A deliberate mistake? WW1 Canadian Interest.

[kingsman64]

I missed a lot during a live auction which would have been "on theme" bit annoyed with myself and then suddenly a picture of a WW1 trio appeared on the screen, it looked mounted for wear many years ago and was described as a 14-15 Star trio to E M Hall 8th Battalion C.E.F. Despite being very much a Liverpool Regiment collector I was aware of the distinguished war service of the Manitoba Regiment and felt the name may be an easy research option, so I had a punt and won the lot.

I immediately did some initial research and discovered quickly that E M Hall was in fact a Casualty and had died on the 1st December 1918, just a few short weeks after the end of hostilities, the exact cause of death was initially unknown. Research was halted until the group arrived and when it did I had quite a shock! the medals had indeed been mounted for wear a long time ago but as you can see all was not as it first appeared.

The 14-15 Star is correctly named to 1071 E M Hall 8 CAN INF as is the BWM, however the Victory medal is named to 150104 L Hall CMGC (Canadian Machine Gun Corps). What was going on?

I got a coffee and settled down to hopefully solve the puzzle.

1st point of call was the C.W.G.C. website and confirmation that 1071 Edgar Montague Hall died in the UK on the 1st December 1918 and is buried in Seaford Sussex also that Edgar was the Son of the late Alfred George and Agnes Helen Hall, of Barmoor Farm, Great Marlow, England. Born at Naphill, High Wycombe, England 23/05/1881.

Now for L Hall was he also a casualty? Indeed 150104 Leonard Hall 1st Battalion CMGC is recorded as having Died of wounds 02/10/1918 and is buried IV C 16 BUCQUOY ROAD CEMETERY, FICHEUX. Frustratingly no mention of next of kin.

I turned to the Canadian CEF Registers and the mystery was solved, well partly.

 

These records confirmed that Edgar Montague Hall born in Buckinghamshire in 1881 was indeed the older brother of one Leonard Hall born in Buckinghamshire 1895 both registers showing next of kin as Mrs A G Hall (mother) of Barmoor Farm Great Marlow Buckinghamshire. Further details obtained from the registers are that Edgar died in the great influenza epidemic that swept Europe at the end of WW1 dying in the No14 Canadian Military Hospital Eastbourne of Influenza Lobar Pneumonia. Leonard had already died of his wounds Gun Shot Wounds Legs and abdomen when he arrived at the 33rd Casualty Clearing Station.

So mysterey solved my missmatched trio appears to have been done deliberately? At least I would like to think so and there is another trio out there with the opposite configuration. Either way it feels humbling to hold a trio made up of two brothers medals who made the ultimate sacrifice who appear to have been united together for ever.

I would of course be delighted to hear from anybody who has the opposite group!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Egorka]

God bless their souls!

I think, the medals could have ended up on the same bar because a family member mounted them together. 

[kingsman64]

7 minutes ago, Egorka said:

God bless their souls!

I think, the medals could have ended up on the same bar because a family member mounted them together. 

I am sure you are right two brothers dying 8 weeks apart their mother probably made up both groups with a mixture to keep brothers together. That's my preferred view, but maybe she made a genuine mistake and just made up two groups based on the information on the back of the star. Amazing how many people do not even realise the BWM and Victory are named round the edge too!

[peter monahan]

I suspect that the this explanation is the correct one.  The other, far less likely possibility, is that someone deliverately mixed the medals before sending the two groups to two destinations - perhaps two branches of the family?