British War Medal Named To A Civilian?

[Spitace41]

Hi all. I have had this medal for a few months now but researching the recipient has proved difficult as I am not familiar with this style of naming. I do not believe it to be to a member of the Mercantile Marine as these medals tend to have the first name in full with the middle name being initialled. If it were to a nurse or similar I would also expect there to be a rank and the name of the organisation. If anyone can suggest who this medal would have been awarded to it would be greatly appreciated. The safety pin mount indicates to me that this was likely their sole entitlement.

Cheers.

[Ubique]

Its very unusual. I suggest the British Medals Forum.

Oz.

[DrPMC]

It would be interesting to know more about the criteria for awarding Great War service medals to civilians. I wonder if there may be more details in The Times from the time the awards were made and people were invited to apply for them?

I note on the record for this medal card: Medal card of Fordham, Montague E Corps: British Red Cross Society | The National Archives there is no rank given, so presumably no rank on his medals either? The man in question served as a British Red Cross orderly briefly in 1916, before resigning and re-enlisting in the French Red Cross.

Incidentally, Fordham was sent to work at an officers’ convalescence home in a grand hotel in the South of France but soon fell out with his superiors. As his son relates it '... he was instructed to organize a party for some aristocrat. He promptly refused, saying he had not joined up to arrange parties for civilians but to further the war effort by nursing the wounded. He was equally promptly put in detention and then sent back to England'. During his work for the French he nursed the wounded of Verdun.

I see there are a number of Milnes who served for the BRC – perhaps your medal was issued to one of them (Search our records | British Red Cross

Presumably there was a Victory Medal too, presumably now lost. However, given that those that served in Russia in 1919-1920 were eligible for the British War Medal, would they be an exception to the rule that the BWM is always issued with the Victory Medal?

Philip

[Wagriff]

I wonder if he was related to A.A. (Alan Alexander) Milne...the author of "Winnie the Pooh"..he was in WWI and WWII also.

[DrPMC]

For future reference, these excerpts from The Times clarify the matter of the award of the Victory Medal to those serving after 11 November 1918 in Russia. There is also a mention of eligibility criteria for civilians but it is rather vague.

[Spitace41]

I can find a medal roll entry for an Annie Smith Milne who served with the French red cross from 1914- 1916 serving in France and was eligible for the BWM and VM. But I thought that medals to the red cross would have had some reference to it on the medal, but I could be wrong.

[DrPMC]

I can find a medal roll entry for an Annie Smith Milne who served with the French red cross from 1914- 1916 serving in France and was eligible for the BWM and VM. But I thought that medals to the red cross would have had some reference to it on the medal, but I could be wrong.

Looks like you have almost certainly found the recipient of your medal. If you do any further research with the French RC, I shall be very interested to hear how that goes.

[Spitace41]

I appears she served with the Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont Abbey. This unit was an all female medical unit whose services were declined by the British government but were readily accepted by the French and Serbs. Royaumont Abbey was the first hospital set up in December 1914 so she would have been there from the very beginning. I have looked up other example of medals to this unit and it appears that only initials and surnames were impressed, so this fits.