I hope someone can help me with this query.
Edward Leonard Charles Watsham J86934 enlisted in the Royal Navy as a "Boy 2" at the age of 16 on 27th March 1918, from the Training Ship "Exmouth." His first ship was the training ship HMS Impregnable. On 27th July 1918 he joined the training ship HMS Ganges II; he remained there until 26th February 1919, being made "Boy 1" on 27th December 1918. He was therefore a "Boy 2" when the war started.
On 27th February 1919 he joined HMS Caradoc, where he remained until 29th January 1921, being made Ordinary Seaman on 4th February 1920, and Able Seaman on 13th January 1921. While he was on HMS Caradoc, she was part of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron, and was in the Black Sea in 1919 as part of Britain's involvement in the Russian Civil War.
ELCW served for a total of 27 years until final discharge from the RN on 10th October 1945. Along the way he was awarded three GC Badges and the Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1935. He also had service in the Second World War on the gunboat HMS Grasshopper on the Yangtse River in China, and was awarded the the 1939-1945 Star, the Defence Medal, and the 1939-1945 War Medal.
His medal entitlement for the First World War was the British War Medal and Victory Medal, as shown in the RN Medal Roll on
www.ancestry.co.uk. The roll shows his Rank/Rading as "Ord." for "Ordinary Seaman, which appears to date the compilation of the roll as 4th Debruary 1920 to12th January 1921These are noted as issued to him at HMS Columbine (which I understand to have been a shore base in Scotland); he was at Columbine (Verdun and then Tribune) 4th December 1923 to 31st December 1925. So this seems to date when the medals were actually issued.
I have always assumed that his medals were issued for his service in the Black Sea (South Russia). I can't see that he was otherwise entitled to WW1 medals. I purchased the BWM and LSGC medals some years ago; they were sewn side-by-side onto a "two-medal mounting bar" and by the wear of the ribbons they had been worn on a number of occasions. The Victory Medal was not present - I assume lost. Neither were the medals for the Second World War present.
I recently decided to frame the medals, and duly purchased a good replica VM, and genuine Second World War medals - even if these latter did not belong to ELCW they recognise the service of someone else.
The LSGC medal is impressed as expected. from his service record (HMS Excellent at the time of the award). What puzzles me now that I come to look closely at the BWM is that his rank/rating is shown as "Boy 2". He was never a "Boy 2" on HMS Caradoc, and neither does "Boy 2" match the "Ord." on the medal roll.
Could someone offer an explanation please?
Thank you.
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Topic: Rank/rating shown on British War Medal, Royal Navy (Read 22177 times)