Attributing Eighth Army Medals

[dobw]

I recently purchased these fairly common Second World War medals. They came with a scrap of paper attributing them to a "Stanley Dickerson." There was a transmittal insert with what appears to be a serial number, "1602657." (or possibly "1602654") Is there a way to confirm that these medals were actually awarded to Stanley Dickerson?

[oc14]

Sadly, no way I'm afraid. What I can tell you is that the service number was allocated to someone who joined the Royal Artillery in late 1939 or early 1940

Paul

[dobw]

Originally Posted by oc14

What I can tell you is that the service number was allocated to someone who joined the Royal Artillery in late 1939 or early 1940

Paul

Thank you, Paul! That is interesting, as a Stanley Franklin Dickerson served in the 67th Medium Regiment, R.A. (T.A.). The 67th was an element of the Eighth Army. The entire unit was captured at Tobruk in 1942.

[MH331]

The absence of an Italy Star or France and Germany Star would suggest either he was wounded and took no further part in the war outside North Africa or he was captured in North Africa hence no other stars.

Originally Posted by dobw

Thank you, Paul! That is interesting, as a Stanley Franklin Dickerson served in the 67th Medium Regiment, R.A. (T.A.). The 67th was an element of the Eighth Army. The entire unit was captured at Tobruk in 1942.

[dobw]

Originally Posted by MH331

The absence of an Italy Star or France and Germany Star would suggest either he was wounded and took no further part in the war outside North Africa or he was captured in North Africa hence no other stars.

Thank you! I was thinking the same thing.

[oc14]

After a bit more digging around:-

Stanley James Dickerson was born in East Ham (Essex) on 25th October 1912. In 1939 he was a single man living with his widowed mother (Emma) at 53 Clacton Road East Ham, Essex and was working as a Dispatch Clerk in a Brass Foundery.
He enlisted into the Royal Artillery in early 1940 and although his original unit may have been 67th Medium Regiment he was posted to a Coastal Defence Battery on 12th March 1941 (several months before the 67th Regiment arrived in North Africa).
He was was demobilised to class Z Reserve on 20th April 1946 and was discharged from any further reserve liability in 1957 on having reached the age of 45.

He died on 9th August 1986 aged 73. At the time of his death his address was given as 7 Ember Way, Burnham on Crouch, Essex.

Taking all this into account, I do not believe that Stanley James Dickerson would be entitled to anything other than the 1939-45 War Medal and Defence Medal for his WW2 service which seems to have all been in the UK on Coastal Defence duties.

Hope that helps

Paul

[dobw]

Thank you for that information, Paul.

It would have been very helpful, if the scrap of paper that came with the medals had included a MIDDLE name. I'm looking at Stanley Franklin Dickerson, born 15 May 1915 in Ipswich, Suffolk. There was definitely a Stanley Franklin Dickerson in the 67th Medium Regiment, R.A. (T.A.). This Stanley Dickerson died on 25 May 2008.

[oc14]

Originally Posted by dobw

Thank you for that information, Paul.

It would have been very helpful, if the scrap of paper that came with the medals had included a MIDDLE name. I'm looking at Stanley Franklin Dickerson, born 15 May 1915 in Ipswich, Suffolk. There was definitely a Stanley Franklin Dickerson in the 67th Medium Regiment, R.A. (T.A.). This Stanley Dickerson died on 25 May 2008.

Oddly the service number quoted in the first post was allocated to Stanley James Dickerson in the Royal Artillery attestation books, possibly a relative???

Paul

[dobw]

Originally Posted by oc14

Oddly the service number quoted in the first post was allocated to Stanley James Dickerson in the Royal Artillery attestation books, possibly a relative???

Paul

That is confusing. I wonder if a mistake could have been made somewhere along the line, due to the similar names? It seems that one Stanley Dickerson had earned the exact decorations listed on the transmittal card, but that card shows the serial number of a different Stanley Dickerson, who had not earned them.

[dobw]

Is it possible that the issuing authority sent the medals to the wrong man?

[Alan O]

Not likely.