WW1 - Military Medal identification
 

I have my great grandfather’s military medal but trying to identify and decipher the regiment and battalion to see if I can find anymore information or the reference to the dispatches. The rim of the medal has his serial number, rank (Pte) (assuming this is “Private”), his first initial and surname and then “3/L’pool. R.” From my limited research I gather this was the Kings Regiment (Liverpool) but any help to identify the battalion or any other information would be greatly appreciated. For example does the R at the end mean “reserve” or “Retired”?
Any other advice on how to find out more about the medal would be very much appreciated. Thanks

The R is for regiment.

That would be the 3rd Battalion of the Kings Liverpool Regiment which is certainly interesting as it was, from memory at least, a reserve battalion in Great Britain, I think the 4th was too, but, it also went out to India as well as France.

If you can supply his full name and Service number it would help in identification.

Regards, Simon.

The "R" you refer to is the "R" after "L'pool"?
It's an abbreviation for "Regiment".
The 3rd Bn served in England and I think Wales during WWI, and Ireland

I would start with the London Gazette and then search WO363 and WO364 at Kew for any surviving papers, all available online, let us know how you get on.

A quick wikipedia check on 3rd Bn

3rd (Reserve) Battalion
On the outbreak of war the battalion was embodied at Seaforth on 4 August 1914 under Lt-Col H.H. Hobson, commanding officer (CO) since 30 October 1910, and went to its war station at Hightown. In 1915 it moved to Pembroke Dock and then at the end of 1917 it went to Ireland, being stationed at Cork, where it remained until the end of the war. Throughout, its role was to train and despatch drafts of reservists, special reservists, recruits and returning wounded for the regular battalions of the King's, especially the 1st Bn serving with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front. 3rd (Reserve) Bn was disembodied on 4 September 1919 (the remaining personnel having been transferred to the 1st Bn on 16 July).

You may already have done so, but it may also be a good idea to post this over on the British Medal Forum:

https://britishmedalforum.com/

Can we confirm we are talking about the medal known as The Military Medal and not a medal that is military? Regards, Paul.

Many thanks for all the replies
 

Thanks for the info all,
Service number 39218 PTe R.McCormick.
Military medal inscribed “For Bravery in the Field”

Thanks for the clarification on the “R” I had seen that the 3rd Battalion Liverpool was a reserve battalion which was making me wonder if that was what the R stood for. Makes much more sense that it stands for Regiment.

What is confusing me is if the 3rd Battalion was stationed in the UK and Ireland how a medal for Bravery in the field can be earned.

Thanks for the Records reference, I will update if I find out more.
Many thanks everyone

First Name:
R
Surname:
McCormick
Incident Details:
War Office Daily List No.5776
Report Date:
20/01/1919
Rank:
Corporal
Service Number:
39218
Casualty Listed As:
Released Prisoner of War from Germany, arrived in England
Next Of Kin Address:
Bootle
Service:
British Army
Primary Unit:
King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Archive Reference:
NLS 1919_WList78

First Name:
R
Surname:
McCormick
Incident Details:
War Office Daily List No.5727
Report Date:
20/11/1918
Rank:
Corporal
Service Number:
39218
Casualty Listed As:
Previously reported missing, now reported Prisoner of War in lists received from the German Government
Next Of Kin Address:
Bootle
Service:
British Army
Primary Unit:
King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Archive Reference:
NLS 1918_WList69

First Name:
R
Surname:
McCormick
Incident Details:
War Office Daily List No.5591
Report Date:
13/06/1918
Rank:
Corporal
Service Number:
39218
Casualty Listed As:
Missing
Next Of Kin Address:
Bootle
Service:
British Army
Primary Unit:
King's (Liverpool Regiment)
Archive Reference:
NLS 1918_WList46

My Grandfather was a pre WW1 regular in the South Wales Borderers. He was out with the BEF with 1SWB from August 1914, wounded that year and again in 1917 after which he was a Serjeant Instructor with 3 SWB which was at Hightown near Liverpool and, as said above, trained personnel for the Battalions at the front.

It is possible that your man was awarded the MM for service before he served with 3 KING’s?
Are there other WW1 medals, what does his Medal Index Card show?

Tim

Leigh has supplied the info while I was typing!

First Name:
R
Surname:
McCormick
Resided Town:
Liverpool
Rank:
Private
Service Number:
39218
Gazette Info:
Gazette Issue 30431. M.M. His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Military Medal for bravery in the Field.
Gazette Date:
14/12/1917
Gazette Page:
13192
Service:
British Army
Regiment:
King's (Liverpool Regiment)

Hi,

The medal rolls show your man served in the 4th Bn. They were involved in heavy fighting, firstly at the 1 Battle of Ypres where they had 400 casualties in 4 days. Your man may have been wounded, recovered and posted to the 3rd Bn as a less than fighting fit infantryman.

His medal would have been then possibly named to the 3rd Bn, in which he was serving when his citation/award was gazetted.

John

Looks like he was a Prisoner of War from June 1918 "until"January 1919.