British Victory Medals of the Great War

Sunday, 11 June 2023

WW1 Victory Medal to 702784 Pte Frederick Gutteridge of the 23rd London Regiment, twice wounded, featured in British Jewry Book of Honour

Pte Frederick Gutteridge served with the 23rd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment. This was a Territorial infantry unit, which formed part of the 142nd Brigade, 47th (2nd London) Division. He served under the Regimental number 702784, within the number bloc allocated to the 23rd Battalion. He may have joined up circa June 1916. He went overseas to the France and Flanders theatre on 5 January 1917, probably (given that the 2/23rd was serving in Salonika at the time) there joining the strength of the 1/23rd Battalion; the British Jewry Book of Honour confirms this assumption. The 1/23rd battalion had been out in France and Flanders from March 1915, seeing active service at Festubert and Loos in 1915, on the Somme (at High Wood and Eaucourt L'Abbaye) in 1916 and Messines, Ypres, and Cambrai (being involved in the capture of Bourlon Wood and then the subsequent counter-attack) in 1917, followed by the Somme again in 1918. Pte Gutteridge’s date of entry would have put him in line to take part in all of the 1917 actions.

Pte Gutteridge was wounded twice, the first time probably in late March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive. The battalion had just gone into divisional reserve at Metz when the Battle of St Quentin opened in the early morning of 21 March 1918 and found itself manning switch trenches before being moved forward to form a defensive flank north of Gouzeaucourt Wood on the night of the 22nd and then back to Metz Switch in the early hours of the 23rd, from which it repelled frequent enemy attacks until forced to withdraw via Equancourt and Valhuart Wood. The 24th and 25th saw the battalion being forced back across the old Somme battlefields of 1916 including Le Transloy, High Wood, Contalmaison and Bazentin-le-Petit, and beyond, finally billeting at Warloy at 1.30am on 28 March and then taking up positions at Martinsart on the 29th-31st. Casualties for the period 21-26 March were estimated at 1 officer and 19 other ranks killed, 8 officers and 94 other ranks wounded, and 8 officers and 141 other ranks missing. 4 April saw the battalion relieve the 22/Londons in the front line at Aveluy Wood, just in time to take part in further fierce fighting on 5 April during which the battalion, now reduced to 5 officers and 150 men, was pushed out of the wood. It was finally relieved from its positions on 7 April and was not committed to action again that month. It is almost certainly in the course of the actions during the Battle of St Quentin and following that Pte Gutteridge was wounded. As 702784 Private Gutteridge, F, London Regiment, he was listed as Wounded in War Office Daily List No.5560, Report Date 8 May 1918, being entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6 July 1916 in consequence. The list confirmed his Next of Kin Address as Seven Sisters Road, London N.

He was again listed as Wounded in War Office Daily List No.5681, Report Date 27 Sep 1918, thereby entitling him to wear a second "Wound Stripe". Presuming (per medal roll entry) that he returned to his battalion after recovering from his wound, this was probably in the course of the great Allied counter-offensive commencing August 1918. The beginning of August saw the battalion in Brigade Reserve at Millencourt, spending the next fortnight in and out of the line at Henecourt, Marett Wood, and Morlancourt, suffering a small amount of casualties on 13, 14, 15, 16 and 18 August, before taking part in the attack on 22 August, the second Battle of the Somme, in which 261 other rank casualties were incurred. On 25 August 1918 Pte Gutteridge was posted home, most probably due to wounds incurred in the 22 August assault, after just under one year and eight months' overseas service. Given the date of his Casualty List entry, it is likely that there was only a very short interval of time between his being wounded and sent home. It is not clear whether he went overseas again to join his battalion, which during the closing stages of the war was taking part in the Final Advance in Artois, taking Lille and Tournai.

He would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal, representing his full entitlement, some time after October 1920. Pte Gutteridge, his regimental number incorrectly given as 70784, is listed in the London Regiment section of the British Jewry Book of Honour, 1914-1920, as Pte. GUTTERIDGE, F., 1/23rd Battalion.

A rare rank and appointment to appear in medal naming: 823 and T4/037782 Wheeler-Staff Sergeant A H Ruffell, Army Service Corps

823 and T4/037782 Wheeler-Staff Sergeant A H Ruffell, Army Service Corps

Arthur Henry Ruffell was born circa 1891/2 in Deptford, London. In 1911 he was living at 31A Dalmain Road, Forest Hill, Lewisham, 19 years old and a carpenter. By 1914 he was a wheeler working for the Darracq Motor Works in Fulham and living at 25 Dalmain Road with his wife Emily, whom he had married at Lewisham Registry Office on 2 August 1913. He had two children, Emily and Arthur George Ernest. Arthur first attested for the 1st London Division Army Service Corps at Plumstead on 17 August 1914, aged 23 years 3 months and was given the regimental number 823. At that time his height was recorded at 5 feet 7 ¼” and his chest measurement as 33”; his physical development was recorded as ‘good’. He then re-enlisted into the 28th Divisional Train ASC, Regular Army, on 8 December 1914 at Maresfield, East Sussex, receiving his new number of T4/037782. Interestingly, his measurements had changed to 35” chest measurement and 5’ 9” height. He gave as his next of kin his wife, Emily. Whilst he attested as a Driver with 170 Company ASC, he was immediately promoted Staff Sergeant Wheeler, in which capacity he would have overseen the repair of wheels and woodwork of carts and wagons.

He proceeded overseas to the France and Flanders theatre on 17 January 1915, thus being entitled to the 1914-15 Star. His rank (and appointment) at the time was Wheeler Staff Sergeant and this is impressed on the reverse of the Star, which he would probably have received some time in November 1919.

His unit upon entry into theatre was the Headquarters Company of the 28th Divisional Army Service Corps, which would have involved him in support for the Battles of Second Ypres and Loos in 1915 as part of the 28th Division’s Divisional Train. The divisional train comprised a headquarters and four Horse Transport Companies, charged with baggage transport as well as carrying stores and supplies (including ammunition) from the divisional refilling point (brought from the divisional railhead by motorised transport) to the transport of the brigades of infantry and artillery and other attached units – divisional troops such as engineers, etc – to be taken over by the units’ quartermasters. Other duties included occasional carrying duties for Royal Engineer Stores and drawing horses from the ASC Remounts depots.

On 23 November 1915 W-SSgt Ruffell was posted to the 33rd Divisional Train (33rd Division Army Service Corps). For the 33rd Division, the Train was made up of the 170th, 171st, 173rd and 8th Horse Transport Companies, A.S.C. The first three of these Companies were originally raised to serve with the 28th Division, and accompanied it overseas between 15 and 17 January 1915, before being transferred to the 33rd Division in November 1915. It is not entirely clear which unit within the 33rd Divisional Train W-SSgt Ruffell served with for the majority of his overseas time, however by March 1918 his leave to the UK was being authorised by the Officer Commanding 1 Coy, 33 DT, which would presumably indicate 170th Company ASC. Certainly by 1919 the 170th was the Company he was serving with. With the 33rd Division he would have been involved in support for the Battles of the Somme in 1916, Arras and Passchendaele in 1917, and the Lys and the Final Advance in Flanders in 1918.

His entry on the London Borough of Lewisham Absent Voters List for 1918 read as follows:

Rank W S/Sgt.

Electoral Date 1918

Electoral Place London Borough of Lewisham, Lewisham, London, England

Regiment 33rd Div., A.S.C.

Service Number T4/037782

The list gave his address as 25 Dalmain Road, in the Forest Hill Ward of Lewisham West Division.

He was discharged upon demobilisation to the Army Class ‘Z’ Reserve (established to provide for the easy call-up of men in the event of resumed hostilities with Germany) on 18 July 1919, having passed through the Dispersal Unit at Crystal Palace. At the time he was on the strength of 170 Company ASC.

He would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medals, impressed with his rank of Staff Sergeant, some time after March 1920.

Saturday, 27 May 2023

Pte Ernest Raison ('Raisin'), Infantry Labour Company, Lincolnshire Regiment and Labour Corps

Ernest Raison (also listed as 'Raisin' in some records), Lincolnshire Regiment and Labour Corps

Name: Ernest Raisin [Raison]

Gender: Male

Rank: Private

Record Type: Disability

Birth Date: 1881

Lived: House 6 Court 9, East Street, Derby

Served with the Lincolnshire Regiment (Regimental Number 46009) and Labour Corps (Regimental number 28555)

Would have gone overseas after 31 December 1915, most probably in early 1917.

Almost certainly served with the 9th Infantry Labour Company, Lincolnshire Regiment.

The Lincolnshire Regiment hosted 19 Infantry Labour Companies for work on the lines of communication overseas, mostly comprised of men medically rated as unfit for combat duty.

He would have remained with it until the Labour Corps was formed, when new regimental numbers were issued to the men and the Company was retitled the 48th Labour Company upon transfer to the new Corps.

The 450-man Labour Companies of the Labour Corps were employed all along the forward areas running behind the front line on a range of labouring and other tasks ranging from road mending and ammunition loading to drainage, ditching and sanitation.

Subsequently served with 904 Area Employment Company, Labour Corps. Labour Corps Area Employment Companies were formed in 1917 for salvage work behind the lines, absorbing the Divisional Salvage Companies, and also undertook a range of other duties in their dedicated area.

He survived the war and was discharged 10 April 1919. He was subsequently pensioned due to Chronic Bronchitis, attributable to service. His pension was initially set at 8/3 weekly for one year and continued at varying rates until at least 1922. He married after the war.

On 22 December 1920 he was given a grant of £25 towards purchasing a pony and barrow for hawking (street selling).

Full medal entitlement British War Medal and Victory Medal, received some time after August 1921.

Sunday, 21 May 2023

WW1 RE Railway Construction Victory Medal to Spr Platelayer Charles E Wright from King's Lynn

£20 posted Researched WW1 RE Railway Construction Victory Medal Platelayer Wright from King's Lynn

A British Victory Medal correctly impressed 210101 Spr C E Wright RE

Comes with a printed out research write-up as below.

The medal, which is moderately patinated with some original finish, comes with an original length of silk ribbon, sewn at the top edge as worn. As it probably was put on by the man himself I have not tampered with it. I am happy to supply an additional length of modern ribbon upon request, but please tell me in advance of paying if so.

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210101 Spr Charles Edward Wright, Railway Troops, Royal Engineers.

Charles Edward Wright was a platelayer in civilian life. Born circa 1884/5, he was from King's Lynn. He attested his willingness to serve under the ‘Derby’ or ‘Groups’ Scheme of Deferred Enlistment on 10 December 1915 aged 31 years 10 months. He was married with four children born between 1909 (Henrietta Alice) and 1915 (Richard La Bassee). Charles was mobilised on 9 November 1916 and served as a Sapper under the Service Number 210101 with Royal Engineers, in the RE Railway Troops, working on railway construction.

Rail construction was considered a crucial role as rail was the principal means employed by the British Army to move the vast quantities of men, munitions and supplies required to fight a modern war, and expanding the rail network behind the British lines was rightly regarded as essential. The Railway Construction Companies' function therefore was to expand upon the remaining rail network still in Allied hands in France and Flanders. As well as laying freight and passenger track to this end, the work entailed bridge building, laying of spurs for railway guns, making sidings and constant repair and maintenance in the face of enemy shelling and aerial bombardment. At the peak of operations there were 45 standard gauge rail companies established and operating, most in France and Flanders, up from an establishment of five companies as at the outbreak of war. 180,000 men were enlisted into the Railways branch, of whom 40,000 were ex-railway employees.

Spr Wright went overseas 16-17 January 1917, most probably with the 269th Company, raised at Longmoor and itself going overseas on 17 January. "Once in France, the sappers would be assigned to a Construction Train, of which there were eight in operation in mid-1915. Each Construction Train would have a complement of up to two complete Railway Companies, with a Captain as officer commanding the train. This enabled the sappers to carry both themselves and all their necessary tools and equipment to and from wherever the next work was required. The Companies would pitch tents for accommodation, as required."

Wright was assessed as an efficient platelayer on joining. Whilst overseas he served with both the 269th Railway Company, Royal Engineers and the 263rd Company (which went overseas on 26 April 1917). He was stated in one source to be a boilermaker, but according to his service papers was rated a 'Superior' and then 'Very Superior' Platelayer, with the accompanying increases in Corps pay. In due course he also served under the revised RE number WR/261535.

After the war Sapper Wright was sent home for demobilisation 19 October 1919, being demobilised the following month. His military character was given as 'Very Good'. He made an application for a pension for Rheumatism, which was not successful. For his service he was entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal, receiving them circa May 1922.

Illustration: France. c. 1918. British Army Royal Engineers building a new railway. (Donor British Official Photograph D360). Australian War Memorial image H08925