Results 1 to 6 of 6
  1. #1
    spison
    Guest

    Default George JONES - 1st Monmouthshire

    Here is a link to an image of my grandfather's medal card. (I know it's correct as both his sons are still alive, my uncle wasn't sure where he'd put the medals and it took ages to find them but the numbers match. Very lucky!) I can't understand what is written in the 'Remarks' column. The other 5 cards - all for George JONES, 1st Monmouthshire - that came with the download have nothing in the Remarks column. Which I believe confirms that it's the right card.

    https://i872.photobucket.com/albums/a...ge19190307.jpg

    Family oral history says that he was wounded and captured at Ypres in 1917 and finished the war as a PoW somewhere in Germany. We actually have an image of him in the camp. He worked on farms [the kommandos?] and from what I've read about the first Monmouthshire I suspect that he was captured in 1915 and that I'm lucky to be here!

    When I am at TNA next month after four days in Ypres (I leave on Monday - Arrr!), I believe that I can read 'J/1/9B' but that is all. I've looked at the TNA - truly I have - but can't seem to find anything.

    So my questions are:
    1. Is the word in the remarks something obvious like discharged, demobilized etc. or something else?
    2. Any other advice on where I can look when I'm at TNA and are there any further clues on the card?
    3. What's the second number (225959) as this doesn't appear on his medals?

    Thanks
    Jane
    Last edited by Kerrywood; 19-08-2011 at 12:01 AM. Reason: full image replaced by link, for copyright reasons

  2. #2
    Knowledgeable and helpful Jellylegs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    985

    Default

    I can't help myself, but The Long, Long Trail site, gives lots of info about interpreting a medal card and also about looking for records at Kew.

    www.
    1914-1918.net/grandad/mic.htm

  3. #3
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    North London
    Posts
    5,147

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by spison View Post
    1. Is the word in the remarks something obvious like discharged, demobilized etc. or something else?
    Disemb(odied). I believe this implies that he left the regular army, but continued to serve in a territorial force.

    Quote Originally Posted by spison View Post
    2. Any other advice on where I can look when I'm at TNA and are there any further clues on the card?
    The medal roll references (J/1/105B and J/1/9B3 ?) will lead you to the medal rolls themselves in WO 329, which can be seen at Kew. These may give you his unit. With that information, you can then look for the relevant war diary in WO 95, which may describe the action that he saw.

    For how to convert the roll references to WO 329 piece numbers, have a look at this page of TNA Documents Online.

    For how to interpret medal index cards in general, this page may be helpful.
    www.
    1914-1918.net/grandad/mic.htm

    Quote Originally Posted by spison View Post
    3. What's the second number (225959) as this doesn't appear on his medals?
    Someone more knowledgeable than I will no doubt be along soon.

  4. #4
    spison
    Guest

    Default

    Steep learning curve here!

    Quote Originally Posted by Kerrywood View Post
    Disemb(odied). I believe this implies that he left the regular army, but continued to serve in a territorial force.
    Knowing what that abbreviation meant has helped a lot as it allowed me to search the LLT. The 6 digit number (225959 in his case) I'm pretty sure means that he had enlisted in a Territorial Force sometime after 1908 and was part of the 1917 renumbering. Territorial Forces are something I've heard about and never really understood. - I'm working on the understanding.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kerrywood View Post
    ...medal roll references (J/1/105B and J/1/9B3 ?) ...
    I thought the first reference was 'T' but I still can't find it. J/1/9B3 I could find. As close as I could get though was on WO329/2862. I'm pretty sure I did it right.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kerrywood View Post
    For how to interpret medal index cards in general, this page may be helpful.
    www.
    1914-1918.net/grandad/mic.htm
    Thanks Kerrywood and Jellylegs for that but I'd already tried and it didn't help much at all. LLT is a really useful site. I just keep getting lost as it's all so new (for me).

    Kerrywood: Thanks for getting rid of the image. I meant to put the link. I should have fixed it myself.

    Feel free to add any other words of wisdom.
    Jane

  5. #5
    Procat
    Guest

    Default

    Many men were issued with multiple numbers as they moved around regiments and units. You will find an excellent explanation here:

    https://www.
    1914-1918.net/grandad/findnumber.html

  6. #6
    spison
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by spison View Post
    ...I believe that I can read 'J/1/9B' but that is all. I've looked at the TNA - truly I have - but can't seem to find anything.
    With the help of the wonderful assistance desk at TNA I have now viewed the medal rolls - both of them. The staff took one look at the TNA website for the Monmouthshire Regiments rolls and went straight to the old red paper folders to find what I needed! (It was good to know that it wasn't just me who had trouble with the online version.)

    George was a rifleman and the diaries are dreadful to read! He was with the 28th Battalion and was in the Ypres salient during the attacks of the 6th and 8th May 1915 during the chlorine gas attacks on the Canadians. While the diaries only name officers and what happened to them, I feel reasonably confident that this is when he was captured as 600-odd men were taken prisoner during this battle.

    Jane

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Select a file: