RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: The Longfellow on Thursday 13 February 20 16:34 GMT (UK)
-
George Hannan of the 2nd Highland Light Infantry (Service Number 7749) was awarded the Croix de Guerre in WWI. Newspaper articles from 1919 report that he was presented with a gold watch and diploma by Judge Kellock, on behalf of the citizens of Coatbridge. I can find no details of the action that led to him being awarded the medal.
Can anybody help?
-
Foreign awards were not necessarily awarded for a single action. The foreign power, in his case the President of the French Republic, (or realistically the government on his behalf) would invite the British authorities to send names of men thought worthy of such recognition. These were submitted up the British chain of command from a man's unit.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31409/supplement/7809 is the first page of the list on which he appears, note that the awards are for "distinguished services rendered during the course of the campaign". He is on page 7809.
MaxD
-
Many thanks to MaxD for finding this information and for the explanation of the procedure involved. All in little over an hour since I posted my query!
(I'm sure I'd tried the London Gazette without success, but this link worked perfectly.)
Thanks again.
-
Interesting record, medal records and pension records on Ancestry (the latter on Fold3). Joined in 1912, deserted in 1915, court martial in Sep 1915, returned (no date) invalided out in 1919. Served first in 2 HLI then later in 12 HLI.
MaxD
-
Yes, there's an interesting story in there somewhere. My current Ancestry subscription doesn't allow access to Fold3, but I'll maybe revisit that problem later. Thanks again for your input, MaxD. I am in your debt. Rootschat is an excellent forum with some very obliging contributors.