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  1. #1

    Default I need help with the codes !!

    I recently found my grandfathers silver war medal. I've accessed some information from another site but I can't understand the codes.
    It tells me that he received victory medal and star and the codes are J/1/101 , J/19B1 and then it says SWB J/273/1 France.
    Can somebody decipher what it means please....

  2. #2
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
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    The J/ codings are simply the reference numbers in the medal rolls themselves, which are held at the National Archives.

    SWB is the Silver War Badge, which you have, awarded to men discharged early through illness or disability.

    There's more help with WW1 medals on this page.

  3. #3
    KevinW4
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    Hi, hampshire hog
    To have the Star means that your grandfather served in a Theatre of War (in his case France) before Jan 1916.
    He should have both the Victory and British War medals (The BW and V are usually on the same Medal Roll (as you show for the Victory medal).
    To have a Silver War Badge meant he was discharged from the Army as no longer able to perform the duties required of a soldier.
    Do you know what his wounds were? Obviously severe. As explained, the references you quote from his Medal Index Card refer to the Medal Rolls which will tell you in which battalion(s) he served, not just his Regimental Number, as per MIC. You need to look at the Medal Rolls at Kew for that information, it's not available on line.
    That may help you narrow down where or when he might have been wounded, if you want to know that.
    Perhaps providing his Name and Number (Don't tell him, Pike!) may allow more knowledgeable members of the forum to give you a better understanding of where and what he went through.
    Alternatively you might find his Service or Pension papers to be in the small percentage saved from destruction in WW2.

  4. #4
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    Alternatively you might find his Service or Pension papers to be in the small percentage saved from destruction in WW2.
    A high proportion of pension records (WO 364) have survived. This is because the records were not at Arnside Street in 1940.

  5. #5

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    My grandfathers name was John O'LEARY, he served with the South Wales Borderers and his number was 23179. His card says that he joined up on 3/12/1915 and was discharged on 13/12/1917

  6. #6
    KevinW4
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    He actually joined up some months earlier, at least, as he entered a Theatre of War on 3rd December 1915, thus qualifying just in time for the 1914-15 Star as well as the British War and Victory medals.
    For him to be discharged, due to the wounds sustained which resulted in him being entitled to the Silver War Badge, in December 1917 probably meant that his wounding was somewhat earlier in 1917, as it would take some months for the severity of his wounds and his recovery (or lack thereof) to be assessed.
    Have you any information as to what his wounds were?
    You'd need to check the Medal Rolls (as referenced by the codes next to the medal entitlements) which would show what units he served in. From that it might be possible to identify what actions he might have been involved in.
    These men from the CWGC Debt of Honour database, had Regimental Numbers that seem to be close, but maybe not enough to suggest which battalion he was in.
    DYER EW 23194 10TH BN 23/08/1917 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
    EVANS J 23156 2ND BN 05/02/1918 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
    FARQUHARSON W 10/23189 10TH BN 23/01/1916 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
    INCE A 23197 10TH BN 27/08/1918 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
    JAMES JH 23150 10TH BN 10/10/1916 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
    JENKINS WJ 23141 1ST BN 25/09/1916 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
    JONES G 23135 10TH BN 03/02/1916 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
    LEE CV 23111 10TH BN 14/10/1916 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
    WATKINS J 23149 10TH BN 26/08/1917 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
    WHEELER B 23134 10TH BN 03/04/1916 SOUTH WALES BORDERERS

    Whilst checking the Medal Rolls at Kew, also check the Silver War Badge Rolls for any additional information.

  7. #7

    Default

    Many thanks for the input, I contacted the Brecon War Museum and they informed me that he had been injured at Mametz wood

  8. #8
    Valued member of Brit-Gen
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    Hi

    You should perhaps check-out the Long Long Trail website, and particularly the 38th (Welsh) Division in 1914-1918, which shows that both the 10th & 11th (Service) Battalions of the SWB were at Mametz Wood.

    Martin

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