Private W.C.H. Freeman MM 9th LRS

[Max (UK)]

Hello everyone

I have a friend who is the daughter-in-law of Private W.C.H. Freeman who won the Military Medal in WWI. He passed away a while back and never told Joan what he did to obtain the MM.

I wrote what was inscribed around the rim of the medal down - it was :-

L7731 PTE W.C.H. FREEMAN 9th LRS

I just looked on the Long,Long Trail site and when I got to the MM section it said there were no citations in the LG for Military Medals.

Can anyone please tell me where I need to look to find the citation.....if it exists ?

Thank you.

[Matthew B.]

Max,

Where I would loo is the 9th Lancers Regimental History - it may be mentioned in there.

I would also look in the 9th Lancers War diary (when you know roughly the date of award based on his gazette date) and this might be mentioned.

Beyond that .. i am fresh out of ideas.

Cheers

Matthew

[Max (UK)]

Thank you Matthew - again !! That is a good idea and I will have a go

[Stebie9173]

Here is the entry in the London Gazette dated 27-6-1918 (published 25-6-1918)

L/7731 L./C. W. C. H. Freeman, Lrs. (Richmond)

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...&selHonourType=

The delay from the MM being won to being Gazetted was usually around 3 months. However, from spring 1918 the delay to the Gazette lengthened somewhat. Therefore, he probably won the medal 3 to 4 months prior to the end of June 1918 i.e. February to March 1918.

Bearing in mind the massive battle commencing on the 21st March 1918, I think that would be a good place to start in the War Diary.

Alternative, many of the weekly local papers had some good write-ups on Military Medals. Larger libraries will probably have copies on Microfilm that can be viewed. Quite a few had pictures of the men, too. Of course, it could just say "for bravery in the field", like my great-uncles...

Steve.

[Max (UK)]

Thank you Steve - again! If I can ever help you or Matthew, please let me know (although I don't know how, hehe).

I will toddle on down to a big library then

[Stebie9173]

I didn't make myself all that clear. You would need to go to a library local to where the man would have lived. Probably Richmond. While you're there you vcan pop into the National Archives!

By the way, you don't just "pop into" the NA. It eats time like there is no tomorrow!!

Steve.

[Max (UK)]

Ooops - hehe. Richmond here I come then !