Artillery Prize Badge???

[Bill A]

I was very fortunate to be given this badge over the weekend. It appears to be a prize or qualification badge of some sort? Obviously artillery, Victorian, and Canadian, but what is the story? Positive id?

[N.S. Regt.]

Hi Bill

I am no expert on these but I have a group to Samuel Watson Gray who joined the 1st CGA in Halifax in 1911 and during a competition he won one of these prizes for gun laying in 1913. These were sewn on the tunic and the one awarded Gray was not with the group but the envelope it came in was I am including my little write up I have with his medals

1258045 Sgt. Samuel Watson Gray M.M.
1st Canadian Garrison Artillery

Samuel Watson Gray was born in Waterside Pictou Co. N.S. Mar. 21 1894 one of three chirdren of David and Margaret Gray. Samuel Joined the 1st Halifax Regt. Canadian Artillery on April 10 1910and was also employed as a carpenter. He was promoted Bomb. Apr. 1 1913, Cpl. June 13 1913 andSgt. June 1 1916. He was awarded first prize in gun laying in 1913 out of the four companies of the 1st CGA in Halifax was the first N.C.O. instructor at the Royal School of Artillery in Halifax. He enlisted in the 10th Halifax Seige Battery on Nov. 21 1916 and proceeded over with the unit arriving in the U.K. on Apr. 7 1917.

Samuel reverted to Gunner and was sent to France to serve with the 1st CGA on May 27 1917 and was wounded by shrapnel wound right hand but was treated and released the same day. He was appointed A-Bomb. on July 23 1917 and was slightly gassed and had his face hands and knees burned from exploding ammunition near Hill 70 Aug. 9 1917. After he recovered from his wounds he was retuned to France rejoining the 1st CGA on July 9 1918. In Aug. 1918 he was recomended fora Military Medal L.G.. June 3 1919. The Exact date of the action and the citation for the award is not known but from three pages of hand written notes on his service by Gray he states this.

"While with a Welsh Regt. near Cambrai was awarded the Military Medal for feeping hold up a German counter attack in conjunction with the Welsh. Two of us kept a German field gun in action assisted by a Welsh Capt. of infantry and some privates, breaking up a massed attack, the only gun in action at that paticular point,also destroyed a German gun of the same size from its position on hill, by running our gun ahead and getting his range before he could shell us."

Samuel was promoted to Bomb. on Sept. 15 1918 and retuned to the U.K. with the Battery on April1 1919 and returned to Canada on May 3 1919. He was discharged in Halifax May 14th 1919 his discharge mentions his M.M. and allowed to wear two gold wound stripes.

I had been looking for a example from the period Gray got his to display with the medals and envelope but never found one.

Attached is a photo of the envelope hope this was a little help.

Stephen