Pre-war Royal Field Artillery regular: Dvr H B Chatten

Holder's service details:

Herbert Benjamin Chatten
Regiment or Corps: Royal Field Artillery
Regimental Number: 53640

H B Chatten
Military Year: 1914
Rank: Driver
Medal Awarded: 1914 Star
Regiment or Corps: Royal Artillery (Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery)
Regimental Number: 53640
Sub Unit: 7th Divisional Ammunition Column Royal Field Artillery

Herbert Benjamin Chatten
Military Year: 1914-1920
Rank: Driver
Medal Awarded: British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps: Royal Artillery (Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery)
Regimental Number: 53640
Previous Units: R.F.A. 53640 Dvr.

With 7th DAC. Driver.

Entered France theatre 6 October 1914.
Died of wounds 19 October 1917

Clasp 2/3027 issue voucher 1132/C 8/2/22

Herbert Benjamin Chatten
Gender: Male
Death Date: 19 Oct 1917
Death Place: France
Rank: Driver
Regiment: 7th Div Hd Qrs RFA
Regimental Number: 53640

Gt. Yarmouth, Norfolk
Death Date: 19 Oct 1917
Death Place: France and Flanders
Enlistment Place: Gt. Yarmouth
Rank: DVR.
Regiment: Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery
Regimental Number: 53640
Type of Casualty: Died of wounds
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

Herbert Benjamin Chatten
Age: 27
Birth Date: abt 1890
Death Date: 19 Oct 1917
Cemetery: Cemetery Fr 8 Calais Southern France
Burial Country: France
Father: Fred Chatten
Mother: Alice Chatten
Regiment: Royal Field Artillery
Regimental Number: 53640
Region or Memorial: France

Medal condition:

Extremely Fine. Mounted and framed. Original ribbons. Clasp missing.

NB I am still researching the photograph to establish whether it is likely to be him.

Lloyd George's Welsh Army: Dvr T Davies, Royal Field Artillery, attached 38th (Welsh) Division

Holder's service details:

Thomas Davies
Regiment or Corps: Royal Field Artillery
Regimental Number: W/4643

Entered France theatre 24 December 1915. 38th (Welsh) Division, Royal Artillery.

Thomas Davies
Military Year: 1914-1915
Rank: Driver
Medal Awarded: 1914-15 Star
Regiment or Corps: Royal Artillery (Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery)
Regimental Number: W/4643
Sub Unit: Royal Field Artillery

Thomas Davies
Military Year: 1914-1920
Rank: Driver
Medal Awarded: British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps: Royal Artillery (Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery)
Regimental Number: W/4643
Sub Unit: Royal Field Artillery
Previous Units: R.F.A. W/4643 Dvr

Medal condition:

Very Fine.  Mounted & framed.

XV

A note about the Victory Medal - Dvr S.G. Morgan ASC, Northamptonshire Regiment and Royal Fusiliers

The Victory Medal

The World War One British Victory Medal was awarded to all British service personnel who entered a theatre of war. on the strength of a military unit. The basic design was broadly common to all of the Allies, being of bronze (in the British case initially dull and later gilt) based on a representation of Winged Victory on the obverse, with the words "the Great War for Civilisation" in the appropriate language on the reverse. The British Victory medal was designed by a Mr W. MacMillan, who also designed the British War Medal. The ribbon also was common to the Allied and Associated Powers, being two rainbows joined by the red portion at the middle. It is probably the most commonly found of the British medals of World War One, as the British War Medal (with which it was commonly awarded) being silver, was often sold or pawned and in the 1970s 'silver bubble' was melted down, and hence fewer have survived. It was commonly known as "Wilfred" after the comic strip character, the War Medal being "Squeak" and the Mons/1914-15 Star being "Pip" (also characters in the same strip). The former two on their own were also known as "Mutt and Jeff." Due to the slightly more generous award criteria, more British War Medals were issued that Victory Medals, 6.4 million War Medals to 5.7 million Victory Medals.

The value varies considerably according to condition and to the attribution and history; medals to troops in regiments of the line tend to fetch more than those to Corps members, officers' medals generally fetch more than those of other ranks, medals to casualties will fetch more than to non-casualties, a medal to a 1 July 1916 (First day of the Battle of the Somme) casualty will command a premium compared to a casualty from a day either side, and so on.

Holder's service:

The particular example illustrated belonged to T/2/11413 Driver S.G. Morgan, born 1893, late private of the Northamptonshire Regiment (46695) and 13th battalion Royal Fusiliers (G/65877.) He was also entitled to the British War Medal and 1914-15 Star in recognition of his having entered the French theatre on 29.05.1915. He was discharged under para. 392 xvi of King's Regulations due to sickness (suffering from 20% disabling debility and anaemia) on 27.02.1919 and was entitled to the Silver War Badge.

After the war he lived at 9, Albert Street, Canton, Cardiff; his medal was bought, without suspension ring, from a shop in Cardiff about 95 years after issue.

Medal condition:

Fine, fitted with a new suspension ring and short length of ribbon.