laverendrye=WWI medals
Jan 6th, 2009 | 05:06 AM
#1
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laverendrye=WWI medals
I couldn't find the medal on the website you kindly posted for me. I seem to recall a similar medal among the other brother's collection that I donated , so it maybe one that was fiven to every soldier. It carries the portrait of George V and is marked 1914-1918. The engraving is on the rim. LAD is my FIL's initals but it is engraved with his full name.
I remembered I had another medal in a different place and I think I've found his division now, This is marked 1914-15 , is rather star shaped and has 1st Canadian Div and his name on the back.So hopefully now I'll be able to find out where to donate them and a few letters we have.
Thanks for your help.
Have you ever checked out the website, http://www.canadianwarproject.com
I put in one uncle's name and got a full description of his enlistments , the dates of the 5 times he was wounded , even the home address in England which was his mother's residence.
I remembered I had another medal in a different place and I think I've found his division now, This is marked 1914-15 , is rather star shaped and has 1st Canadian Div and his name on the back.So hopefully now I'll be able to find out where to donate them and a few letters we have.
Thanks for your help.
Have you ever checked out the website, http://www.canadianwarproject.com
I put in one uncle's name and got a full description of his enlistments , the dates of the 5 times he was wounded , even the home address in England which was his mother's residence.
Jan 6th, 2009 | 05:07 AM
#2
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Sorry the web address I posted is wrong . The correct on is
http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com
http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com
Jan 6th, 2009 | 06:14 AM
#3
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avalon
It seems to me that the two medals in question are the British War Medal (King George on the front and St. George mounted on a horse with 1914-18 on the reverse) and the 1914-15 Star (star-shaped with crossed-swords with the recipient's details inscribed on the reverse).
You should be able to find these two medals at the website I referred to. These are service medals and not decorations so they will be found under War Medals (1866-1918).
It's clear that your FIL served in the 1st Canadian Division, but if you wish to donate his medals and letters, you would need to know his regiment or corps as the division was a tactical formation and no longer exists. It was composed of 12 infantry battalions and units from a number of corps--artillery, engineers, aignals, army service corps, medical and such. He may have been serving with the divisional headquarters, but his original regiment or corps should have been noted on the medal. (You may be able to find it from his records).
I'm still puzzled by the inscription "GAPC" as it doesn't appear to refer to any 1st Division (or other) unit.
I'm familiar with the Canadian Great War Project site and it is a useful one.
If you are interested in learning more about Canada and the Great War, I throughly recommend the two volumes by Tim Cook, senior historian at the Canadian War Museum: "At the Sharp End" and "Shock Troops". These recent volumes are the first comprehensive history since Nicholson's official history "Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1918" was published in 1962. They are well written and worth reading.
It seems to me that the two medals in question are the British War Medal (King George on the front and St. George mounted on a horse with 1914-18 on the reverse) and the 1914-15 Star (star-shaped with crossed-swords with the recipient's details inscribed on the reverse).
You should be able to find these two medals at the website I referred to. These are service medals and not decorations so they will be found under War Medals (1866-1918).
It's clear that your FIL served in the 1st Canadian Division, but if you wish to donate his medals and letters, you would need to know his regiment or corps as the division was a tactical formation and no longer exists. It was composed of 12 infantry battalions and units from a number of corps--artillery, engineers, aignals, army service corps, medical and such. He may have been serving with the divisional headquarters, but his original regiment or corps should have been noted on the medal. (You may be able to find it from his records).
I'm still puzzled by the inscription "GAPC" as it doesn't appear to refer to any 1st Division (or other) unit.
I'm familiar with the Canadian Great War Project site and it is a useful one.
If you are interested in learning more about Canada and the Great War, I throughly recommend the two volumes by Tim Cook, senior historian at the Canadian War Museum: "At the Sharp End" and "Shock Troops". These recent volumes are the first comprehensive history since Nicholson's official history "Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1918" was published in 1962. They are well written and worth reading.
Jan 6th, 2009 | 07:18 AM
#4
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My old eyes deceived me. It is CAPC. I know he was behind the lines working with the wounded and killed, registering them so they could be located. In fact , that is how he met my MIL. She and her mother came to France trying to locate Uncle Tom. Dad helped them find him, the 2 men became great friends and when Dad went back to England , he and MIL met again and married. It was awhile before they could return to the states as he had lost his citizenship for joining a "foreign" army.
I just remembered I had some old papers in the safe and have now looked at them.
One is his discharge paper and it too list the regiment or corps as CAPC !
The second is a declaration of alien about to depart for the US and lists him as a citizen of Great Britain as of June 1919. Hopefully this is good news for David. His father did not regain his US citizenship until some years after David was born. Now that I've found this he'll be able to get his UK citizenship as it passes thru the father. That will make it easier to stay over 90 days!!
I just remembered I had some old papers in the safe and have now looked at them.
One is his discharge paper and it too list the regiment or corps as CAPC !
The second is a declaration of alien about to depart for the US and lists him as a citizen of Great Britain as of June 1919. Hopefully this is good news for David. His father did not regain his US citizenship until some years after David was born. Now that I've found this he'll be able to get his UK citizenship as it passes thru the father. That will make it easier to stay over 90 days!!
Jan 6th, 2009 | 09:25 AM
#6
Joined: Oct 2003
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avalon
I think the mystery is solved. CAPC was the Canadian Army Pay Corps, and it would fit that you FIL would be working behind the lines as you describe.
The Canadian Army Pay Corps became the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps and existed until 1968 when the Canadian Forces were unified. Members of the Corps became part of the Canadian Forces Logistics Branch at that time.
If you are interested in donating medals or letters, you might get in touch with the CFB Borden Military Museum at CFB Borden, which is the "home" of the Logistics Branch. Alternatively, the Canadian War Museum might be interested in the letters.
I think the mystery is solved. CAPC was the Canadian Army Pay Corps, and it would fit that you FIL would be working behind the lines as you describe.
The Canadian Army Pay Corps became the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps and existed until 1968 when the Canadian Forces were unified. Members of the Corps became part of the Canadian Forces Logistics Branch at that time.
If you are interested in donating medals or letters, you might get in touch with the CFB Borden Military Museum at CFB Borden, which is the "home" of the Logistics Branch. Alternatively, the Canadian War Museum might be interested in the letters.
