TOPIC:

Morning Ian,
Happy new year to you, can you see a MSM and/or LSGC in the photograph?
What do you suppose the first medal is, at first glance, I thought a QSA, but, now I'm not so sure, the second medal could well be though, there is a good deal of glare in the first photograph, but, I assume a QSA/KSA pair.
I thought the last two ribbon on the bar in the second photograph were a LSGC and an MSM, do you think the first is a QSA.
Looking at that again, I would think a QSA/KSA, a 1914/1914-15 Star, a LSGC and MSM, what do you think?
Supposing that is correct, that just leaves the fourth and fifth medals in the first photograph, which would then have to be a BWM and a AVM.
Regards Frank

LinneyI wrote: Just a thought: do the UK National Archives hold rolls of the LSGC and the MSM? Say before 1918 to fit in with what we SEEM to know. I do realise that a number of F.Clarkes are likely to be on one or the other; but not both! Perhaps someone with deep experience of the NA might be able to advise Susie on this.
Otherwise, given what we don't know, the only hope is to find out what naming is on the medals.
Regards
IL.

Susie,
The LSGC appeared in regimental orders and on a mans papers, although the MSM was gazetted, it would as be worth your while taking a look in WO23 and WO101 for Clarke, in fact from memory, all the immediate ones from, I think, 1915 to about 1928 were also actually published in a book with the actual London Gazette reference and are searchable by name, but, you then would still have to look at the relevant gazette for the particular mans regiment/corps.
So that is one way to go, another is, given your second photograph, which very clearly shows a WO1 in uniform, would be to look at every Frederick/Fredrick John Clarke, every Frederick Clarke and every Frederick J Clark in WO372, as in the second photograph he wears the ribbon for the Star, we can assume the photo is circa 1917 or later, the index cards in WO372 will normally show the highest rank held, whilst actually employed in the service, that would certainly narrow the field, lots of men with that name, but, not many with that particular rank.
Then all that is needed is to take each particular man you have found, look at WO329 for any other information relating to his Great War medals which may not appear in WO372 and search for any surviving papers in WO363 and WO364, but, you should note that a manual search in WO363 is not possible for obvious reasons, a great deal was lost when the Army Records Office was damaged during the blitz.
Now, regarding this latter, I had already looked at the available folio and nobody jumped out at me with this name, but, I based that on the original information that you gave regarding birth details and earlier service in the Suffolk Regiment.
You should also note that some have not been indexed properly and you can, on occasion, find yourself looking at a particular man and upon looking at the next folio, you find yourself looking at a completely different man.
Anyway, easier by far, to just talk to the family and find those medals, not easy things to just loose given they are mounted for wear, but, of course, very easy to pawn or have sold.
Regards Frank

Frank,

I am inclined to agree with you regarding the medals. I will have a closer look, well as much as possible, because as you say, it is difficult.

Kind regards
Ian

Forgive me Frank and everyone , where are my manners.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Frank
For a start, all the best for the New Year.
Now, re your 24561: in the pic with the bowler hat, yes I can see an MSM and LSGC on the end of the second row of his string of medals. Regarding the family pic, there has been a lot of studio "touching up" - especially to obtain a uniform tone on the faces of the subjects. Whatever process has been used, it has also interfered with the appearance of the ribbon bar. Thus, in the family pic, the first ribbon looks to me to be a QSA. To summarise, I think that the medals on the "bowler hat" pic are as I indicated earlier; QSA, KSA, trio, LSGC,MSM.
Perhaps my 24560 should have been subtitled "IL's Forlorn Hope"? (I should say that I am no PRU genius; however at work and up to the BIG R, I did undertake a lot of training in the interpretation of traffic pics for Court work).
Kind regards
IL.

A Close up......

Mike