14/15 Star - Royal Fusiliers and Royal Flying Corps

[IrishGunner]

Recently located this 14/15 Star along with about 40 of it's missing brethren (I knew they were in the house, just couldn't locate them after the move two years ago)...  I am hoping one of our MIC experts can help decode the "Remarks" box.  I presume "Com. RFC 25/9/16" suggest he was commissioned from Flying Officer to an officer rank; I think I found a Gazette entry for a Joseph Toulmin being appointed 2nd Lieutenant, but it's dated 16 October.  The remainder of the comments in the Remarks box are a bit of a mystery to me...  Any clues or other information about F.O. Toulmin appreciated.  (Sorry for the poor scans of the medal; working with new scanner software since the conversion to Win10.)

[IrishGunner]

I picked this medal up in 2007 simply because of the unusual name and the desirable unit (R. Fus.); now that I'm doing a bit of research, I think I've discovered my man became a Balloon Officer with 37 Balloon Section in 1917 and moved to 2nd Balloon Company in 1918.  Both serving in France.  If so, another serendipity find...as that would make him an observer for artillery! 

[paul kennedy]

On Ancestry, the medal roll for Flying Officer J. Toulmin has the entry "BW&VM by A/M. 15 Star to PS-3313, PTE. R.FUS."

It looks like the same man.

[IrishGunner]

Thanks, Paul.  That is helpful to explain why the BWM and VM aren't on this MIC.  Still lots of research to do - spent some time yesterday reading about RFC balloon sections.

[Tony]

The prefix PS is a Public Schools Bn. 

From The Long Long Trail: 21st (Service) Battalion (4th Public Schools)
Formed at Epsom on 11 September 1914 by the Public Schools and University Men's Force.
26 June 1915 : came under command of 98th Brigade, 33rd Division.
Landed in France in November 1915.
27 February 1916 : transferred to GHQ; disbanded on 24 April 1916 with many of the men being commissioned as officers.

On Find My Past RAF records are available for download, they occasionally do 1 month subscriptions for 1 GBP so worth keeping an eye out for. Unfortunately I'm not a member there but perhaps someone here is and can download his record for you.

By the way, IV is the Issue Voucher number, TP is a record office code for Royal Fus. as well as several other units and NW is possibly a code for New Army according to Great War Medal Collectors Companion.

[IrishGunner]

Thanks, Tony, I appreciate the detail on the 21st Bn.  Interesting that many became officers when the unit disbanded.

[Tony]

This may or may not help with your research - from what I've found he was Joseph Toulmin, born about 1895 in Bamber Bridge, Walton le Dale, Lancs.

Obviously his RAF record is what you want and should reveal the juicy stuff about him being a balloon officer.

Tony