Interpreting Medal card WW1

[potter9597]

Hello all,

I have been searching for details of a likely medal card for my father. He told me that he lied about his age in order to join up during WW1. His full name was Redvers Edgar Philip Potter born 09/1900. As far as I was aware he served in the Wiltshire Regiment in France and spoke of serving in India and Northern Ireland. He was always reticent about his military time but did admit to "doind time" in the glasshouse!

Ancestry has thrown up a possible match under the name RE Potter. It states that it is a temporary card.
Regiment is shown as RE
Rank shown as Spr - Presumably Sapper (Private) 107480.
Award 1915 star with RE/5B 2857 as the notation.

Scrawled across the card are 2 lines in blue ink with "deleted from above roll auth min 103c RE/2B.

Any help in :-

1. Identifying what the various letters and numbers mean.
2. Opinion as to whether this could the withdrawl of the medal for some trangression on my dad's part.
3. Any suggestions as to where to go from here to discover his military service record.

Thanks in anticipation.

Alan Potter

[potter9597]

Forgot to point out that this may not be my dad at all but just in case it is...........................

Regards

Alan

[grangreet]

Hi
not much help with numbers etc, but my Grandad was in the same regiment at the same time as your man, also in the same places. I used the Wardrobe website from which i found the movement of his particular regiment and an account of happenings on the night he died. Mustard gas shell in the trench apparently.
I managed to get his complete army record fro the Archives at Kew.He signed on in 1903 in Reading and died August 1917 so a large bundle of papers to photcopy, but worth the money invested.
Sorry not really an answer to your quetsion, but the Wardrobe site makes excellent reading if you have not found it already.

[potter9597]

Thanks for the info. I am trying to establish one way or the other which regiment he served in. I have had a look on the wardrobe site - interesting. A couple of their publications look good buys.

What informnation did you have to begin with and how did you go about your research. This is all very new to me.

Regards

Alan

[grangreet]

Hi
I had a copy of a telegram to my Grandma telling her Grandad had been killed, also a 'Certificate' with information of a presentation to him of the Distinguished Conduct Medal at Weymouth Barracks in 1915. Both of these had his Regimental number, Rank and Regiment on. I then found him on the Army records on Ancestry which confirmed his medals, and Army number.
With this info I went to Kew and asked for lots of help about finding his records. I was told because he was an Officer there was a good chance of them having a complete set, apparently only Officer records survived the London Bombings of WW2.After hours of searching amd about 10 minutes before they closed I found them hence having to request photocopies.
If you get to this stage beware my copying cost me £68.
My Mum died several years ago , she told me bits about her Dad but mainly their life abroad with him. In his records it tells about the schooling his children had and their abilities, also their general health etc. That was also very interesting to learn
Will look at yours again at the weekend and see if I can find anything to help on the sites I used.
Best wishes.

[stickymone]

Hi Alan,

have you looked this chap up on the TNA site? the man you have comes up with the christian name "Roland" Sapper Royal engineers

I don't use A...........y so I don't know what other info you have, is it a copy of the original medal card or a transcript?

I see there's a number of medal cards listed for POTTER R.E. none for the the Wilts Reg though.

It looks like you need a trip to the TNA although I suspect his record will be one of the burnt records but you never know you might strike lucky.

Hopefully one of the military guys will pick this thread up and be able to advise you

Regards

Stickymone:)

[apowell]

Hi Alan,

I've had a look at the pension records for your chap but with no luck. The service records are not online yet for the surnames N-Z so it could be possible those records suvived.

I searched the Medal Index Cards and found this chap but it's only going to be guess work without further information.

MIC
Name: Phillip E Potter
Regiment: K R R
Regiment no:R15178
Rank: Private
Medals awarded:
15 Star medal:roll M3B page 845.
Victory medal: roll H/101B/25 page 3212.
British medal: roll H/101B/25 page 3212.
Theatre of war first served in: (1) France
Date of entry there in: 27/10/15
Remarks: Trans Z.A.R

Have you any concrete evidence your chap did serve abroad during the war or could he have been posted abroad just after the war ended. If he was stationed in the UK during the war and posted abroad later no Medals would have been issued.

Maybe he was in Ireland during the war and was posted to India after the war?

I'm also thinking because he was under age could he have given a false name, address and age at enlistment?

I'm wondering do you have any papers, photo's or further information maybe passed down from family members that could help?

Regards
Adrian

[potter9597]

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for that. The most promising so far!
My family circumstances surrounding my father and his parents are a nightmare! I am trying, as I have been for many years, to unravel the threads; quite unsuccessfully I should point out.
My father was always reticent about his past whether he genuinely did not know or did not want me to know I have no way of knowing.
I do know that he, on occasions, recalled stories of his time in France during WW1 but of course at that time I did not see the need to make notes. He also told me that he served in Ireland after the War because I recall him telling me about the reluctance of the British to shoot at soldiers who had in effect served alongside them in the trenches. He also spoke of India and a certain prowess at athletics. He did say that he won a number of cups but these were sold long long ago. He also told me of one occasion he spent in a military prison but not what for.
Sadly all his knowledge, if knowledge it was, has passed with him.

I agree that if he lied about his age, which he professed to have done he may well have used a false name, although his full name was Redvers Edgar Philip Potter so he had plenty to choose from! He was always known as Philip or Phil and it wasn't until I got a copy of his birth certificate after my mother's death in 2002 that I knew he had so many names!

It may be significant that the copy of his birth certificate is dated 24th August 1918 and this could have been obtained at the army's request in connection his service - I don't know. I do have a photograph of my dad, in uniform, with two other soldiers but there are no dates or annotations thereon.

I did find a Wiltshire regimental badge among my mother's possessions which I presumed to have been dad's. If I knew how to attach it I would!!!!

Kind regards

Alan

[Jan1954]

I did find a Wiltshire regimental badge among my mother's possessions which I presumed to have been dad's. If I knew how to attach it I would!!!!

Hello Alan - try this:

1. Take a digital photograph/photographs of the badge
2. Downsload said photographs onto your computer
3. Follow Mary's instructions (http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/showpost.php?p=169563&postcount=1) for using photobucket.

Good luck! ;)

[potter9597]

Thanks for that. I meant to say that I have a photograph of my dad which I couldn't attach. I do not have the badge in my possession unfortunately.

I have uploaded the said photo an album under my user name titled pottering

Regards

Alan