Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with Regular Army bar, George VI

[Noor]

Hi all,

Here is my this weekend find. Can someone please help me with the text on the rim....

s/12837W.O.CL.II.E.FORSYTHE.R.A.S.C.

What is the rank? - CL???

Unit? - R.A.S.C. - is it Royal Army Service Corps?

Owner's name was E.Forsythe

WW2 awards are not trackable?

Edited February 28, 2010 by Noor

[Noor]

text on the rim;

[Noor]

Very nice looking medal

[Graham Stewart]

Nice one Noor - R.A.S.C. is indeed the Royal Army Service Corps and the 'W.O.CL II' stands for 'Warrant Officer Class II'.

[Noor]

Thank you very much Graham!

What for there is letter S before his number or what this mean?

just would like to confirm - WW2 awards are not researchable yet because the data protection?

[Tony Farrell]

The RASC continued to use number prefixes long after they'd been superseded by the 'new' system in 1920. The RASC was a huge corps with many specialist branches which is why the prefixes were retained. S indicates Supply. The recipient would have been an SSM: Squadron Sergeant Major (WOII).

Records are closed for this period, so research into the recipient's service history is void. The Military LS&GC, however, is a nice medal and its many overseas issues make for an interesting (and expensive) collecting theme.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Tony Farrell

[nwfrontier]

The RASC continued to use number prefixes long after they'd been superseded by the 'new' system in 1920. The RASC was a huge corps with many specialist branches which is why the prefixes were retained. S indicates Supply. The recipient would have been an SSM: Squadron Sergeant Major (WOII).

Records are closed for this period, so research into the recipient's service history is void. The Military LS&GC, however, is a nice medal and its many overseas issues make for an interesting (and expensive) collecting theme.

Noor,

It's a King George VI (GRI) issue - 'G: BR: OMN. REX ET INDIAE IMP' so issued 1937-48.

He had to serve 18 years so he had to have adult service starting after 1919 and before 1930.

The rank on your medal is the rank he held when he qualified. Like Tony said though, his service papers are not available. At the moment if 'your man' served on the army on or after 1922 his papers are not available to non-family members (i.e. medal collectors)

I can shape his service dates slightly. Your chap is S/12837

S/12666 (171 enlistments before your chap) died in 1942 a Warrant Officer Class I (S.S.M.) aged 38 so born cira 1904

S/12781 (56 enlistments before your chap) died in 1942 a Warrant Officer Class II (S.Q.M.S.) aged 42 so born circa 1901

S/12866 (29 enlistments later then yours) died in 1942 a Serjeant aged 47 so born circa 1895

Considering boys could join aged 14 if the WO 2 enlisted as a boy he joined anything after 1915

Service time towards a LSGC starts no earlier than when the soldier is aged 17 1/2

So even if he joined at age 14 as a boy soldier his service before age 17 1/2 does not count towards the award of a LSGC

The rank of Warrant Officer Class II he would have been a Squadron Quarter Master Sergeant (S.Q.M.S.)

To give you the only example from my collection:

The recipient was born 30th January 1906

Enlisted in the Royal Artillery on 26th April 1920 aged 14 years 4 months

Service to count to LSGC at age 17 ½ onwards so 30th July 1923 onwards

Needs 18 years service

Became eligible 30th July 1941

I hope that helps

Matthew

Edited March 15, 2010 by nwfrontier