Article about: Just in the past week I managed to secure a very interesting WW1 & WW2 medal group to a father and son. The group is quite extensive, with a nice set of miniatures and ribbon bar to the
Just in the past week I managed to secure a very interesting WW1 & WW2 medal group to a father and son. The group is quite extensive, with a nice set of miniatures and ribbon bar to the WW1 group, and a WW2 four medal set which have never been mounted. Also included were a set of WW2 ID tags, silver ID bracelet, WW2? NCO whistle on lanyard, and a German 'skull 'Kanteen' ring.
George Gilbert Crowther Garrard enlisted on August 4th 1914 and joined the 1st battalion, No4 Company of the Honourable Artillery Company (Infantry). An illustration of how desperate the times were back then is that the new volunteers didn't get issued with their uniforms, boots & rifles until September 17th, and the following day they set sail for France - landing at St Nazaire on September 20th.
Men of the H. A. C. in Belgium, March 1915.
By November 1st the battalion had moved to St Omer, and on November 2nd, the battalion war diarist recorded a conversation their CO had with Brigade HQ. It is truly shocking, and gives a valuable insight into how badly trained some of these volunteer soldiers were. I have recorded it exactly as it was written...
'No 3 & 4 Companies marched out and were trained in trench digging all day. CO had a talk with General CHICHESTER & his Brigade Major & suggested we should not be sent into action unless absolutely necessary & asked first to go with the Brigade Reserve so that men might become accustomed to shell fire, also notified him we had never fired our rifles (He seemed rather astonished but interested & promised every assistance).
3rd... The Battalion went trench digging to the same place as yesterday. The CO met General LAMBTON (military secretary to the C in C) and said he hoped H. A. C. would be given a fair chance & not thrown into action too soon & suggested they should first go in reserve in order to become accustomed to shell & rifle fire as by this means better results be obtained. He also said we had 600 recruits & the men had never had a chance of sighting their rifles'.
It is highly likely that Pte Garrard was one of these 600 recruits. He went on to serve with the battalion until May 12th 1915 and by now a Corporal, was then sent back to England. In August 1915 he was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Engineers and served with 3/2 Field Company 'Home Counties' Divisional Engineers RE. He remained in England for the rest of the war. During WW2 he served as a Special Constable...
Gerrard's son, John Maurice George enlisted in 1941 and served with the RA before transferring to the Royal Signals, and then the RAOC. His medals have never been mounted and seem to have spent their whole life in their box of issue.
Close up of the rosette on the ribbon bar of the 1914 Star.. The 1914 star was awarded to all personnel who served in France between August 5th & November 22nd 1914. In 1919 a clasp was instituted to go with the 1914 star, and was awarded to all personnel who served while under enemy fire - or artillery fire - between those dates. A small silver rosette was also issued to be worn on the ribbon bar.
WW1/WW2 father & son medal group
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