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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Lime tree on Wednesday 18 April 12 18:47 BST (UK)

Title: Lt Col Austin Thorp
Post by: Lime tree on Wednesday 18 April 12 18:47 BST (UK)
I am trying to find the service number of Lt Col Austin Thorp, CMG DSO Ordre of Leopold avec Palme , Croix de Guerre, he was  a Gunner and killed in France on 30th October 1918.

Can anyone help?
Title: Re: Lt Col Austin Thorp
Post by: ainslie on Wednesday 18 April 12 19:36 BST (UK)
Officers did not have service numbers in WW1.
Have you found him on the CWGC site?
A
Title: Re: Lt Col Austin Thorp
Post by: Lime tree on Friday 20 April 12 11:28 BST (UK)
Thanks for that. I have found him in a number of places - CWGC, London Gazette etc. His grandson is trying to find out where his medals are; they were given to the RA Museum by his father but they have no record of them. I suspect it'll be very difficult to trace them.
Title: Re: Lt Col Austin Thorp
Post by: ainslie on Friday 20 April 12 11:55 BST (UK)
I think you are correct about the difficulty in tracing medals, especially as officers' medals did not bear their name when issued as I understand it.
There is a British Medals Forum where I believe people have had help.
A
Title: Re: Lt Col Austin Thorp
Post by: GrahamSimons on Friday 20 April 12 12:04 BST (UK)
His grandson is trying to find out where his medals are; they were given to the RA Museum by his father but they have no record of them. I suspect it'll be very difficult to trace them.

These are important decorations and Thorp was clearly an exceptional officer; it's a real shame that his medals have apparently disappeared. Are you sure of the museum? It seems pretty unlikely that a museum would have no record of such an important donation, so I was just wondering if the medals had been given to a different museum and the account of the donation was in error? Perhaps worth trying a home town museum or even the IWM?
Title: Re: Lt Col Austin Thorp
Post by: Lime tree on Friday 20 April 12 12:26 BST (UK)
You're right, he was an exceptional officer and his Times Obituary supports that. I will pass on your suggestions about the IWM but I think that he has documentary evidence that the medals (and a photograph album) were sent to the RA Museum. He is unamused that the Museum apparently has no trace of either.
Title: Re: Lt Col Austin Thorp
Post by: yeo1794 on Thursday 11 June 20 12:27 BST (UK)
I'm sure this will be of interest re Col. Austin Thorp.