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Inscription on Military Medal - help please
Posted:
Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:29 pmby wulliam
Dear All,
this is my first posting on this site - so please bear with me!
I have just received the very generous gift of my great-grandfathers WW1 medals:
Military Medal
British War Medal
Victory Medal
I am intrigued by part of the inscription on the rim of the MM:
29992 Cpl F.W.Ashman. 17Worc R.
Can anyone enlighten me as to the 17??
I know that he was in the 1st Battalion - is the 17 some reference to a smaller group within the Battalion?
Kind regards,
William
Posted:
Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:13 pmby wulliam
Mystery over - the "7" is actually a "/" with a small dent making look it look a little like a "7".
Thanks for looking!
William
Posted:
Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:45 pmby scully
Glad to see you solved it. Corporal Frank Williams Ashman (29992) of the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment received the Military Medal in 1919 at the end of the First World War. It is recorded in the London Gazette on the 17th June 1919.
Regards,
Louis
Posted:
Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:55 pmby wulliam
Thanks Louis!
However, his name was actually Frank William Ashman - no 's' on the William
Kind regards,
William
Cpl. Frank Ashman
Posted:
Fri Jan 26, 2007 10:46 amby Mike Jones
Hello William, Glad you have solved the problem and come back so quickly to let us know. I had all the books out looking Frank up and I was looking for him in the 17th Battalion, which the Worcesters did have. No wonder I could not find him. My question is please, other than the medal , how did you know he was in the 1st battalion and do you know what act of bravery he did to win the medal? The date of the Gazette, 17.6.1919, is usually around 3 months after the deed, so it was very late in the war. Regards Mike
Posted:
Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:55 pmby wulliam
Hi Mike,
thanks for your reply. The gazette of his MM states the 1st Bn and varous documents I have from the time all confirm this.
It appears that the citation for his MM was destroyed (during WW2?). My Nanna tells me that he received it for saving the life of a man with surname Dent - I don't know any more but would love to!
Frank was gassed during April 1918 - and wheezed badly until he died in the 1990's - but, as you say, presumably gained the MM at the very end of the war.
As well as the medals, I have been given the gift of relevant documents: when he enlisted, de-mobbed and a reference as to his conduct. Also three metal badges, his corporal stripes and regimental tie. I cannot yet believe that I have these - feel very privileged. The fact that I knew him until I was about 16 is special too!
Kind regards,
William