Peter Smith Posted 4 March Share Posted 4 March 15038 Pte Clifford Finding 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment MM. Trying to find any information about the MM award to this soldier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 4 March Admin Share Posted 4 March Welcome to the forum. If anyone is going to know anything, it will be @Ivor Anderson. MIC ©️ Ancestry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 4 March Share Posted 4 March Peter, MM citations are like hens teeth. Perhaps your best bet would be a search of newspapers local to your man’s place of residence. With him being wounded as well as the gallantry award I reckon you may stand a chance. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Smith Posted 4 March Author Share Posted 4 March Ok thanks for your help😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Anderson Posted 4 March Share Posted 4 March (edited) His MM was listed in the LG on 19 Nov 1917: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30389/supplement/11965 Probably an award for 3rd Ypres. His MM index card confirms that he was in France with the 7th Bn at the time, schedule no. 109864: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6159166 There may be a war diary mention of the award, but a citation is unlikely: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14053898 OR, possibly on a list in the 18th Division A&QMG war diary: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14053852 Edited 4 March by Ivor Anderson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 4 March Admin Share Posted 4 March The war diaries can be accessed for free after creating an account, also free. I assume the same applies to the MM card? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Anderson Posted 4 March Share Posted 4 March (edited) 3 minutes ago, Michelle Young said: I assume the same applies to the MM card? Absolutely - FREE via prev link: Edited 4 March by Ivor Anderson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Anderson Posted 4 March Share Posted 4 March (edited) The 7th Bedfords were in action in the Battle of Langemark (16-18 Aug 1917), & 1st (12 Oct) & 2nd Passchendaele: https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=415 The Battle of Langemark in mid August would be the more likely given the gazette timescale. There are other Bedford MMs in the same gazette, inc on same page. e.g. 14237 Favel, 18196 Sgt G H Fitzgerald, 15514 Pte A Franklin. EDIT: There is no mention of any of these four on the British Medal Forum MM Roll. ALSO, on next page: 15185 L/C S Goodwin, 12860 Pte W Goss, 43359 Pte W E Gray, 15364 Pte A Gurney, 15610 Sjt R C Halsey. With 9 MMs on just 2 gazette pages, these were for a major action such as Langemark! Edited 4 March by Ivor Anderson Additional Info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 4 March Admin Share Posted 4 March Maybe @steve fuller may have something on him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Smith Posted 4 March Author Share Posted 4 March I’m very grateful for all the information - thank you so much 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 4 March Share Posted 4 March (edited) 2 hours ago, Peter Smith said: 15038 Pte Clifford Finding 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment MM. Trying to find any information about the MM award to this soldier. Peter, Welcome to GWF He is in 'Hospital Blues' when photographed with his MM - I know nothing about the circumstances before/resulting in this photo but here is a pension index card from WFA/Fold3 Image thanks to WFA/Fold3 This was for an initial disability claim Gives his discharge as 7.8.18 and an initial temporay award of 27/6 pw from 8.8.18 to 10.9.18. [27/6 pw was the 100% degree of disability ratre for a pension Class V soldier / Pte - a not uncommon starter rate whilst they further evaluated his condition and any continuing pension entitlement M Edited 4 March by Matlock1418 typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Anderson Posted 4 March Share Posted 4 March (edited) The 7th Bedfords were in a major action near Glencorse Wood, off the MENIN ROAD, E of Ypres on 10th August 1917: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/57291-54th-brigade-assault-glencourse-wood-89-yrs-ago-today/#comment-496883 This trench map section shows named positions inc JARGON TRENCH,, beside Glencorse Wood: https://maps.nls.uk/view/101464915 Edited 4 March by Ivor Anderson Additional Info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fuller Posted 4 March Share Posted 4 March He has always frustrated me in the past! I lived in a village near Sandy for years and never managed to find him in the Biggleswade Chronicle, so maybe his NOK preferred a different paper. I'll take a look through the Bedfordshire Times for mention of him in the coming days ... Glencourse Wood would be the favourite based on timing of the LG and his discharge but hopefully something form will appear in the county papers. Maybe @Raster Scanning has something in the meantime given his 7th Battalion interests? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clancy Posted 5 March Share Posted 5 March Hello, Not sure if this will help but found this small article via Findmypast that mentions Clifford's hospitalisation and awarding of the MM (but not the details) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Smith Posted 5 March Author Share Posted 5 March Excellent work thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fuller Posted 5 March Share Posted 5 March (edited) Bedfordshire Times and Independent ran the same article word for word on the same day, so nothing helpful there. Edited 5 March by steve fuller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raster Scanning Posted 5 March Share Posted 5 March (edited) Finding Clifford MM. Pte. 15038. Page 47 (13). (23). (32). War Office Casualty List. 27-11-1917, Page 5, wounded (79). 16-11-1917. Supplement 30389. Page 11965 (83). France, 26-7-1915 (MRI). (MR). (MR2). 431446, e. 5-9-1914 d. 7-8-1918. Aged 23 years (SWB). 7th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment (MMR). Sandy, Bedfordshire. (~) From my database, no citation I am afraid. (13) Bedfordshire at War (Britain in old Photographs) by Nigel Lutt (picture) Sutton Publishing 1997. (23) Bedfordshire Absent Voters List 1918 (32) Pension Index Card (s) (79) Newspapers and publications (83) LG (SWB) Silver War Badge with badge number, enlistment date, discharged date, and age. (~) is just my code for original Battalion members who went out to France on SS Onward on 26-7-1915. Edited 5 March by Raster Scanning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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