What additional Information is on Medal Roll ?

[AthollHighlander]

Hi Hope someone can advise me

I have a copy of A MIC for William Pryce McDonald who is mentioned in my sig. It simply tells me his reg no (S/20576) and the roll no for his medals (Victory & British) (G/101B14 - Pge 1806)

I would like to try and establish in what Company he served within his battalion but this appears to be too specific information for the paperwork and regimental accounts. and also whether the medals may have survived or is it more likely statistically they were melted down. Unfortunately I think the family line died out and they may have ended up in a house clearance.

I'm aware he died on 21 March 1918 and was at the forefront of the initial German attack that morning so there is little known of specific information to my best knowledge. C Company was in the front line, B Coy in support (south of Boursies) A Coy in intermediate line and D Coy in reserve.Everything I have researched has gleaned very minimal information unfortunately so I hope that by attempting to track down his medals this may lead me to some additional information even if they are in someones private collection.

Statistically am I now looking for a needle in a haystack, or through the references is it still possible to establish whether they were ever in circulation?

Many thanks

[dycer]

Atholl,

I'm sure a real expert will come along shortly but it is unlikely there is much more information on the Medal Roll than is on the MIC.

If there is no notatation on the MIC you would presume that the Medals were safely delivered by registered/recorded delivery to the Next of Kin and not returned to the Authorities for disposal.

If you p.m. me your-e-mail address I'll e-mail an example of a MIC and Medal Roll for a 22 March 1918 Casualty.I've not checked Battalion but if your Relative was serving in the 51st(Highland) Division I'll attach a Battalion History of another Battalion serving in the Division so you can guage the chaos that ensued.

George

[NigelS]

I'm sure a real expert will come along shortly but it is unlikely there is much more information on the Medal Roll than is on the MIC.

I certainly won't claim to be an expert dycer, but I'd like to relate my recent experience.

From His MIC and other information, I'd always assumed My Grandfather had served continuously with 5th Bn. London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade) after his transfer to that unit when his original unit (2/7th Middx) disbanded until he was KIA 16th Aug '17 and I'd assumed there was nothing new to learn from the medal roll. However, in my Grandfather's case it turns out that the Roll does give important additional information that is not mentioned on the MIC at all: that he served with the LRB for 2 months, then the 2nd Entrenching Bn for a period of about 10 months, before returning to the LRB for the final 6 weeks of his life. This makes quite a large chunk of his service history quite different from what I'd originally pieced together (his service records didn't, unfortunately, survive the Blitz) and, as there appears to be very little information on the activities of the 2nd Entrenching Bn (and, for that matter, Entrenching Bns in general), still a bit of a mystery. (although it might explain another: see also http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...howtopic=69631)

My Grandfather's case well may be an exception, but it has made me realise that 1) it never pays to assume anything (as a friend of mine is forever saying, doing so can make an ASS of U & ME!), and 2) it's always well worth following up every lead no matter how unlikely it looks; 9 times out of 10 nothing new will be discovered, but the tenth time...

Good luck with your research Atholl

NigelS

[AthollHighlander]

Thankyou George & Nigel. George I'd be very interested in any info you can send me. I must admit I'm not sure what division the 6th battalion would have been part of at that time (the avatar is due to my serving with a Queens Own Territorial Battalion which were part of the division). Nevertheless I would absorb any additional information relative to Scottish battalions in the vanguard during the Spring offensive, and I'll forward you my email..

Many thanks and this does not preclude any other helpful advise or information that may help me create a bigger picture

Atholl

[dycer]

Nigel,

I did claim not to be an expert

You are,of course,correct a sight of the actual Rolls is recoomended.Have to confess they don't help in my case as they don't tell me which other Unit my Uncle spent time in and like you his papers are destroyed.

I took Atholl's enquiry to be, does the Medal Roll show which Company served in.?Were Medals returned,etc?

When Atholl gets his e-mail up and running I'll e-mail him my Uncle's MIC and Medal Roll,the 1/8th Royal Scots Battalion History for their service in March 1918 and also the 9th HLI War Diary as they spent part of the War on Lines of Communications duties.

George