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  #1  
Old 19-05-12, 05:00 PM
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'Ticker' Riley 'Ticker' Riley is offline
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Default My Grandfather’s Medals

Whilst I realise this is The British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum, I thought fellow members might still find the following personal story of interest:

During the Great War my grandfather, on my Dad’s side, served in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry – how a fella from Birmingham ended up in the D.C.L.I. I don’t know, but I’m assuming he was conscripted and so was just sent to whichever regiment needed men at the time. Anyhow, although I have searched in vain for the service record of 32012 Pte Henry William Riley, like those of so many others, his record appears to have been one of the ones destroyed in the Blitz of the Second War, I do know that he was in the 6th Battalion (3rd Corps, 8 Co.). In 1992 Major White at the D.C.L.I. Regimental Museum in Bodmin kindly offered an outline of his possible service, including the fact that, going by his regimental number, he seems to have been enlisted around August 1916. Major White thought he might well have been sent out to France in late September of that year to reinforce the 6th Battalion, following losses it sustained on the Somme. I know that my grandfather was definitely at Arras for the fighting there in 1917, as the family received a postcard with “Arras” written on it in tiny writing in one corner. I am also led to believe that at some point he was gassed, and returned to England for treatment at the 1st Southern General Hospital, which had been set up in the buildings of Birmingham University in Edgbaston at that time. He was apparently in hospital when the Armistice was signed in 1918, but eventually went back and, I was told, served in ‘the watch on the Rhine’. Sadly, at some point he contracted ‘sleepy-sickness’ (encephalitis lethargic), perhaps because of him being weakened by the gassing, something that would eventually lead to him losing his post-war job with Birmingham Corporation and to haim taking his own life as a result.

Anyway, for many years following his death, my grandfather’s medals were kept in the family home in Bournbrook, Birmingham – I believe they were merely tucked away in a sideboard drawer. That is until after the death of my Dad’s stepfather in 1981, when my Dad went to retrieve them as he was clearing the house. It was then that it was discovered they had gone missing. What happened to them I honestly do not know – had they been sold, given away or stolen? Whatever happened doesn’t really matter, because at the end of the day they had gone and that, I thought, was the end of things. Having said that, I always half-hoped that one day they would turn up somewhere and I might have the chance to reclaim them. This then brings us to now, or rather the other weekend in fact, when late on a Sunday night I happened to search a well-known internet auction site, only to be amazed to see my grandfather’s Victory Medal appear! Overcome with excitement, I sent a message to the seller explaining who I was and that they had one of my grandfather’s medals. The answer I received was beyond my expectations, for the seller promptly sent me the medal free of charge!


As you can imagine, I am absolutely over the moon at having my grandfather’s Victory Medal back in the family, and can’t thank the seller enough for their kindness in sending it to me. Obviously, my hope now is that somehow his War Medal will also come to light, hence in part why I am posting the story up here. I know that some Forum members also collect medals, so would ask, if they happen to have any D.C.L.I. War Medals, to please check to see if any say “32012 Pte H. W. Riley D. of Corn. L. I.” on them? Similarly, maybe some members who know more about such things than me could perhaps look to see if there is any record of my grandfather’s War Medal being sold anywhere, or maybe next time they are looking through a dealer’s stock they could bear things in mind? The gentleman who sent me the Victory Medal said it was part of a mixed lot of medals that were bought from an auction down in Cornwall, but that the War Medal didn’t seem to be with it. I’m assuming the pair were split up at some time, and it would be all my Christmasses come together if I could reunite them – here’s hoping that won’t take another thirty years!!

Best regards

Martin

P.S. My Forum pseudonym of ‘Ticker’ Riley is actually my grandfather’s nickname. Apparently he was fascinated by how clocks and watches worked, and so would take them apart and try to put them back together. I chose it because, back in 2008/2009, I was looking to get a D.C.L.I. cap badge as it was the regiment in which he served, and so it seemed appropriate to use his nickname.
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From Hindoostan, Gibraltar and Almanza; to Dunblane, Alma and Brandywine: Tigers, Steelbacks, Dutch Guards, Leather Hats, Nanny Goats and Red Feathers!
Interested in style and variation of post-1893 regimental cap badges for the Leicesters, the Northamptons, the Warwicks, the K.L.R., the R.W.F. and the D.C.L.I.

“Scutelliphiliacus in vestri insignia pergaudete”

Last edited by 'Ticker' Riley; 03-06-12 at 09:36 PM.
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  #2  
Old 19-05-12, 05:34 PM
Nozzer Nozzer is offline
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Martin,

An interesting, but sad story. It's good to know that there are still decent people out there As someone who is also searching for "missing" medals I wish you luck. There is a online service called medal tracker (just google it). There is a small fee, but I am using it (no news yet though ) and the details stay on there until you say otherwise. A long shot I know, but it's got to be worth a try!

Thanks for sharing that,

Andy
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Old 19-05-12, 05:36 PM
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Traist Traist is offline
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What a great story. It is good to see that there are still some descent blokes out there. I don't collect medals, but am also on the hunt for some of my families "missing" medals. I wish you the best of luck in turning up the other medal. Have a grand evening. Regards Andrew
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Old 19-05-12, 05:37 PM
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54Bty 54Bty is offline
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Interesting story, sadly a lot of BWMs were sold for the scrap value of the silver content, lets hope that yours survived.

Marc
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Old 19-05-12, 06:33 PM
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Tinto Tinto is offline
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A great story, Martin. Thanks for sharing it.
Good Luck with your search.
Cheers, Tinto
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  #6  
Old 19-05-12, 06:57 PM
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Sonofacqms Sonofacqms is offline
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Smile Re-uniting

Martin, a great story and hats off to the internet seller for his generosity, the silver war medal may yet turn up, although as Marc says many were sold for silver scrap.

Several years ago I bought a small 1951 Cambridgeshire Home Guard shooting medal to a Major Crowe in a junk shop in Cambridge on a Saturday afternoon. The next day I went to Bedford Arms Fair and bought an ashtray inscribed to a Major Crowe of the Cambridgeshire Home Guard for 1951 from a dealer from Wales, miracles do happen . . !

Best of luck Rob
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Old 19-05-12, 09:01 PM
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Phillip Herring Phillip Herring is offline
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I love it!
Congratulations!

Phil
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Old 19-05-12, 09:03 PM
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btns btns is offline
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Martin,
Congratulations!
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  #9  
Old 19-05-12, 09:31 PM
badgeman badgeman is offline
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WELL DONE MATE!, that is great news, and what a seller, its nice to know that the cup of human kindness really does flow over sometimes. I had to buy my uncles WW1 Isle of Wight Rifles medals from a dealer on the same site! I think you should name him so we can all thank him?
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Old 20-05-12, 09:28 AM
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Peter Brydon Peter Brydon is offline
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Martin,
I would also post your story on the GWF site, you never know someone there might have come across the missing medal.The more people who know what you are looking for the better.

Peter
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  #11  
Old 20-05-12, 05:54 PM
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'Ticker' Riley 'Ticker' Riley is offline
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Default Grandfather’s BWM

Many thanks for the comments Gentlemen, all of which are much appreciated. It sounds as though missing family medals is quite a common thing, so given the circumstances I really am very lucky to have found at least one of my grandfather’s medals. Having said that I’m sure I’m not alone in being reunited with lost medals - like the family of Thomas Swan whose story appeared in the press the year before last; see this article in The Telegraph from April 2010.

I have to admit that I hadn’t realised a large amount of British War Medals had been sold for scrap, as Marc has pointed out, so maybe my grandfather’s hasn’t survived after all. I’m crossing my fingers that it has of course, and that some kind soul out there will help me find it so I can put it to together with his Victory Medal and the Lambourne D.C.L.I. cap badge I managed to buy back in 2009; and which I posted to the Forum here.

I am so very indebted to the seller who gave me the Victory Medal, and, as quite a few have noted, it’s great to know that there are folk out there who are honest and decent and really do care about such things. Still, I don’t think it would be right of me to name the person concerned in this instance – they know who they are, and today sent me a message saying how pleased they were to be able to return the medal to a family who have a genuine interest in what their relative had done during the War.

I’ve also now taken Andy’s advice and registered my search for my grandfather’s BWM on the Medal Tracker site, as well as signing up to The Medal Reunited Project. I am already a member of the Great War Forum, so will post something up there too when I can, as Peter suggests, and have also made a posting to the British Medals Forum (I think you have to join to view posts).

At the end of the day all I can do is hope for the best, that his War Medal has indeed survived being melted down, and that someone somewhere has it and is willing to help me reunite it with his Victory Medal. The wider I can cast the net the more chance there is that just might happen – I’d rather not have to wait another thirty years mind, as that would make me 75!! Anyroad, thanks again for all the replies, and if I have anything to report I’ll be sure to share it with the Forum.

Best regards

Martin
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From Hindoostan, Gibraltar and Almanza; to Dunblane, Alma and Brandywine: Tigers, Steelbacks, Dutch Guards, Leather Hats, Nanny Goats and Red Feathers!
Interested in style and variation of post-1893 regimental cap badges for the Leicesters, the Northamptons, the Warwicks, the K.L.R., the R.W.F. and the D.C.L.I.

“Scutelliphiliacus in vestri insignia pergaudete”

Last edited by 'Ticker' Riley; 20-05-12 at 08:39 PM.
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