Holy Grail-ish with a family link. - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Alan O · #1 01-05-22, 03:52 PM

Following on from the previous thread I spent several hours today searching a recently deceased relative of my wife for the following items. It took hours to find them but I think the effort was worth it.

Alas there is no cap badge with the group! He was 4th Battalion and later 8th Battalion of the Glosters.

KLR · #2 01-05-22, 04:23 PM

Yes, I still want to trace my uncle's medals (1st & 2nd Wars), for the family ( Lt J.K.Reid, MGC) stolen in a burglary about 30-40 years ago.

How did you find them Alan....

Sonofacqms · #3 01-05-22, 04:26 PM

Alan, Well done for putting this superb lot of items together, the replacement cap badge should not be too much of a problem to find.

Being awarded an M.M. is really interesting.

Rob

Alan O · #4 01-05-22, 04:43 PM

He was in the 4th Battalion in 1915 (silver cap badge and not blackened in a family photo) but did not get to France until 1916.

Interesting in a letter home he writes his address is 4th Reserve Battalion and no mention of TF. I think he was wounded in 1916/17 and went back to UK. Here he had the photo done of him as a LCpl (presumably local as was the custom) with marksman badge and 2 years GC chevron. He was back in France in 1918 with the 8th Service Bn and there he was killed. The MM was posthumous and I have no idea for waht he was awarded it for.

No known grave unfortunately.

The set includes 3 medals, death penny and the cardboard case and the letter with it, letter from the King, letter with the medals, box and envelope for the Vic medal, tube for the scroll, photo of the man himself and not shown is a A4 certificate for the TF association, 2 letters from him from the 4th Bn and another family photo in 1915 with him in uniform.

Jelly Terror · #5 01-05-22, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan O

Following on from the previous thread I spent several hours today searching a recently deceased relative of my wife for the following items. It took hours to find them but I think the effort was worth it.

Alas there is no cap badge with the group! He was 4th Battalion and later 8th Battalion of the Glosters.

You commenced looking for, and located these items only today, Alan?

JT

Alan O · #6 01-05-22, 04:54 PM

Yes I did and it took several hours to find them! I knew the medals existed but did not know where in the house they were. I did not know that some of the paperwork existed either but it's nice provenence. After a while I was beginning to worry that my wife's relative had given them away or sent them to a museum but I eventually found them.

I am thinking of framing the lot but how do you frame the death penny envelope (£30-50 on its own) to do it justice? I might need 4 or 5 frames and a big wall!

gurkharifles · #7 01-05-22, 05:38 PM

If ever a set of medals and associated items deserved framing this is it ! Just a fabulous piece of family history. I'm sure I'm stating the obvious but the 4th Btn had their own shoulder title ?

Alan O · #8 01-05-22, 05:43 PM

They did but it's not visible in the 1915 picture and the 1917/18 one shown shows the plain Glosters one that the service bns wore as per the regular battlaions.

Hoot · #9 01-05-22, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan O

He was in the 4th Battalion in 1915 (silver cap badge and not blackened in a family photo) but did not get to France until 1916.

Interesting in a letter home he writes his address is 4th Reserve Battalion and no mention of TF. I think he was wounded in 1916/17 and went back to UK. Here he had the photo done of him as a LCpl (presumably local as was the custom) with marksman badge and 2 years GC chevron. He was back in France in 1918 with the 8th Service Bn and there he was killed. The MM was posthumous and I have no idea for waht he was awarded it for.

No known grave unfortunately.

The set includes 3 medals, death penny and the cardboard case and the letter with it, letter from the King, letter with the medals, box and envelope for the Vic medal, tube for the scroll, photo of the man himself and not shown is a A4 certificate for the TF association, 2 letters from him from the 4th Bn and another family photo in 1915 with him in uniform.

Alan, he must have been awarded the MM for a previous action before the one in which he died. The MM was not awarded posthumously before 1979. The only posthumous awards before then were the VC, GC and MiD.

Alan O · #10 02-05-22, 05:59 AM

Thank you. Family story was that it was postumous but he must have been awarded it after he returned home in 1917 when the LCpl photo was taken before he died in 1918.

Alan

Alan O · #11 02-05-22, 06:07 AM

In the course of the search I also found this in a box. I am no expert but I think that it is WW1 Geerman.

Alex Rice · #12 02-05-22, 06:15 AM

His gazette entry for the MM was in the Edinburgh gazette, page 3946 of the supplement for 23 October 1918.
Cheers,
Alex

Alan O · #13 02-05-22, 06:21 AM

Alex

Thanks. He died in June 1918.

Alan

mike_vee · #14 02-05-22, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Rice

His gazette entry for the MM was in the Edinburgh gazette, page 3946 of the supplement for 23 October 1918.
Cheers,
Alex

Was in the London Gazette (page 12412) on 18 October 1918.

.

Alex Rice · #15 02-05-22, 07:13 AM

Hi Alan
If you go on the National Archive website and search for the war diaries of the Gloucestershire Reg, the 8th battalion records for 1 July 1915 to 31 march 1919 seem to be available. You may be able to find the circumstances of his MM award and death.
Cheers,
Alex

https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...shire+Regiment