RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: MargP on Saturday 05 September 09 11:51 BST (UK)
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Hi
Can any one tell me if a soldier served in Mesopotamia would they have received a medal for this and would it have been recorded on the medal card.
Thanks MargP
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As I understand it, and I assume that you are referring to WW1, there was no specific medal for those who served in Mesopotamia, but your man would have been entitled to the Victory and probably the British War medal. The theatre of war, in his case Mesopotamia, should also have been entered on the medal card.
jds1949
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As I understand it, and I assume that you are referring to WW1, there was no specific medal for those who served in Mesopotamia, but your man would have been entitled to the Victory and probably the British War medal. The theatre of war, in his case Mesopotamia, should also have been entered on the medal card.
jds1949
Thanks jds 1949
Yes it was the WW1 I have attached his medal card I also have photo of him which indicates he was there
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As I understand it, and I assume that you are referring to WW1, there was no specific medal for those who served in Mesopotamia, but your man would have been entitled to the Victory and probably the British War medal. The theatre of war, in his case Mesopotamia, should also have been entered on the medal card.
jds1949
Thanks jds 1949
Yes it was the WW1 I have attached his medal card I also have photo of him which indicates he was there
I am having trouble posting the attachments I will post them later MarP
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As I understand it, and I assume that you are referring to WW1, there was no specific medal for those who served in Mesopotamia, but your man would have been entitled to the Victory and probably the British War medal. The theatre of war, in his case Mesopotamia, should also have been entered on the medal card.
jds1949
Thanks jds 1949
Yes it was the WW1 I have attached his medal card I also have photo of him which indicates he was there
I am having trouble posting the attachments I will post them later MarP
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As I understand it, and I assume that you are referring to WW1, there was no specific medal for those who served in Mesopotamia, but your man would have been entitled to the Victory and probably the British War medal. The theatre of war, in his case Mesopotamia, should also have been entered on the medal card.
jds1949
Thanks jds 1949
Yes it was the WW1 I have attached his medal card I also have photo of him which indicates he was there
I am having trouble posting the attachments I will post them later MarP
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The medal card for W. Jenkins would seem to show that he began his army career as a gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery and then was transferred to the Royal Field Artillery where he served as a driver. He was entitled to the 1915 Star as well as the Victory and British War medals. However it also seems that he served in France, which he entered in 1915, no mention of Mesopotamia. He was demobbed and transferred to Z Class, the Reserves, in 1919. He may still have served in Mesopotamia, the cards are not always 100% accurate, certainly the photograph is not France! However, given that Jenkins is not an uncommon name, if I were you I'd be checking the other Jenkins medal cards, unless of course you have your man's medals and the numbers tally.
jds1949
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Could you do a close up scan of the boy soldiers hat pse (he looks about 14!) ?As this may hold the key.
The standing chap appears to be Machine Gun Corps, and the Field Service cap (worn by the lad ) at this point (about 1917/8) was usually associated with but one Corps
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The medal card for W. Jenkins would seem to show that he began his army career as a gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery and then was transferred to the Royal Field Artillery where he served as a driver. He was entitled to the 1915 Star as well as the Victory and British War medals. However it also seems that he served in France, which he entered in 1915, no mention of Mesopotamia. He was demobbed and transferred to Z Class, the Reserves, in 1919. He may still have served in Mesopotamia, the cards are not always 100% accurate, certainly the photograph is not France! However, given that Jenkins is not an uncommon name, if I were you I'd be checking the other Jenkins medal cards, unless of course you have your man's medals and the numbers tally.
jds1949
Hi jds 1949
I do not have his medals I found his Reg No via the Absent Voters List it stated that he was a driver in the 2/104 Hy Bty R G A, on one of his child's birth certificate in 1915 he was a Trumpeter in the 158 th Battery R F A on either documents it did not give the Regiment he was attached to I believe he was in the I st Worcester
Thanks again for your interest MargP
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Could you do a close up scan of the boy soldiers hat pse (he looks about 14!) ?As this may hold the key.
The standing chap appears to be Machine Gun Corps, and the Field Service cap (worn by the lad ) at this point (about 1917/8) was usually associated with but one Corps
Hi scrimnet
Do you mean a close up of my dad's cap the one sitting in the chair he's about 30 there and can you name the Corps you think it may be.
Thank you MargP
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Dear Margp
if your man was in the artillery, either RFA or RGA then he wouldn't have been in any regiment; the artillery had their own structure which existed alongside the infantry regimental system. That's not to say that his Battery did not support the Worcesters, just that the two groups would have been quite separate. Artillery Batteries are notoriously difficult to track as they tended to be sent all over the place, wherever the need was greatest.
jds1949
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Hello MargP,
2/104 Heavy Battery RGA are quite easy to trace and were in Mespot from March 1916, although I don't know when William transferred. They were initially part of 3 Indian Corps.
158 Battery is giving me a bit more of a problem.
Phil
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All right - so I was half right :]
jds1949
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Long Long Trail and the National Archives Catalogue. ;D
Phil
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Could you do a close up scan of the boy soldiers hat pse (he looks about 14!) ?As this may hold the key.
The standing chap appears to be Machine Gun Corps, and the Field Service cap (worn by the lad ) at this point (about 1917/8) was usually associated with but one Corps
Hi scrimnet
Do you mean a close up of my dad's cap the one sitting in the chair he's about 30 there and can you name the Corps you think it may be.
Thank you MargP
30!!????
Blimey...He had an easy life then....I would still opine he is a teenager!
The cap badge does indeed look alittle like the RA, but the FSC...?? Weird...
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MargP
I would be really interested in sharing any facts that you manage to discover in your research. My g-g uncle, Joseph F Swinburne was also a driver who served with the RFA in Mesopotamia. I have copies of letters sent to his sister (my g-grandmother) with a Bahgdad address.
Rmt1
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Hi RMT1
Thank you for your interest I have not really found out much more than the Root's member's have kindly given me, what I did note from studying the the medal card was that they only record the first theatre of war and not all of them my father went to France first so I think he was in Mespot in the middle of the war I have had a look at your chap on Ancestry so I could compare the information but I need more details if that's ok, would it be possible to send me the letters you have if they are not too personal to glean an insight of there life in Mespot.
MargP