Gallipoli veterans

[Orlaith17]

I have found a relative, born in Scotland, but he emigrated to New Zealand and lived and died there. His gravestone inscription indicates he was a Gallipoli veteran and he was awarded the Military Medal. Anyone got any information on where I can find out more, eg why he was awarded the Military Medal? I have his name, military number, place and date of birth and death. But am keen to find out more about the Military Medal part.

[StewL]

Hi Orlaith17
You could try to see if New Zealand has an online National Archives. I know they have one in Australia, but I have never needed to look for one across the ditch.
I found this link.

http://www.armymuseum.co.nz/research/archives/

This link may be of assistance, although I don't know what you can see there

[theKiwi]

Take a look here

http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/personnel%2Dreco ... efault.htm

I have received my grandfather's World War One service record some years ago at no charge from the New Zealand Army in Trentham. This was a photocopy mailed to me. However since then, Boer War and World War One records are now with Archives New Zealand, and you can find details on them here

http://archway.archives.govt.nz

search for the name and see what comes up - if you're lucky the record you want is already digitised and available to download. If not, you can order it to be digitised.

Roger

[Currie]

I think that most people looking for Military Medal citations end up disappointed, so don’t be too surprised if there is none to be found.

Here’s some info about citations for gallantry awards to New Zealand Military Personnel. The suggested areas to check are Service Records, London Gazette, and the book “Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War” http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/info/citationsgallantry.html

The Gazette entry may only be inclusion in a long list showing name, rank, service number, and regiment, and most likely with everything abbreviated except for surname and number. If you need any help with that post his details. http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/search

Check the Cenotaph database first in case they have a Gazette date.
http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/database ... tions.aspx

Sometimes there may be a mention of the award in the soldier’s hometown newspaper. Try PapersPast. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast

Hope that helps,
Alan

[Orlaith17]

Thanks for replies and links everyone. This relative was in the British army prior to his emigrating to NZ. I have him on Military Medal Cards on Ancestry.com. He was a member of the Kings Own Scottish borderers. But would love to know more about why he was awarded the Military Medal.

[Currie]

Hello Orlaith,

From your previous posts I’m guessing that this is the fellow you’re asking about. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.u ... i=D3883358

About two thirds of British Army WW1 soldiers’ personnel records were destroyed during WW2 bombing. What has survived is available at Ancestry. I don’t have access there, but I can’t easily see anything else in the index for him apart from the medal info.

The files of soldiers who remained in the Army after 1920 are still with Ministry of Defence but I don’t think we are looking at that situation here.

His award was notified in the London Gazette on 18 October, 1917. You’ll see him towards the bottom of the first column as a Lance-Corporal from Glasgow. There are about 15 pages of MM winners, and they are headed: “His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to award the Military Medal for bravery in the Field to the undermentioned Non-Commissioned Officers and Men.” http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/ ... ents/10724

The medal card may be hard to interpret but should give clues perhaps as to the battalion he served in, when he first entered the theatre of conflict, whether he was wounded, etc. The Long Long Trail site has a series of pages on researching a soldier and you’ll find one there about interpreting the info on a medal index card. They say that it is rare to find a Military Medal citation. http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/grandad.htm

Given that the event that led to the award probably took place some months previously it may be possible to get an idea of where his battalion was stationed, and whether there were any named battles around that time, but it wouldn’t have had to have been a particular battle because there were always activities going on in the trenches that could earn a bravery award. The KOSB had quite a few battalions during WW1. http://www.1914-1918.net/kosb.htm

Hope that helps,
Alan