Deciphering a medal card

[Elaine]

This is my first posting and hoping I have got it right, just need some help with the explanation of the medal card explaining if poss, hoping I have attached properly!

Elaine

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Herbert William Bryant [Age @ time of Death 1915~33] Colchester Essex.

Served "G" Coy; 1st Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment

Regtl No:6338

Received the 1914 Star~British War & Allied Victory Medals.

Sergeant on Star/WOII on Pair{BWM/AVM}

Shown as Dead on Roll,{CWGC will show his date of death {see GWGC Link on my other post below}

Also granted Aug 5th November 22nd 1914 Clasp.

To France/Flanders 12th September 1914.

The Codes by the awards titles are the Medal roll References which will enable you if desired to accquire the Medal Roll pages from the NA,where they are held.

[Elaine]

Thank you very much for that, this is the first medal card I have seen and downloaded.

Elaine

[mutley]

Elaine

welcome to the forum. The MIC shows that the soldier first deployed to a theatre of operations on the 12th September 1914 and that he was entitled to the 1914 Star and Clasp, the War Medal and the Victory Medal. The medals would have been named to him as a Warrant Officer Class 2, in otherwords a Sergeant Major. His army number was 6338.

There is a whole section on the parent site explaining MIC's. Hope this helps.

Mutley.

[mutley]

Elaine

Harry is obviously faster at typing than myself!!

Mutley

[Stebie9173]

H W Bryant, 1st Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, went to France on 12th September 1914 as a Sergeant (one of the 1st drafts of "non-original" men to join the battalion in France i.e. not at Mons). He was probably in the Reserve (3rd) Battalion prior to going overseas, or still on Reserve status at home.

By the time he died on 16th January 1915 (per CWGC) he was an acting Warrant Officer Class 2 (Company Sergeant Major)

He was entitled to the 1914 Star (Medal Roll reference K/1/7 pg 124) and the Victory & British War Medals (Medal Roll reference K/1/101 B9 page 1489)

He was automatically issue with the clasp for being under fire before 23-11-1914 (i.e. within field gun range of the enemy)

His number 6338 would mean that he enlisted in or transferred to the Northamptonshire Regiment in approximately 1901-1902.

Hope this helps,

Steve.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

<::CWGC Details::>Link Click Here!!

"Harry "lightnin'"Fingas Betts!"

[Stebie9173]

And a way! faster type than me!

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

I see his CWGC details show him as "G" company, which didn't exist in the Northamptonshire Regiment in WW1. This is possibly a throwback to the old 8 company structure A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H

I think most Regiments condensed their Battalions into 4 companies by combining A&E, B&F, C&G and D&H, which would possibly make him "C" company, barring two possibilities.

1. That the Northamptonshire Regiment did not combine companies in that way.

2. It's just a typo on CWGC.

Something to consider anyway.

Steve.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

As far as I know they adopted the 4 Company system in late 1914/early 1915,I would imagine it is a late 1914 retention of his old "G" Company status of 1914 & before

[Elaine]

Thanks everyone who has popped in and left a message, really helps

Elaine

[Elaine]

Stebie

He was in the regiment 1901 and must have been based in Colchester at some point. Here he met Ethel who was living there and once married, my grandma was also born in Colchester. He returned to Northampton where he was a Journeyman Shoe Maker (2 more children were born and have taken the occupation from birth certificates).So I do know he was out of the army 1910 and believe your guess about reserves is spot on,

thank you

Elaine

[Stebie9173]

During the time he was in the Regiment pre-war, it is possible he could have served in either the 1st or 2nd battalion (many men who served in the 2nd and were on Reserve would have been called back to the 1st, because the 2nd battalion were overseas in Egypt)

The 1st Battalion were in India in 1901, serving at Dagshai in 1902 and Jullunder in 1904, Poona in 1907 and Aden in 1910 before returning to England in 1911. By 1913 they were based at Aldershot.

The 2nd Battalion were in South Africa in 1901 were they had been since November 1899. They returned to England in 1902 (Bordon) and moved to Colchester in 1904. In 1911 they went to Malta and on to Egypt in 1914.

The 3rd (Reserve) Battalion were based at Northampton, shockingly enough.

From that it looks like Herbert served in the 2nd Battalion at some point from 1904.

Thanks, Harry. I didn't realise that the Northamptonshires had changed their company structure so late. I was under the impression that nearly all of the Regiments had adopted the new structure pre-war.

Steve.