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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: nyflint on Thursday 10 July 14 07:52 BST (UK)
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I've had some of his papers for perhaps 50 years. He's not a relative but once worked on the farm where I grew up and where I found these papers.
The papers relate to a) his War Record and b) to the award of a Bar to his existing Military Medal.
Q Company was a Gas team.
I've often wondered how he won the 2 awards.
Eventually I hope to perhaps trace living relatives and pass on these papers.
Our old brave soldiers should be remembered.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Citations for MM were destroyed in the blitz of WW2 if Q Coy had a war diary (it would be a national archives ) he may be mentioned.... local papers are great asset for MM awards also
He will have a mention in the London Gazette
If you post his name and number there may be other info to help you.
As you say he was in one of the RE Special Companies
Ady
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Releasing gas was a hazardous and terrible occupation. They could only release it when the wind was in the right direction and as we know wind can change direction in a moment. Gas could be blown back onto their own lines.
Information from his papers
Thomas Scambler
Regimantal Number 192816 (though I think there is a second record with 192814)
Royal Engineers - Unit "Q" Special Coy RE
6/8/15 - 17/2/16 Driver
17/7/16 - 18/2/17 Pioneer
18/2/17 - 7/18 L Cpl
7/8 - 6/2/19 IICpl
Former occupation - Farmer
Section 4 overleaf Military Medal ? Bar or MM & Bar. Not sure which.
Second document
Enclosed Bar to MM ref London Gazette 11/2/19
His address at 11/9/19 Oundle House, Rickwell, Nr Oakham
My thanks
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Unit PRO Reference Covering Dates
Special Brigade Depot Royal Engineers WO 95/120 July 1915 - Oct 1919
Special Section Royal Engineers WO 95/122 June 1916 - Feb 1917
'A' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/241 Mar 1917 - July 1919
'B' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/241 Mar 1917 - July 1919
'C' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/549 Mar 1917 - June 1919
'D' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/486 Mar 1917 - July 1919
'E' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/242 Mar 1917 - June 1919
'F' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/242 Mar 1917 - July 1919
'G' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/242 Mar 1917 - Aug 1919
'H' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/334 Mar 1917 - July 1919
'M' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/549 Mar 1917 - May 1919
'O' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/242 Mar 1917 - May 1919
'P' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/334 Mar 1917 - May 1919
'Q' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/402 Mar 1917 - May 1919
'J' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/401 Mar 1917 - July 1919
'L' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/334 Mar 1917 - May 1919
'K' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/401 Mar 1917 - May 1919
'N' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/402 Mar 1917 - May 1919
'Z' Special Company Royal Engineers WO 95/486 Mar 1917 - July 1919
Headquarters Special Companies Royal Eng WO 95/332 Mar 1917 - Mar 1919
Special Coy War Diaries at kew....some may be online
Ady
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My Father, Thomas Scambler, was born in 1896 and was sent to work on his Uncle's farm in Settle.
He was awarded the Military Medal and Bar during the First World War. I would be very grateful for information you may have.
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Oooo Wonderful
I'll add some scanned images as soon as I locate them.
I have a full set of deeds for the farm where he worked. They start in 1622 and end when my parents bought the place in 1959.
Checking FreeBMD a while back I believe he lived in Settle in the 1920's and married. The family then appears to have moved to Lancashire I think. Mind you with that newspaper in the trunk dated September 1st 1939 He must still have been there then??
I believe the full award is a MM and "2bars" received at different times. Quite rare but not uncommon. Do you still have his medals?
Do you know what he did to receive the awards? I'd love to know.
Jon
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This is the farm, taken circa 1966/7
Note the linking building at a right-angle to the house (formerly a smithy workshop, coach house) with the single window facing. I believe this room was his lodgings as it is where the chest was found.
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Good morning. Thank you so much, I know very little about my Father's time in the war as he never talked about it. All I know is that he was awarded the MM due to a gas attack. He was in the RAF during the 2ndWW and married my mother in 1941. After the war they moved to Churchtown near Garstang.
I do not have the MM but I do have the dress medal (I think it's called) with 1 bar. I would love to track down the medal. Thank you for the photograph, I did take my Father on a sentimental journey and have always regretted not knocking on the door.
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Here are the document scans.
As regards locating his MM you'd be very lucky to find that. Many were sold and went to collectors but sadly a huge number went to scrap as silver bullion.
Do you have his other medals?
I did look into his medal record WW1 (regret I can't find the downloaded file) and apparently he had the War & Victory medals. I did think perhaps he should have had the 14/15 Star as well but obviously he didn't see active service till 1916 in order to qualify for that one.
The Military Medal was awarded to other ranks of the British Army and Commonwealth Forces. It was an award for gallantry and devotion to duty when under fire in battle on land.
5796 1st Bars were awarded out of 115,600 total MM's were awarded.
I don't think you can ask for replacement WW1 medals now from official sources but I believe you can still get those for WW2. You just need a kinship form from the Medal Records Office.
As regards his WW1 War Record. You might be able to get these if they exist. Many were destroyed in a fire during the WW2 air raids. Some survive, some are singed at the edges.
Have you used FreeBMD? If you type in Scambler you should find a few references for the Settle area and other families associated.
Jon
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Ooops !!
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Just remembered that he appears to have had 2 regimental numbers (not uncommon).
There's 192816 and 192814 - pretty sure that's right.
Theoretically they should be the same
Perhaps someone reading this can elaborate on the reasons why this occurs.
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Perhaps someone reading this can elaborate on the reasons why this occurs.
Just a mistake.With so many documents to deal with these things happened.
His MIC has him as R.F.A. L/Cpl. 81890 & R.E. 192816
His service docs. have survived.
Attested 6/8/15 R.F.A.
Add: The bungalow Giggleswick Settle.
Age. 19y 7m.
Transferred to R.E. 18/7/16.
Appointed L/Cpl. 19/3/17.
Presented with 1 MM in Giggleswick 8/9/1918 (by the Vicar).
Recd. BWM & VM 3/9/21
British War Medal went to all those who served overseas 1914-18.
Victory Medal went to those who served in a theatre of war 1914-18.
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Just wondering where Oundle House,Rickwell comes into it? Maybe I'm reading it wrongly, not his address but the origin of the notification.
I think I confused this record with Thomas's....
T Scambler, Royal Engineers 192814 Lance Corporal Acting Corporal
On one search they both appeared on the same page. Odd being so close in the listing.
The Bungalow. My old history teacher lived there in the 60's (it was I believe owned by the school). An interesting building totally timber clad almost in the American or perhaps Indian colonial style with a veranda. It sits / sat in a field overlooking the golf course. Is it still the same? I wonder why Thomas was there when the farm was 2 miles away?
And why leave possessions at the farm?
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Jon, thank you for taking so much trouble. The documents are very interesting especially as they have survived so long. I know my brother had the MM but what his wife did with it after he died I have no idea. I do have two WW1 medals but not sure what they are for, must look them up.
Regards Helen.
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Perhaps someone reading this can elaborate on the reasons why this occurs.
Just a mistake.With so many documents to deal with these things happened.
His MIC has him as R.F.A. L/Cpl. 81890 & R.E. 192816
His service docs. have survived.
Attested 6/8/15 R.F.A.
Add: The bungalow Giggleswick Settle.
Age. 19y 7m.
Transferred to R.E. 18/7/16.
Appointed L/Cpl. 19/3/17.
Presented with 1 MM in Giggleswick 8/9/1918 (by the Vicar).
Recd. BWM & VM 3/9/21
British War Medal went to all those who served overseas 1914-18.
Victory Medal went to those who served in a theatre of war 1914-18.
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Always sad to see medals split up. Worth asking if she still has it. Even if the ribbon were missing you can buy replacements. A complete medal group such as your father's has a considerable value. Not that that's a consideration, but certainly worth checking.
If you don't have the WWII medals these can still be replaced by the appropriate office (Medal records office?). I did this for my ex wife's father's medal. Or, as WWII medals were unnamed you could find second hand ones on Ebay etc. Mind you I'd prefer mint condition ones that hadn't belonged to someone else.
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General question to anyone who knows the answer.:
I need to forward the documents.
I can't see a way of sending a "private message" here. Is it possible?
Do not include an email address in a reply or those wretched "web crawlers" will find it and start sending junk emails to you.
If necessary I can provide my website address and you can email from there as it's a secure site.
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Assuming you want to send them to Helen just click on the page icon below her name, you can then send her a personal message with your address.