Company Quarter Master Sergeant 3/10753 Herbert Cracknell, Norfolk Reg

[Duncan]

I recently bought a Victory Medal to Company Quarter Master Sergeant 3/10753 Herbert E. Cracknell, Norfolk Regiment, and was wondering about the life of this man. What would a CQMS have done? He obviously went abroad, but would he have gone anywhere near the front?

I'm assuming the 3 prefix means he was probably a called up reservist who went into the 3rd Reserve Battalion, before being posted abroad?

Interestingly the medal has his rank as C/Sgt, whilst the MIC has to Company Quarter Master Sergeant.

I'm still awaiting his MIC and papers.

Cheers,

Duncan.

[mmm45]

I recently bought a Victory Medal to Company Quarter Master Sergeant 3/10753 Herbert E. Cracknell, Norfolk Regiment, and was wondering about the life of this man. What would a CQMS have done? He obviously went abroad, but would he have gone anywhere near the front?

I'm assuming the 3 prefix means he was probably a called up reservist who went into the 3rd Reserve Battalion, before being posted abroad?

Interestingly the medal has his rank as C/Sgt, whilst the MIC has to Company Quarter Master Sergeant.

I'm still awaiting his MIC and papers.

Cheers,

Duncan.

CQMS supply the fighting Companies with all their resupplies fromm bullets to food.Frequently going to the frontline and in danger of artillery targeting the supply chains.Usually a Colour Sgt with a few years under his belt.He was answerable to the RQMS who was a Sgt Major (Regimental Quartermaster Sgt).The QM a Major would be in overall charge of Regimental Re supply.

Ady

[Muerrisch]

CQMS is an appointment for a Csgt, so no conflict.

QM could be any of Lt [not 2Lt], Captain, or Major ..... all prefixed 'Honorary' because the commission of a QM was nominally non-combatant, in that he was, strictly speaking, not to command fighting troops in action. The distinction was a fine one!

The RQMS was only a WO II after mid 1915, being a 'Quartermaster Sergeant' until then. Even so, he was a WO II with appointment RQMS and was not a Sergeant Major of any sort.

Oh, and the prefix 3/ means he was a Special Reservist, rather than an ex-regular on the reserve.

[austen33]

Oh, and the prefix 3/ means he was a Special Reservist, rather than an ex-regular on the reserve.

I will be grateful if you can give details of what exactly a Special Reservist was. In particular does this seem that somebody having a number of this type on their MIC was not serving as a regular at the outbreak of war ?

Austen

[Muerrisch]

I think 'Search' will sort you out.

A 3/ prefix certainly means not a serving regular, and not a regular reservist.

[Guest paul-the-brit]

I recently bought a Victory Medal to Company Quarter Master Sergeant 3/10753 Herbert E. Cracknell, Norfolk Regiment, and was wondering about the life of this man. What would a CQMS have done? He obviously went abroad, but would he have gone anywhere near the front?

I'm assuming the 3 prefix means he was probably a called up reservist who went into the 3rd Reserve Battalion, before being posted abroad?

Interestingly the medal has his rank as C/Sgt, whilst the MIC has to Company Quarter Master Sergeant.

I'm still awaiting his MIC and papers.

Cheers,

Duncan.

If you ever think of selling this medal on I would be very interested

Paul J B Cracknell.