The Great War Medal

[Leuchtturm]

Hi Gents,

I´ve reiceved this medal new.

Maybe you can help me with man.

It´s marked with: 70495 PTE.G. Vickers. Notts & Derby. R.

Best wishes

Chris

[Tony]

George Vickers entered theatre some time after 1916 and was entitled to the British War Medal as well as the VM above.

He came from Southwick on Wear, Durham, enlisted in Derby and was serving in the 16th battalion when on the 21/10/17 he died of wounds.

He's buried in Voormezeele, south of Ypres so possibly a casualty of 3rd Ypres. The Ancestry freebie finished yesterday but if you are a member it might be worth checking the war diary to see where the 16th were in October. George probably won't be mentioned by name but it'll give you an idea of where he may have been in October 1917. I imagine he was wounded only days before dying but that just an assumption on my part.

Unfortunately his service record doesn't appear to have survived the the bombing in WWII.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/104912/vickers,-/

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1262/30850_A001598-01227?pid=5072809&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26qh%3DJpvKzYHITfP4nx54UmukqA%3d%3d%26db%3DMedalRolls%26gss%3Dangs-d%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsln%3Dvickers%26gsln_x%3D1%26_F8007A65%3D70495%2B%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Da9g%26pcat%3D39%26fh%3D0%26h%3D5072809%26recoff%3D10%2B60%2B61%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true 

I should add that he wasn't the only George Vickers who died in WWI which makes the possibility of finding a memorial plaque to a George Vickers slightly easier than if he was the only one. 

[Leuchtturm]

Hi Tony,

many thanks for your great help!

I´ve been visiting that cemetry in 2014, for a flandern fields trip. Never expecting a medal to a poor men there.

A really sad and interesting story.

Best wishes

Chris

[Tony]

Chris,

If it's of interest there's a pdf link near the bottom of this page https://derbyshireterritorials.wordpress.com/resources/regimental-histories/ to a book called A Short History of the 16th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters, Chatsworth Rifles.

Chapter 6 https://derbyshireterritorials.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/chapter-6.pdf covers the period from July 1917 through to Jan. 1918.

http://www.the-sherwood-foresters.co.uk/v_names/vickers_g_70495.html 

[Leuchtturm]

Hi Tony,

many thanks for the further informations, very interesting.

Best wishes

Chris