Author Topic: Mauritius Labour Battalion Pvte J. Olivier no. 1098  (Read 793 times)

Offline leswal

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Mauritius Labour Battalion Pvte J. Olivier no. 1098
« on: Tuesday 15 May 18 09:43 BST (UK) »
Hi, I am trying to trace my Mauritian great uncle Jean (or Joseph) Raoul Olivier born about 1888. He served in WW1 and I have found a medal card for a J. Olivier number 1098 but without the service record I cannot confirm that I have actually found the right person. Does anyone know whether the service records for this particular battalion were actually kept here or would they have been held in Mauritius? I realise that if they were here then they were quite possibly destroyed but does that mean that the medal cards were held separate from the service records and therefore survived. Noone knows what happened to him but it was rumoured that he was killed in an air crash????? The medal card does not show that he died, his date of birth just J. Olivier who was awarded the BWM and VM with clasp for Kurdistan. Can anyone help please???

Offline ShaunJ

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Offline leswal

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Re: Mauritius Labour Battalion Pvte J. Olivier no. 1098
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 15 May 18 18:02 BST (UK) »
yes thank you Shaun. That is the one, although the birth record I have says Jean Raoul Olivier. This is the only record I can find for him, other than the medal record that I have just found. I cannot find a death record or an immigration record. Noone saw him or knows what happened to him after the war.

Offline ShaunJ

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Re: Mauritius Labour Battalion Pvte J. Olivier no. 1098
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 15 May 18 18:06 BST (UK) »
Per the medal card he was awarded the General Service Medal with Kurdistan clasp. Per Wikipedia:

"This clasp was awarded for the following:
At Kirkuk or north of a line east and west through Kirkurk between 23 May and 31 July 1919.
At Dohok or north of a line east and west through Dohok between 14 July and 7 October 1919.
North of the advanced bases near Akra and Amadia between 7 November and 6 December 1919.
The 1924 Army Order No. 387 and Army Instruction (India) No. 132 of 1925 extended eligibility for this clasp to cover further operations in Kurdistan:
Operations under Air Marshal Sir J.M. Salmond or Colonel Commandant B. Vincent between 19 March and 18 June 1923.
Operations under Colonel Commandant H.T. Dobbin between 27 March and 28 April 1923."

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Offline leswal

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Re: Mauritius Labour Battalion Pvte J. Olivier no. 1098
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 15 May 18 18:13 BST (UK) »
Wow that's interesting. I am looking for ideas on how to confirm the identity of the chap on the medal card as I am not 100% sure he is my J.Olivier.