Medals

[reginasmart]

I was wondering which medals, if any, my grandfather would have been entitled. He served in the Newfoundland Forestry Corps during WW1. I have seen a copy of his card, but it didn't scan well originally and is a little hard to read. His name was William McDonald and his regimental number was 8465. The other members of the family have no information on this matter. Thank you very much.

[Lesley Robertson]

Men who reached the battlefields during 1914-1915 would have had the 14 ( or 15) Star. Everyone who served on the "field of war" received the British and Victory medals. If he only served in the UK, he wouldn't have got them.

[christanel]

Hello
both his medal roll index card and service medal and award record are on ancestry.co.uk and are free to view until the end of the year.

Christina

[Peter Goodey]

I have seen a copy of his card, but it didn't scan well originally and is a little hard to read.

The scan of the medal index card on Ancestry is quite legible and shows he was entitled to the British War Medal only. The original medal roll also on Ancestry shows his service overseas was from 28 Mar 1918 to 30 Jan 1919.

[SueNSW]

Bear in mind that Newfoundland is in Canada (though it only became part in 1949 I think)

Service overseas for a member of the NF Forestry Corps may have been in Britain - hence the award of only a British War Medal as Britain wasn't a war zone - but was "overseas" for a man from Newfoundland

Would probably make sense for the OP to check out sources in Canada - or maybe check for more info on the Great War Forum - there are a number of Canadian members and hopefully they would be able to point in the right direction

[reginasmart]

Hello Lesley! Thank you for your reply. That is what I was expecting; however, on his card, I have a digital copy, there is something written there which means something, but I'm not sure what the something is. Across from the word "British" there is the notation "Col." Then there is 103A1 and then 15. These numbers line up with "Roll" and "Page". Can you shed any light on this for me? Thank you very much and have a great day!

[Peter Goodey]

there is the notation "Col." Then there is 103A1 and then 15. These numbers line up with "Roll" and "Page". Can you shed any light on this for me?

You're looking at a Medal Roll Index Card. The title is a clue. The entry that you're asking about is a reference pointing to the appropriate page in the original medal roll.

If you look up your man in the medal rolls which are now online and name indexed via Ancestry, the significance of the reference will become clear.

[reginasmart]

Thank you very much to all who have posted onto this thread. I have found the information I was seeking. Now I can let the rest of the family know that my paternal grandfather merited the British War Medal for his work in the Newfoundland Forestry Corps, and have printed off the page which shows this. Hopefully, this might jog a memory and we might find the medal and have it mounted professionally along with his picture! Thanks again and all the best!!