TOPIC:

I know this is a Boer War site everyone but thought id take a stab in the dark!!
I have a George VI naval service medal to J34331 W J KELLY, ABRN. It has no clasp however included on his service records are badges accorded 2nd Feb 1920 and also 2nd Feb 1925. This would suggest that he is , possibly, one of the very few to have received either Iraq 19/20 or even NW Persia. Or so the gent I bought this off suggested this.
Any ideas how I could find this out?

Thanks

Neil,

We don't often see King George VI mentioned on this forum

There are medal rolls for the General Service Medal with clasps Iraq and NW Persia in the National Archives in WO 100/402. These may be available on live through Ancestry.

Good luck
David

Hello Neil,
The NGS was never awarded without a clasp, but, their LSGC was and William John Kelly is shown in ADM171/142 as being entitled to one of these, it first having been prepared for him , medal number 7429 and sent out to HMS Rodney on the 16th of March 1932, it was presented to him four days later on the 20th of March 1932.
His service in the Great War was aboard HMS Carysfort, as shown in ADM171/107, not as impressive as Rodney perhaps, but, still interesting, as she was part of Alexander Sinclair's force which sailed into the Baltic to chase their "new" Russian enemy, from memory, "As far as my guns shall reach!"
To the best of my knowledge there was no NGS or clasp awarded for this and I suspect the Admiralty regarded it as part of the Great War even though it was 1919.
Kind regards Frank Kelley

neil_j wrote: I know this is a Boer War site everyone but thought id take a stab in the dark!!
I have a George VI naval service medal to J34331 W J KELLY, ABRN. It has no clasp however included on his service records are badges accorded 2nd Feb 1920 and also 2nd Feb 1925. This would suggest that he is , possibly, one of the very few to have received either Iraq 19/20 or even NW Persia. Or so the gent I bought this off suggested this.
Any ideas how I could find this out?

Thanks

Neil
This may be gilding the lily a bit (and my comments are certainly not pertaining to the ABW); however IF William Johm KELLY did serve post Armistice in Russia during 1919-1920 he would most likely have earned at least the BWM and VM. There was no NGS bar issued for operations in that area.
Regards
IL.

Gentlemen,
Perhaps I was not as clear as I should have been, William John Kelly was awarded a 1914-15 star trio for his service during the Great War.
A member of the Royal Navy would be entitled to the BWM for post armistice service in the Baltic in 1919, but, I was only speculating that it may have been extended into 1920, moreover, Kelly had already qualified for it anyway.
Regards Frank

LinneyI wrote: Neil
This may be gilding the lily a bit (and my comments are certainly not pertaining to the ABW); however IF William Johm KELLY did serve post Armistice in Russia during 1919-1920 he would most likely have earned at least the BWM and VM. There was no NGS bar issued for operations in that area.
Regards
IL.

Thanks guys. It was an impulse buy just the fact it has had no clasp did help as I thought it could be a challenge researching it!