Medals

[anglostark]

Can anyone tell me how long  a soldier would have to serve to be granted the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal ?

and

He was granted the King George V's Silver Jubilee Medal also (which was 1935 I believe) is this a military medal

Cheers

Steven

[mshrmh]

Steven - the details for the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal are on the MOD website - it used to be 18 years (now less but guessing from your dates it would have been the 18 year)
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/Lsandgcmarmy.htm
There's also a wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Service_and_Good_Conduct_Medal

The Jubilee medal was awarded to those in public service (ie others beside forces):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_George_V_Silver_Jubilee_Medal

[anglostark]

Thats great info, thanks.

I was trying to work out how long he spent in the army as his 1st medal was the Queens South Africa Medal with a clasp for Cape Colony (which was 1899). So using that as a starting point he started his army career certainly no later than 1899.
He then had the Kings S A Medal, British War Medal (1914-18), The long Service Medal, George V silver Jubilee and then the Defence Medal (WW2)

So to hypothesise : Army career 1899 - 1918 giving him the 18 years to qualify for the long service medal.

He was a custom officer in Ceylon for x amount of time. Would this make him eligible for the George V silver Jubilee Medal ?

Then can we presume that he was in the home guard to be granted the Defence Medal.

Should have maybe mentioned that he was born in 1880.

How does that look or am I talking total nonsense LoL

Cheers

Steven

[neil1821]

How does that look or am I talking total nonsense LoL

That looks like a reasonable, coherent hypothesis! 
BWM alone for WW1 implies he served abroad during those years but not in a direct theatre of war. Somewhere like Ceylon would fit the bill.

The Defence Medal has detailed qualification criteria, there could be many possibilities there.
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/hmso/campaign_stars_defence.htm

[anglostark]

Ah the BWM......I just automatically thought that he would have served in say France during the 1st world war.
His name was John Sutherland and on his medal it has "c sgt" 6846 Royal Highlanders.

Q1 "c sgt" is this for colour sergeant or something else ?

Q2 Does anyone know where he would have been serving during WW1 if not in a direct theatre of war. His children were certainly born in Ceylon between the years 1914 -24.

Cheers

Steven

[neil1821]

Ah the BWM......I just automatically thought that he would have served in say France during the 1st world war.

Well, two possibilities really.
- He did serve in France or another theatre, in which case at least one medal is missing (Victory Medal)
- The medal entitlement is complete, which definitely infers abroad but not a theatre of war.
His medal card should offer enlightenment on that point.

C-Sgt you have correctly surmised.

[anglostark]

Thanks again Neil

The record card just lists the British War Medal so it looks like he was abroad and not in a theatre of war.
A pretty good guess would be that he was in Ceylon during this time as the children were born there. He had to still be in the army surely as it states his rank and regiment on the medal.

So does anyone have an idea about what a colour sergeant in the Royal Highlanders would be doing in probably Ceylon during WW1.

Cheers

Steven

[mmm45]

Steven
He MAY have been employed as an instructor for the Ceylon Defence Force or was lucky enough to have got a job looking after stores etc at a military base over there CSgts  were usually Company Quartermaster Sergeants in a regular battalion.

I think your man is down as been wounded with 2nd Batt Black watch Dec 11th 1899 in South Africa.

Ady

[neil1821]

I was trying to work out how long he spent in the army as his 1st medal was the Queens South Africa Medal with a clasp for Cape Colony (which was 1899). So using that as a starting point he started his army career certainly no later than 1899.

His name was John Sutherland and on his medal it has "c sgt" 6846 Royal Highlanders.

Double checking the QSA medal roll, 6846 L-Cpl J.Sutherland is entitled to 3 clasps on his medal: Cape Colony, Paardeburg & Driefontein. Are you saying it only has one clasp?