Author Topic: Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)  (Read 2108 times)

Offline MacGrigor

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Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)
« on: Tuesday 13 March 18 10:11 GMT (UK) »
Hello,

I have just found a medal roll card for my great-grandad, Alexander McGregor. He was a private in the Middlesex Regiment during the Great War. He was born in 1895, in Hornsey, to Alexander and Helen Sarah MacGregor before the family name change. I know little of his service other than the battalions he served in. The card has some sort of reference to the medal he was awarded and appears to be linked to some other reference book. Can anyone use this to find out any more about his military service?

Thanks,

Adam
Lipman family of Aldgate - ends with Lewis Lipman (d. 1871, Bethnal Green), son of John Lipman 'late of Glasgow' (1856)
McGregor family of Fodderty - ends with Alexander McGregor (b. 1765, Fodderty), son of Murdoch McGregor and Kate Stewart

Offline KGarrad

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Re: Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 13 March 18 10:21 GMT (UK) »
What you have is his Medal Index Card - with the emphasis on Index!

These cards combined the info from various Regimental Rolls (which are the references listed) into a single entry.
There may be a little more information on the Rolls, but not a lot :-\

He doesn't have either the 1914 Star or the 1915 Star, which shows that he enlisted in 1916 or later.
The other 2 medals showed that he did serve abroad.
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline MacGrigor

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Re: Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 13 March 18 10:29 GMT (UK) »
So which medals did he receive and would they have likely been for combat? He served in France but I don't know what he did.

His rank is listed as 'PW' here - presumably Public Works - but he is listed as a private on one record held by the National Archives. Is there a reason for this? And does Public Works mean a soldier or something else?
Lipman family of Aldgate - ends with Lewis Lipman (d. 1871, Bethnal Green), son of John Lipman 'late of Glasgow' (1856)
McGregor family of Fodderty - ends with Alexander McGregor (b. 1765, Fodderty), son of Murdoch McGregor and Kate Stewart

Offline MaxD

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Re: Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 13 March 18 10:36 GMT (UK) »
As referred to already, the references are to the Middlesex British War and Victory medal roll, in his case WO 95/1492,  which shows he served overseas in 18th, 3/10th and 4th Battalions Middlesex in that order.  The PW prefix does indeed mean Public Works Battalions of the Middlesex, the 18th was one such and this shows he started in that battalion and retained the same number in the other battalions.  He went overseas after the end of 1915.

MaxD
I am Zoe Northeast, granddaughter of Maximilian Double.
 
It is with great difficulty I share with you that in the early hours of 07 August 2021, Maximilian passed away unexpectedly but peacefully.

With deep sadness,
Zoe



Double  Essex/Suffolk
Randle/Millington Warwicks
Sokser/Klingler Austria/Croatia


Offline MaxD

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Re: Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 13 March 18 10:40 GMT (UK) »
Didn't answer your other query.  The role of PW battalions is explained here http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=6719

We can't tell from his roll entry when he left 18th Battalion but in any event, the other battalions he went to were straightforward fighting units.

MaxD
I am Zoe Northeast, granddaughter of Maximilian Double.
 
It is with great difficulty I share with you that in the early hours of 07 August 2021, Maximilian passed away unexpectedly but peacefully.

With deep sadness,
Zoe



Double  Essex/Suffolk
Randle/Millington Warwicks
Sokser/Klingler Austria/Croatia

Offline MacGrigor

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Re: Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 13 March 18 10:45 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for all that! I guess I'll never be able to find out everything what with the scarcity of information. At least know I know that he enlisted after 1916 in addition to the battalions he served in.
Lipman family of Aldgate - ends with Lewis Lipman (d. 1871, Bethnal Green), son of John Lipman 'late of Glasgow' (1856)
McGregor family of Fodderty - ends with Alexander McGregor (b. 1765, Fodderty), son of Murdoch McGregor and Kate Stewart

Offline MacGrigor

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Re: Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 13 March 18 11:21 GMT (UK) »
Seeing as the 18th Battalion was 'raised  in London on the 19th of January 1915' and this was his first battalion, would this have been roughly when he joined the battalion or could he have enlisted later?
Lipman family of Aldgate - ends with Lewis Lipman (d. 1871, Bethnal Green), son of John Lipman 'late of Glasgow' (1856)
McGregor family of Fodderty - ends with Alexander McGregor (b. 1765, Fodderty), son of Murdoch McGregor and Kate Stewart

Offline MaxD

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Re: Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 13 March 18 11:36 GMT (UK) »
I'd suggest not.  Had he joined right at the beginning of the formation of the unit, he would have gone to France with them in November.  Really difficult to know when he joined them.  To be accurate, the 18th Battalion was his first overseas battalion, medal rolls etc do not show battalions served in in UK so training in a training battalion at home followed by movement to France after end 1915 is the most likely.  Remember it was 1916 that conscription came in and end 1915 that the Derby scheme was introduced both of which would have got him in late 1915  or 1916.

MaxD
I am Zoe Northeast, granddaughter of Maximilian Double.
 
It is with great difficulty I share with you that in the early hours of 07 August 2021, Maximilian passed away unexpectedly but peacefully.

With deep sadness,
Zoe



Double  Essex/Suffolk
Randle/Millington Warwicks
Sokser/Klingler Austria/Croatia

Offline MacGrigor

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Re: Medal card for Private Alexander G. McGregor (Help)
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 13 March 18 11:59 GMT (UK) »
Thank you very much!

I have two more questions:

1) What areas of Middlesex would members of the 18th have been from

And

2) Are there any other documents I can search for for any clues to his service?
Lipman family of Aldgate - ends with Lewis Lipman (d. 1871, Bethnal Green), son of John Lipman 'late of Glasgow' (1856)
McGregor family of Fodderty - ends with Alexander McGregor (b. 1765, Fodderty), son of Murdoch McGregor and Kate Stewart