Help to interpret MIC

[neptune]

Hi everyone

I would be really grateful if someone could help with the MIC of my Great Great Uncle, Thomas O'Connor. He joined the 5th Battalion Herefordshire Kings Shropshire Light regiment in April 1917 and was killed in action on 22/8/1917.

According to the MIC he appears to have the been awarded the British Medal and the Victory Medal. Would anybody know why he might have got the Victory Medal e.g could it be for a particular battle? Also I don't know in which battle he was killed? I was told by a family member it was the Somme but I'm not sure, I do know he is buried at the Tyne Cot Cemetery.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Stebie9173]

The section of the website that accompanies thjis forum has some useful tips on researching soldiers:

http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/grandad.htm

To answer your questions:

The Victory Medal and British War Medal were medals given to those servicemen who served abroad in a "Theatre of War". They are what is called Service or Campaign medals, and not specifically awarded for a given battle. There were two other medals - the 1914 and 1914-15 Star which where awarded if the soldier went overseas before 31-12-1915, but Thomas does not qualify.

Here are Thomas' details from CWGC:

Casualty Details

Name: O'CONNOR, THOMAS

Initials: T

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Herefordshire Regiment

Unit Text: 5th Bn.

Secondary Regiment: King's Shropshire Light Infantry

Secondary Unit Text: attd. 5th Bn.

Date of Death: 22/08/1917

Service No: 239129

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 154.

Cemetery: TYNE COT MEMORIAL

This means that he was a member of the Herefordshire Regiment, but attached to (i.e. on duty with) the 5th Battalion of the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry when he died.

The Herefordshire Regiment was an all Territorial Regiment, the 1st Battalion of which served in Gallipoli and later Egypt, Palestine and Italy. His commemoration on the Tyne Cot memorial in Belgium suggests that he wasn't with this battalion, certainly at the time of his death. The 5th Battalion of the Herefordshire Regiment as listed on CWGC did not actually exist.

He therefore possibly served with the Herefordshire Regiment in the UK and then went abroad attached to the 5th KSLI.

The 5th Battalion of the KSLI were a New ARmy battalion, part of 42nd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division.

The Division's war exploits are listed here:

http://www.1914-1918.net/14div.htm

The Division fought on the Somme in 1916, at Arras in Spring 1917 and at 3rd Ypres - also known as Passchedaele - in summer 1917, where Thomas was killed.

He will not be buried at Tyne Cot. The Tyne Cot Memorial is for those men missing in battle and never found. Thomas lies still unfound somewhere in Flanders fields.

I hope this helps you a little,

Steve.

[neptune]

Hi Steve - thank you so much for your reply and detailed information about my great great uncle. Your help is much appreciated.

Thanks again

Neptune