R.W.F.

[Dannemois]

Can someone please interpret the attached medal card. I will appreciate any information on this soldier

Thanks

[ralphjd]

Disembodied 6-2-1919.

Officer i/c Infantry Records Shrewsbury submits A7 E363 reference T E M (Territorial Efficiency Medal) 2-6-1924

Officer i/c Infantry Records Shrewsbury forwards application for T E M ( ?? 1-10-1924). Ralph

[Muerrisch]

a long-serving TF soldier by his number ...... signed on well before war.

[Stebie9173]

As Grumpy has said he looks like a long serving Territorial soldier. On the face of it the number 915 would have been allocated not long after the creation of the Territorial Force in 1908 - perhaps some time in the period 1908-1910. he would have been mobilised ("embodied" for full-time active service) at the start of the war and trained with the 1/7th battalion down in my neck of the woods (Northampton/Rushden/Higham Ferrers area) before going to Gallipoli:

1/7th (Merioneth & Montgomery) Battalion:

August 1914 : in Newtown. Part of North Wales Brigade, Welsh Division. Moved immediateley on mobilisation to Conway and at the end of the month to Northampton. Moved to Cambridge in December 1914 and Bedford in May 1915.

13 May 1915 : formation became 158th Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division. Sailed from Devonport on 19 July 1915 for Gallipoli, going via Imbros and disembarking Suvla Bay on 9 August 1915.

24 June 1918: transferred to 160th Brigade in same Division.

http://www.1914-1918.net/rwf.htm

As noted above they set sail from Devonport on 19-7-1915 arriving at Imbros on 8-8-1915 as noted above and landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli the next day.

The battalion (as part of 53rd Division) stayed in the Middle East - Egypt in 1916, Palestine in 1917 & 1918, until the end of the war.

http://www.1914-1918.net/53div.htm

In 1917 he was re-numbered 290188.

On 9-2-1919 he was disembodied (discharged from the Territorial Force).

He later re-enlisted, getting one of the new Army numbers, 4181908, and served with the 7th Bn. once more, now part of the T.A. (Territorial Army).

His service qualified him for the T.E.M. (Territorial Efficiency Medal), a man normally being eligible after 12 years service (war service counting double).

Steve.

[Muerrisch]

RWF TF numbering is a can of worms!

I have no proof, but there is very persuasive evidence that, when RWF VF soldiers were invited to enlist in the new TF battalions [4 to 7] in 1908, numbering did NOT start at number 1. This is certainly so for 4th RWF. Each battalion had its own series.

Assuming this soldier carried forward an old VF number, his enlistment can not be dated, and, on this assumption, he had enough smarty points for the TFEM/ TEM to spare by the end of his war service, rather than in 1924. Suggestion is he re-enlisted in 1924 and claimed his gong.

[Stebie9173]

I just knew my delicate tootsies were advancing into a minefield!

Steve.

[Muerrisch]

where angels fear to tread .... keep out of the can of worms!

[Stebie9173]

Who you calling a fool!!!

Anyway, the rest holds true.....

Steve.

[Dannemois]

My thanks to Stebie and Grumpy and Ralph for an entertaining read. Well done lads, your efforts are much appreciated.

Roy