a guy who was never awarded it!) as a replacement. Occasionally, they erase the details and replace them with their own, but sometimes (especially with a star's details being on the reverse) they don't bother as they look the same when being worn or displayed.

Speaking as someone who has done this himself (I sold my C.S.M. with N.I. clasp shortly after leaving the army and wore an identical medal named to someone else at last year's remembrance service), I don't find the fact that one of the group is a "cuckoo" that unusual.

Hope this helps,

Dave. :)

PS. I now regret my actions, so, if anyone should come across the above C.S.M. (named to 24924619 Pte.D.O'Mara Q.L.R.) please let me know!

Thanks.

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Guest stevebec

Dave's answer sounds right as I've seen the same.

Also if like me I wear only copy's for Anzac days as on more then one occasion I found my self in the morning some where I didn't remember getting there. I would hate to think in my drunkeness I lost my originals, so I wear the copy's.

The originals are kept safe in my box at home.

S.B

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The cavalry of the line were not territorial in a strict sense and were allowed to enlist in places in accordance with war office permission. There was a cavalry depot at Bristol. The 18th Hussars' depot was at Scarborough just before the Great War and the reserve Regiment at Tidworth from 1917. Does any of that fit with waht you know.

Have you checked he did not serve under another name? His medal roll or Medal Index card may confirm this.

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Guest Hill 60
PS. I now regret my actions, so, if anyone should come across the above C.S.M. (named to 24924619 Pte.D.O'Mara Q.L.R.) please let me know!

Dave - Have you tried advertising in the magazine Medal News?

If you subscribe to the mag then you can have 3 (I think) free enteries each month in the medal search section.

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Have you checked he did not serve under another name? His medal roll or Medal Index card may confirm this.

Patrick, Thanks. I spent a few fruitful days last year at the PRO and copied his surviving records and can confirm he never changed identity and that his medals were all issued ( wether actually received may be another story!).

The fact that there was a Cavalry Depot at Bristol may be all the explanation required as to why he joined the 18th.

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