Medal Card info please

[Pumpkin]

Hi, After downloading this medal card for my Great Grandfather( as advised by Ian), could someone tell me a little bit about it please?

Also, how do I find out about his service in the York and Lancs from 1891 to 1895?

Thanks in anticipation,

Lisa

[Pete L]

Hi Lisa

You need to look at your other post as well. Stebie points out that there are about a dozen pages on him.

You could do another posting asking a Yorks & Lancs expert to tell you where he was when he got his gunshot wound.

Regarding his service in the 1890s there could well be another set of papers in WO97 in Kew. These are split by year of discharge, and are in alphabetical order. Normally men served for a minimum of 12 years in uniform, or 7 years and 5 years in the reserve. So he must have been discharged early for some reason.

Again a Y & L expert can tell you if they were involved in any 'small wars' in the 1890s. In the 1895 Army List the overseas battalion was in South Africa and being moved to Mauritius, so my quess would be that he wasn't involved in any fighting.

The WO97 papers are loose in boxes and you need to check two series: 1900 –1913 and 1885 - 1900. If he did go into the reserve (and I think his WW1 attestation papers says that he did) he could be in the former series. Not all papers survive. Nothing to do with the Blitz this time. More to do with did they need to keep his records because of a pension etc. I have also seen papers in WO97 if a man bought himself out.

Anyway each box will only take 20 minutes to go through, so it is worth looking into both. Plus there will be a miss-sorts box for each series to go through.

Regarding the MIC, most of it is contained in his papers. The symbol next to the Y & L means that will be stamped on his medals.

The actually medal rolls are given in the box at the bottom left. As you have his papers I do not know what other information these will contain that is not in his papers. Other Pals can advise.

Another question to other Pals….as he was invalided out due to consequences of a GSW shouldn't he have received a Silver War Badge?

Pete

[Stebie9173]

George Harry Buxton, a caretaker born in Sheffield, Yorkshire enlisted into the 3rd (Special Reserve) battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment on 2nd September 1914 at Holborn, London.

At the time of enlisting he was 41 years old, 5' 3" tall, 125 lbs, 37" chest measurement (+2" expanded) with blue eyes, dark brown hair and a mole on the left shoulder. He was Church of England.

He had already served in the Army in the York and Lancaster Regiment between 1891 and 1895.

On 18th March 1915 he was posted to the 1st Battalion Y & L Regiment and embarked overseas.

(Part of 83rd Infantry Brigade of 28th Division) http://www.1914-1918.net/28div.htm

Suffered 14 days forfeiture of pay dated between 16th and 29th March 1915 for an undefined offence.

Received a GSW (Gun Shot Wound - which could be bullet or shrapnel) in left thigh on 10-5-1915 at the Battle of Frezenburg during the Second Battle of Ypres.

Evacuated to 82nd Field Ambulance on the same day.

Moved on to 8th Casualty Clearing Station on 11th May 1915 and then onto 13th General Hospital, Boulogne on the same day.

Returned to England on 11th May 1915.

Posted to the Y&L Regiment Depot on 12th May 1915.

Posted to 3rd Battalion Y&L Regiment (UK Reserve battalion) on 3rd June 1915.

Developed rhuematism in both knees with creaking and cracking in both knees, particularly the left one. c. August 1915.

Transferred to 3rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers on 1st April 1916 (renumbered 30395 because he changed regiments) serving in the UK.

Transferred to the 2nd Home Service Garrison battalion of the Prince of Wales' Own West Yorkshire Regiment on 24th February 1917 (renumbered 47312) serving in the UK.

The 2nd Garrison Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment was converted into the 7th Battalion of the Royal Defence Corps, and George was transferred to this new unit (being renumbered once again, this time to 60306) on 1st September 1917, still serving in the UK.

Discharged on 12th March 1918 at Sunderland under King's Regulations 392 xvi (no longer physically fit for duty), age 44.

He received a pension up to 9-3-1920 but these sheets are new to me too and I haven't figured them out yet!

Married to Rose Hannah Woodward at St George's, Sheffield on 19th February 1898. Lived at 1d Sutton's Dwellings, City Road, London, E.C. (Between Angel and Old Street Stations in Islington)

Children

Elizabeth Alice, b. 23-12-1898 at Eccleshall Bierlow

Ellen, b. 15-3-1903 at Holborn, London.

Rose Hannah, b. 13-3-1905 at Holborn.

George Harry, b. 15-8-1908 at Holborn

Charles Edward, b. 10-5-1911 at Holborn

Although he was overseas only a couple of months he experienced one of the bloodiest battles of the war. There are many tales of battalions being almost entirely destroyed in the attacks over those few days at Ypres. In addition to the attacks themselves, that spring at Ypres saw the unveiling of a new weapon of war - chlorine gas - against which at that time there was little or no defence. That first happened on 22nd April 1915, and the Allied forces holding the line around Ypres were forced back by the new terror weapon. This was to the north of 28th Divisions position near Zonnebeke and Broodseinde, but the retreating Allied defenders to the north left 28th Division caught in a sharp triangular area that was vulnerable to artillery fire - literally from left, right and centre. The position was shelled for days and became untenable. When the position was finally pulled back on 4th May 1915, the Germans followed up with major attacks. The 28th Division were still in there holding the line near Potijze, and it would have been near here that George stopped the bullet or shell shrapnel that sent him back to Blighty.

Steve.

(You can tell a lot from a Medal Card can't you.... )