Help regarding finding out about my great grandfather

[Alexandraxxxx]

Hi I've been trying to find out more about my grandfather but the national archives and various other sites are of no use I've even contacted Buckingham palace as he was awarded the polar medal by king George. Can anyone please help me I'm completely out of ideas. Thanks in advance for any suggestions xx

[PRC]

Hi @Alexandraxxxx and welcome to the forum

I'm afraid your going to need the Navy experts who hopefully will be along shortly as you may possibly have two different mens' records there. Here is the Royal Naval Reservists record of service in the National Archive catalogue https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8505323

However his date of birth at Lachlee, Dundee is shown as 17th March 1890.

This is one of the many documents that can currently be downloaded for free if you sign in with your account. If you don't have an account even that can be set up as part of placing your first order - just click on "sign in" on that online catalogue page and follow the instructions - no financial details are requested.

Are those his actual medals? If so the star shaped one should have his name and official number on the back, while the two with the striped ribbons, (left and right hand end in the picture) should have name and number on the rim.

Cheers,
Peter

[Alexandraxxxx]

Omg Peter your a star ✨ that's my great grandfather. On the paperwork my mother's cousin has his year of birth changed from 1888 to 1889.🙄 They are Jocks medals but we only have a photo. I've been on the archives how on earth did you get the info so quickly. I can't thank you enough. I'll keep investigating 😁😁😁xxxx

[horatio2]

William SIMPSON served twenty years in the RNR: four five-year periods of enrolment. RNR ratings were given a bnew number for each period and four records survive for William. These can all be found at TNA:

1st Period - 6098.A   -   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8464533

2nd Period - 5515.B  -   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8487543

3rd Period - 5265.C   -   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8497252

4th Period - 5309.D   -   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8505323  (The same link as provided by @PRC above)

He claimed his three WW1 medals which were isssued under his 6098.A number. During the war he served as a seaman gunner in Defensively Armed Merchant Ships (DAMS). Demobiised in mid-1919, he continued to serve in the RNR in peacetime until 1934 when he "declined to enrol" for a fifth period (which would have given him a ****,E number).

[KizmeRD]

You are currently displaying his medal group in the wrong order. From left to right first comes the 1914-15 Stat, then the British War Medal, then the Victory Medal and on the far right his RNR LS&GC Medal - But you are missing his Polar Medal (gazetted 1 May 1934)
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34046/page/2788

MB

[Alexandraxxxx]

1 hour ago, horatio2 said:

William SIMPSON served twenty years in the RNR: four five-year periods of enrolment. RNR ratings were given a bnew number for each period and four records survive for William. These can all be found at TNA:

1st Period - 6098.A   -   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8464533

2nd Period - 5515.B  -   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8487543

3rd Period - 5265.C   -   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8497252

4th Period - 5309.D   -   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8505323  (The same link as provided by @PRC above)

He claimed his three WW1 medals which were isssued under his 6098.A number. During the war he served as a seaman gunner in Defensively Armed Merchant Ships (DAMS). Demobiised in mid-1919, he continued to serve in the RNR in peacetime until 1934 when he "declined to enrol" for a fifth period (which would have given him a ****,E number).

Thank you for your help. You've been very kind in doing so my mother will be thrilled when I tell her she's 75 and never met her grandad xx

1 hour ago, KizmeRD said:

You are currently displaying his medal group in the wrong order. From left to right first comes the 1914-15 Stat, then the British War Medal, then the Victory Medal and on the far right his RNR LS&GC Medal - But you are missing his Polar Medal (gazetted 1 May 1934)
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34046/page/2788

MB

 Thank you for your response and help greatly appreciated 👍

[wallace2]

On 07/01/2024 at 01:34, PRC said:

Hi @Alexandraxxxx and welcome to the forum

I'm afraid your going to need the Navy experts who hopefully will be along shortly as you may possibly have two different mens' records there. Here is the Royal Naval Reservists record of service in the National Archive catalogue https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8505323

However his date of birth at Lachlee, Dundee is shown as 17th March 1890.

This is one of the many documents that can currently be downloaded for free if you sign in with your account. If you don't have an account even that can be set up as part of placing your first order - just click on "sign in" on that online catalogue page and follow the instructions - no financial details are requested.

Are those his actual medals? If so the star shaped one should have his name and official number on the back, while the two with the striped ribbons, (left and right hand end in the picture) should have name and number on the rim.

Cheers,
Peter

The Dundee Parish of birth would be Lochee, not Lachlee .

[Alexandraxxxx]

Hi Guys,

 

You have been very helpful before and so I am hoping that you will help me again.

 

My Granddad William Simpson DOB 17/03/1890 born in Lochee Scotland.

 

Was awarded the British war medal, Victory Medal and the Mons Star Medal.

 

We are trying to find out why he was awarded these via his war records but are unable to find them.

 

H e served as an RNR on the DAMS as a Gunner.

Hes service numbers were:- 6098A, 5515B, 5265C and 5309D.

 

He did not sign up again as he had been on the Sir Douglas Mawson Polar Expedition 1929-1930 and was in poor health.

He was awarded the Polar Medal at Buckingham Palace 1st May 1934.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

 

Alexandra

[KizmeRD]

We’ve been here before…

MB

Edit - the medal group does not include any gallantry awards, so there won’t be any citations.

Edited 20 March by KizmeRD

[horatio2]

23 minutes ago, Alexandraxxxx said:

Was awarded the British war medal, Victory Medal and the Mons Star Medal.

He did not qualify for the 1914 Star (a.k.a. Mons Star). The star in his group is the 1914-15 Star. He was awarded the three WW1 medals because his naval service qualified him. 

See   -   https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/campaign-medal-records/the-british-campaign-medals-for-the-great-war/

[Alexandraxxxx]

2 minutes ago, horatio2 said:

He did not qualify for the 1914 Star (a.k.a. Mons Star). The star in his group is the 1914-15 Star. He was awarded the three WW1 medals because his naval service qualified him. 

See   -   https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/campaign-medal-records/the-british-campaign-medals-for-the-great-war/

Thank you you for your help.

[Alexandraxxxx]

20 minutes ago, KizmeRD said:

We’ve been here before…

MB

Edit - the medal group does not include any gallantry awards, so there won’t be any citations.

Thank you for your reply. His record on TNA for the 6098A I cant find. it starts with the B record. I would like to know in which countries he served as a Gunner during WW1. Your help is greatly appreciated.

[horatio2]

The links to his four RNR records (including 6098A) were provided in your previous topic. 

As previously posted - "During the war he served as a seaman gunner in Defensively Armed Merchant Ships (DAMS). "  He did not serve as a gunner with land forces as you seem to imply. Unfortunately we so not know which DAMS he served in.

[DavidOwen]

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