TOPIC:

Hello all, I'm new here.

What are the realistic chances of me finding the medals for a Scots Guardsman Pte H Corkhill (or spelled Corkill). H is for Harry?

I think from Ancestry records he was entitled to 7 clasps. Which looks like a big number from auction sites I have been looking at.

I don't think he's on your list of those serving in the Boer War on this website.

I only recently found out his history - He's my g grandfather and died from heart condition caused by stress in WW1.

Does any one know if the Scots Guards have a collection of medals that might just include Harry's?

Thanks in anticiation

Liz

Hello and welcome to this forum,
I think you would be very lucky indeed to find Harry Corkhill's QSA thesedays, would be quite expensive too, a good regt and a very nice medal, if it still exists, you could put an ad in Medal News, the Guards Brigade have a museum at Wellington Barracks in London.
Good luck to you.
Regards Frank

Hello Frank,

Thanks for this. I think a visit to Wellington Barracks is definitely on the cards. I did a massive trawl of the auction sites listed on this website. I found a 6 clasp QSA from a scots guard - not my man but I get you - I think I am looking for a needle in a haystack. Worth a try though eh!

Bye for now
Liz

Lizzy wrote:
I think I am looking for a needle in a haystack. Worth a try though eh!

Bye for now
Liz

Hello Liz......

Never say that as I found a group to a great uncle after it had been sold some time in the 1930's......

Mike

Hello Liz,
The Guards Museum is okay, not the best I have seen, but, worth a visit.
Corkhills medal group, if it still exists, would be really quite expensive, I have not looked in WO100, because his entitlement is shown in WO364, the usual full entitlement to a member of the British Army for the Anglo Boer War is ten clasps on both medals, Corkhill has nine, then there are his Great War medals too!
Regards again Frank

Lizzy wrote: Hello Frank,

Thanks for this. I think a visit to Wellington Barracks is definitely on the cards. I did a massive trawl of the auction sites listed on this website. I found a 6 clasp QSA from a scots guard - not my man but I get you - I think I am looking for a needle in a haystack. Worth a try though eh!

Bye for now
Liz

Hello Frank,
Thanks for looking him up. I have looked again at the records for the Scots Guard medal I found available online (Harry Leather). So through this I found the medals sheet for the KSA - then scanning through for Harry Corkill find two things. First he is down as J Corkill - I typo by the writer I think - as the reg number 836 is the same as Harry's number. Secondly he is entitled to 2 clasps for 1901 and 1902 on the KSA - so as you say that takes him up to nine clasps. If this is unusual is this more likely to be in a collection. Is this story interesting enough to do a piece for Medal News?

I think when its a family member the cost does not really come into it. Harry stayed with the guards in WW1 and was in thre entrenchment battalion. He is seconded to the Royal Engineers, to three different tunneling teams, helping to dig tunnels before and during the battle of the Somme.
He is then buried and gets a gun shot wound in the knee and sent back to Cinder City in Le Havre. It seems he gets put in front of the Assistant Provost Marshall - presumably to check he hasn't shot himself. He is declared not fit for service and is transferred to the ASC. He dies back home in Liverpool and is remembered on the Toxteth Park Cemetary war memorial as a Scots Guard.

He left four children including my grandmother. I didn't know about him at all until the end of last year. She never spoke about him. In fact I only learned of the possible Boer war connection through talking online with some American realtives - descendants of my great aunt. I have paid respects on armistice day for years without knowing about Harry. 2013 will be different.

Ok, going on a bit now. Nice to hear from you.

Liz