Silver War Badge

[pat fowles]

Hi Everyone.... Does anyone know if there are further records for men awarded the Silver War Badge? I have the record saying my man was awarded one, but can't find anything else. I've looked at all the usual sites and TNA. Looking for G I Hadwin (George Israel), Service Number: 405776, Badge Number:419438.
According to my late Nana, George (Grandad) was gassed in France, so I was hoping to find the reason he was given the Silver War Medal. He died in 1921 in a Sanitorium from TB according to his death cert....Thanks

[Peter Goodey]

Does anyone know if there are further records for men awarded the Silver War Badge?

"Further records" is a bit difficult when you don't say what records you've actually found. The Silver War Badge list states he was discharged in May 1918 on account of sickness, not wounds. Since he died three years later of TB and there's no evidence of a pension claim, I'd say the balance of probabilities is that he was discharged due to TB.

If no service record has survived, I don't see how you can find out any more.

[Lesley Robertson]

His medal card shows that he was awarded the Victory and British medals, but not the Star awarded to men who served in 1914 or 1915, so he was in the army for less than 18 months. I assume that you know that he was in the Liverpool Regt?

TB was very common in the early 20th century, both in the cities and in the trenches. Being gassed could either have made it flare up, or made his lungs vulnerable to the bug if he didn't already have it...

[pat fowles]

His record states that he enlisted on 11 Dec 1915 and was discharged on 01 May 1918.
The record I am trying to find is the reason for his discharge ie was he gassed. The abbreviations on his record mean 'no longer physically fit'.

[Lesley Robertson]

That fits - he would have been in training rather than serving at the Front until 1916.
His death certificate should show the cause of death.

[Peter Goodey]

He was discharged due to sickness. Wouldn't gassing be "wounds" not "sickness"?

If his sickness was attributable to his army service he would have been eligible for a pension. There is no record in WO364 that I can see. Have you explored the availability of clinical records from the hospital where he died? The Western Front Association holds the pension record cards but I gather they have stopped doing lookups.

I'll repeat what I said before - from currently available sources, there is no evidence of gassing and the likeliest reason for discharge is the TB from which he died a few years later.

[ForcesVeteran]

He was discharged due to sickness. Wouldn't gassing be "wounds" not "sickness"?

If his sickness was attributable to his army service he would have been eligible for a pension. There is no record in WO364 that I can see. Have you explored the availability of clinical records from the hospital where he died? The Western Front Association holds the pension record cards but I gather they have stopped doing lookups.

I'll repeat what I said before - from currently available sources, there is no evidence of gassing and the likeliest reason for discharge is the TB from which he died a few years later.

Unfortunately over 98% of WW1 Medical records were destroyed shortly after WW1. Only 2% remain available. It may be impossible to ascertain if he was discharged due to complications from an earlier gas attack or simply from contracting TB.

Maybe the Unit War Diary lists him as a casualty from such a Gas attack, the diaries are held by the National Archives and some Regimental Museums also hold copies.

Perhaps try obtaining these diaries, they may provide further details of the gas attack.