Dear all

I'm not so familiar with the UK index cards reading and I would like to be confirmed that my reading of the attached card is the correct one:

Here is the index card of

- George F Gladman
- Unit : 1st batallion of 9th London Regiment
- Regimental number: 1351
- Grade at the beginning of the war : Private
- Grade at the end of the war : Sergent
- Enlisted : 11th of April 1914
- Entitled to BWM - Victory Medal - 14 star with 'clasp' (probably 5th August/22th November clasp I guess)

Is my reading correct ?

What is this number "390020" ? I really do't understand what is written about the clasp -above also and on the right about (Roll)...

Any other information about the guy ?

I would be grateful for any help about how to read such documents. I'm currently bothering abroad far from my collection but with list and pictures so I decided to try to identify all my UK and Commonwealth awards and campaign medals as a temporary hobby...

Many thanks in advance for your help and best regards to all other foreign fellow collectors.

D

Hi,

1/9 is a Territorial Battalion. In 1917 numbers were changed from 4 digit to 6 digits. You will find this with most British Territorial units

Jim

I have also had a quick look for his papers, but I can`t find them

Jim

Further, I have found some information.

He lived at:

Borovere,
The Chase
Pinner
Middlesex.

He was awarded the Territiorial Efficiency medal on 13th June 1924 and was placed on the 7th London Reserve in 1923

That is all I can find

Jim

Great Jim!!Just great you can tell me more about my Gladman :- )) Thank you again.
But did I read correctly about the 14 star with the bar...?Kind regardsD

Yes, he was entitled to the Nov bar as he was in France 4/11/14.

1/9 later formed part of 56th Division and were known as the Queen Victoria Rifles. This unit fought at Gommecourt on 1st July 1916

First World War
August 1914

• 1st London Infantry Brigade
  
  
  
  • 1st London Regiment
    
  • 2nd London Regiment
    
  • 3rd London Regiment
    
  • 4th London Regiment
    


• 2nd London Infantry Brigade
  
  
  
  • 5th London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade)
    
  • 6th London Regiment
    
  • 7th London Regiment
    
  • 8th London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)
    


• 3rd London Infantry Brigade
  
  
  
  • 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles)
    
  • 10th London Regiment
    
  • 11th London Regiment
    
  • 12th London Regiment (The Rangers)
    


• 2nd County of London Yeomanry
  
• 1st City of London Brigade RFA
  
• 2nd London Brigade RFA
  
• 3rd London Brigade RFA
  
• 4th London Brigade RFA
  
• 1st London Field Company Royal Engineers
  
• 2nd London Field Company RE
  

In January 1916 the War Office authorised the re-formation of the London Division, now to be known as the 56th, in France.
The Division began to concentrate in the Hallencourt area on 5 February and was largely completed by 21 February. It then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:
The diversionary attack at Gommecourt (1 July)*
The Battle of Ginchy (9 September)*
The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 -22 September)*
The Battle of Morval (25-27 September)* in which the Division captured Combles
The Battle of the Transloy Ridges (11 - 9 October)*



Jim

Thank you very much again Jim. Just great what you found out again about "my" Gladman. Thanks to you, he and his fellow camrades are back from the past...

I used to live in Peronne and know a bit about the battle for Combles. I can even tell you that I know there a private water pit that was fullfilled with German bodies just after the war and that they are still there by hundreds. When I was living there (early 80's) one local postman in its 50's, living in Combles, used to sleep with a german skull on its bed table...Case of very bad French taste.

Thank again for all this precious information. Will keep it along with its medals.

If we are back to "my" Gladman. I didn't found it Territorial Efficiency Medal but found his WW1 trio 20 years ago for sale in Paris. I was always in doubt he could have been entitled to the Mons bar as the only thing an Australian friend found about him was that its unit came very lately on the frontline in 1914 so that I was not sure he could have been under the ennemy fire before 22th of November 1914. It means that he found a mean to be under ennemy fire between 4th and 22th of November. Surely one of the last Mons bar attributed...

Thanks to the national archives and your precious information I'm now sure he got it.

Here is his 14 Star with Mons bar. In memory of a brave English soldier.

Thanks again.
D

Hello

Nice and scarce star! Thank you for sharing!

Aye
Bison

De rien Mr le Bison. J'apprécie toujours vos messages.Très bonne soirée à vous.

Lovely 1914 star and bar. which to me is probably the most important UK medal of WW1

I have a great interest in the diversionary attack at Gommecourt in 1916 as my home town Territorials fought with 46th North Midland Division on the other side of the Gommecourt salient.

If you need any information on that battle please get in touch with me.

I am pleased to have been of assistance

Regards

Jim

Thank you again for you help Jim.

Attack at Gommecourt took place on the very first day,1st of July ? Isn't it?

Bad day for everybody. Still amazed by the end of day figures for UK. 57.000...
I can guess it was not better for the Queens Victoria rifles at Gommecourt. A thought again for Private Gladman...

Like I'm still amazed that ones could swept out 20.000 lives on one side and in one single day under French Empire with bayonets, sabers and single shot weapons...What an energy ! And a nightmare.

Best regards,

D

The diversionary attack at Gommecourt is of particular interest to me as the northern shoulder of the salient was attacked by men from my home town of Tamworth as part of the 1/6 North Staffordshire Regiment.

The 56th Division made much better ground than the 46th , but reinforements were cut off by a box barrage and the attacking troops killed or captured in a German counter attack.

The battlefield has changed little and I have walked it many times. It is ture, that the opening day of the Somme , 1st July 1916 was indeed the darkest day in British army history. Pity that we nations never learn, and like all nations in that war, a great generation was lost, whether it be on the Somme, Verdun, Chemin des Dames or Flanders. We shall never see their like again, that is for sure!!!

Jim