"Not entitled"

[leigh kitchen]

Michael, I'll have to check up re "the last 6 months", entry into the theatre of ops qualified if the 6 months qualifying service was cut short by the arrival of the official end date for the Pacific, Burma Italy & F&G Stars according to what I've read, different criteria though for different services. I have'nt seen the mistaken mention of the Air Crew Europe but it would be no surprise if the people drawing up the rules & their revisions were as confused as the rest of us.

[Guest Rick Research]

Geoff-- my 2 bits? If the medals he had when alive are mounted, I wouldn't. They are more valuable--in any sense of that-- "as is" than slapping on a 21st century Not Worth Anything.

[Michael Johnson]

The New Zealand site has links to the actual Warrants: http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/h/index.html

[Graham Stewart]

Currently there is a similar situation regarding entitlement on a well known auction site. This involves a BWM impressed 35-1330 Pte T.Hepple, NF and while I have no doubt that the medal is genuine, it should never have been awarded and appears to be a total cock-up at official level.

Only one 1330 Thomas Hepple appears in the MIC's and he is 4/1330 Pte Thomas Hepple of Throckley. The write up concludes that Hepple was possibly wounded with the 1/4th Bn and then died in training with the 21st Bn, NF at Alnwick. However none of this in my opinion is correct.

(i)The 35th Bn, NF weren't formed until Jan 1917, two years after Hepples death so he didn't serve with them and all members of the 35th Bn were given the new six figure Territorial numbers in 1917.

(ii)No TF personnel were attached to the Tyneside Scottish while they were under training at Alnwick, nor were any Territorials posted into the TS until the end of July 1916. Considering I, along with John Sheen wrote the book on the Tyneside Scottish this is a fact. Yet he appears in SDGW as being with the 21st Bn,NF which he wasn't.

(iii)He doesn't appear in any of the 1/4th Bn casualty returns for any period in 1915, nor does he appear in any of the 1/4th's Medal Rolls.

(iv)The relevant CWGC Graves Register gives no battalion only regiment and again only 1330 Pte Thomas Hepple.

(v)My conclusion is that 4/1330 Pte Thomas Hepple never actually served overseas and did infact die at home whilst serving with the 21st Provisional Bn, NF. This was a battalion made up of home service personnel from both the 4th & 7th Bns, NF, which eventually went onto form the 35th B, NF in 1917. The 21st Prov Bn, NF is often mistaken for it TS equivalent and you do have to look carefully when checking soldiers details from sources.

Therefore I conclude he should only have ever received a Silver War Badge and not a BWM.

I'm not doing this to debase either the seller or medal, as I think there has been genuine errors made here, which have concluded in an unentitled award.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BWM-medal-Northumber...86.c0.m14.l1318

Edited August 8, 2008 by Graham Stewart

[MattGibbs]

IIRC Canada had a bit of input into the initial award dates for the 1939 - 43 Star. Something to do with canadians entering the italian theatre and the qualification dates I think.