Sgt Arthur Edward Brown

[Gilford]

I wonder if anybody could please shed any light on this recent discovery, my late Grandfather Arthur Edward Brown MM 1st/8th Cameronian Scottish Rifles, Service numbers: 1359, 291346. I have managed to obtain two of his medals from my cousin except that now on closer inspection I have found what appears to be a third service number 7284, do I have two different peoples medals or is this his ?
The inscriptions on the two medals read as follows:
1914 star 7284 Pte A. Brown 1/Sco: Rif.
MM 291346 Sjt A. E. Brown 8/Sco.Rif.
I am also looking for any other relevant information on him as at present he is proving to be rather elusive, he is supposed to have come from Portsmouth but when I contacted the register office they could not find any trace for him, on his death certificate it said he was 35 so he should of been born around 1882-1883. I do know that he died on the 17th August 1918 in France, I can not find any marriage between him and my nan Mary Ann Sarha Lake, although I do know that she had got married in 1911 in Croydon to Frederick George Foster.   

[jds1949]

The British Army re-numbered all its soldiers in 1916/7 - it had so many that the old 4 digit number system could no longer cope. So your man could have had the 4 digit number in 1914 and still been around later in the war when he was re-numbered.

There is a medal card for A Brown 7284 Private Scottish Rifles listed here: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=1639487&queryType=1&resultcount=1

There are two medal cards in addition - one for each of the other two numbers [Brown Arthur Edward - serjeant Scottish Rifles]:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/search-results.asp?searchtype=browserefine&query=last_name%3dbrown|scope%3d291346&catid=10&pagenumber=1&querytype=1&mediaarray=*

There is the possibility that he may have changed his first 4 digit number [from 7284 to 1359] when he transferred from the 1st Battalion to the 8th Battalion - providing that transfer took place before the wholesale re-numbering i.e.before 1916 - which is entirely possible.

Men were awarded medals inscribed with their service numbers and rank as they were when the medal was earned - so my guess is that your man was entitled to the 1914 Star as a result of his service in the 1st Battalion and the other two medals [ British War and Victory] as a result of his continued service in the 8th Battalion and that all three relate to the same man, but it's just a guess.

Ideally you need to find if his service papers survive and I can't help you there as I don't have Ancestry subscription.

jds1949

[Treetotal]

Could this be his Birth:

Births Dec 1881   (>99%)
~~~~~~~~
 
BROWN  Arthur Edward     Winchester  2c 99   

Found on Freebmd
Carol

[Treetotal]

Have you found him on any censuses...I think Portsmouth was known as Portsea or Portsea Island until 1900 when it changed to Portsmouth.
Carol

[mmm45]

Is there a Date Of Entry to Theatre on both cards? Do they marry up?
1st Went out in Aug 1914 to France,1/8th Went out in early 1915 to 2b Gallipoli

Is the first card for just the 14 Star? If the 2nd card is for BWM and VM then it POSSIBLY same guy

Although this isnt true in 100%  of cases The moving of Territorials to Regular or Kitchener Volunteer Battalions was uncommon until later in 1918 after losses
But They did move experienced Regulars to TF batts after promotion.

Ady