Gazette help MM Cowell, Hawkins

[Bob Bedward]

Help Please. Can some one find their way around the pestilential Gazette search maze and find the entry for these two men. I have had to give up after two full days trying as Rudolf is getting restive and we have a long way to go.

Happy Christmas to you all on this great forum.

Thank you

Gunner HARRY HAWKINS

MM

61299, 57th Siege Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery

who died age 31 on 05 December 1917

Sergeant G COWELL MM

310790, 18th Army Field Bde.,

Royal Engineers

who died on 30 September 1918

[Stephen Nulty]

Where's Beebie?

[welshdoc]

Ive had a try and cant find either . I think its time for the experts. Good luck gareth

[SteveE]

This could get interesting......According to the MIC's online (and without downloading them to find out if they're correct), 310790 G(eorge) Cowell, was a Gunner in the Royal Engineers after being a Gunner in the 18th Brigade Royal Field Artillery with Service no. 49460. There are no MIC's indicating an MM for this man under either of these two numbers.

However, there is a MIC for an MM (and possibly a MID as well) awarded to a G. Cowell of the Royal Field Artillery with the Service No. 47460 who doesn't appear to have a MIC for his campaign medal issues.

I'm thinking that maybe there has been a transcription error on the MIC online where the 49460 on the first MIC mentioned above should be 47460.

If the above scenario is correct then his MM is Gazetted Here

Hope this helps

Steve

[SteveE]

61299 Gunner H. Hawkins' entry is easier to find and is Gazetted Here

Again, hope this helps.

Steve

[Bob Bedward]

Hi Steve- Firstly thank you for your efforts and information. I got Cowells name from the Roll of Honour I am researching.

He is listed as Sgt G Cowell RE - I used that to search CWGC site and came up with the Number the MM award and the date of death from them. Could it be that between being gazetted in 1917 and dying in 1918 that he changed units and was promoted? The CWGC record also confirms by his next of kin that he is the man connected to my village and is thus the man on the Roll.

A real puzzle!

Thank you for Hawkins - if I enter his gazette entry can I then download the citation for his award?

Best wishes

[SteveE]

Thank you for Hawkins - if I enter his gazette entry can I then download the citation for his award?

No problem supplying the information but unfortunately his Gazette entry is all your going to get, the MM always came with a citation but this, unlike the DCM for example, was rarely printed in the Gazette. Your best bet would be to search his local newspaper for any clues as to why he was awarded it.

Could it be that between being gazetted in 1917 and dying in 1918 that he changed units and was promoted?

As for G. Cowell, that is a quite reasonable assumption to make, the MIC online shows both units, the CWGC entry shows the unit he was in when he died, it sometimes gives you a previous unit but I'm guessing it doesn't in this instance.

To be sure of the facts you really need to download the MIC Here to confirm whether it is a transcription error or not. Costs £3.50 to download the image but this should prove whether my previous assumptions ae indeed correct.

Hope this helps

Steve