Silver War Badge - Trying to id

[4966Ian]

Hi there,

In amongst a box of badges that I bought some time ago was this WW1 Silver War Badge. With medals not being my area of interest it has stayed in my 'unknowns' box for some time, until I found it again the other night.

As I understand it, these badges were awarded during and just after WW1 to any members of the armed forces who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness. The numbers on the back don't actually help you identify the recipient in so much as you have to know who the recipient was and then cross check the medal roll to see whether the number of the SWB matches that shown on the medal roll. Or have I got that completely wrong.

This badge has the number "RN7713" - which I gather means the recipient was in the Royal Navy. Is there a way of determining who he was?

Cheers

Ian

Hello Ian,

The Silver War Badge, sometimes erroneously called the Silver Wound Badge, was authorised in September 1916. The badge was awarded to all of those military personnel who were discharged as a result of sickness or wounds contracted or received during the war, either at home or overseas. To qualify, the recipient had to have served for at least seven days between 4th August 1914 and 31st December 1919 and their incapacity must have been caused by military service.

Details of the recipients of the badge are recorded on a so called 'Roll of Individuals Entitled to the Badge', which gives the person’s full name and service details and, in the case of an officer, their home address. Copies of the rolls are held at the National Archives, Kew.

Unfortunately for those seeking to find the names of SWB recipients by badge number alone, the rolls are filed in name order only, and not by badge number. Without the man's name, a search could potentially take for ever as it would mean searching through the thousands of names until you happened upon the exact number you are looking for.

Hope this is of use,

Peter.

[Mike]

148769 Engine Room Artificer 1 Class Willam S Nicholas R.N. (entitled to a trio)

Mike,

May I ask how you were able to locate this, and so quickly?

Peter.

[Mike]

Hi Peter, Navy badges are on the ancestry site.

Go to the Navy medal rolls page.

where it asks for "medal or award" enter "Silver War Badge"

click search.

Now on the page that comes up click "Browse Individual Records"

A list will appear. In the bottom half are badge number ranges. click on the relevant range for your badge.


Now jump around blocks of pages by number (top right of the page images screen) until you narrow down and find the page your badge number is on. - it only take a few clicks.

Mike,

Thanks for this.

So on this occasion, it was only traceable simply by dint of the fact that the badge was awarded to a member of the Royal Navy, since such RN records are of course now available on Ancestry?

Had the badge been awarded to an infantryman, for example, it would have meant an endless search of the records at Kew?

I thought that you might have access to some or other CD-ROM containing all SWB rolls, which was not widely available.

I suppose it is just a matter of time before all these records become digitally available online. I often think we are still in the Dark Ages in this respect, really. There is so much information just waiting to be uncovered and made available to the masses.

Thanks again.

Peter.

[Mike]

Hi Peter, no original list or roll in numerical order exists for the Army SWBs as far as I am aware. 900,000 badges issued, recorded across 298 separate volumes. If Ancestry transcribed Army SWBs where you could search badge number then that would really be something. It would also sadly displace the hard work of Alan Stuart who is sorting them out into numerical order by unit/regiment, and publishing his data in printed volumes.

[4966Ian]

Hi Mike and Peter,

Thank you so much for that info, very kind of you.
From the little digging I had done, I was under the impression like Peter that this was an almost impossible task.
Well you live and learn.
Do I take it that the column titled "O.N." is his Navy Number?

Thanks again for all the effort, it is really much appreciated.

Regards

Ian

[Jibba Jabba]

Alan Stuart also released a searchable CD back in 2004 for the Royal Navy. Yes, thats the same man who produced the "Services Rendered" books Volume 1 and 2. Over 12 months since the last release and no sign of the Guards volume?

[Mike]

Hi J-J, I picked up a vol 3 from him some months back:

[Mike]

Originally Posted by 4966Ian

Do I take it that the column titled "O.N." is his Navy Number?


Ian

O.N. = "Official Number"


his service sheet is here, but it's £3.50

if you do go for it, tell us the reason for the SWB, (that's if they've recorded it) Wow he's some age, genuine old sea salt.

[Jibba Jabba]

Your very lucky Mike. Just spotted it on the Token Publishing web site. :-) I never saw any copies on eBay this time.

Originally Posted by Mike

O.N. = "Official Number"


his service sheet is here, but it's £3.50

if you do go for it, tell us the reason for the SWB, (that's if they've recorded it) Wow he's some age, genuine old sea salt.

Ian,

I shall be going to the National Archives next Friday (11th March); if you would like me to obtain a copy of the Service Record, I'd be happy to do so.

...and I only charge £3-49!

Regards,

Peter.

[4966Ian]

Ha ha, very good Peter. Unfortunately I only saw your offer after I had already downloaded the records.

I have emailed Mike the downloaded PDF file in the hope that he can edit it, so that it can be displayed within this post. (there is a size limit on the size of any PDF file attached and unlike a photo I don't know how to compress a PDf file).

Cheers

Ian





[note from Mike- looks like he was pensioned off at the start of 1911, got himself recalled at the start of the great war; spent a few months on HMS Amphitrite, then shore establishments. Invalided Disease of the Nervous System. He got a Long Service Medal in 1909]

Ian,

No worries, mate, glad you managed to get a copy.

I'll be interested to see our man's service history, always something to learn on these Navy records.

All the best,

PJ

[Note to self: must review charges policy ]