Lt Col Austin Thorp

[Lime tree]

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?

[ainslie]

Officers did not have service numbers in WW1.
Have you found him on the CWGC site?
A

[Lime tree]

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.

[ainslie]

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

[GrahamSimons]

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?

[Lime tree]

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.

[yeo1794]

I'm sure this will be of interest re Col. Austin Thorp.