WW1 1918 MILITARY MEDAL CROIX DE GUERRE 16000 SGT ABBOTT 46 BN MACHINE GUN CORPS

Description

Offered is a 1918 WW1 Military Medal & Croix de Guerre group to Sergeant Reginald Abbott, 46^th Battalion M.G. Corps.

London Gazette MM 14/5/1919. Croix de Guerre 21/7/1919.

Military Medal (King George V) impressed named 16000 S^JT R.ABBOTT. 46/M.G.C.; War Medal impressed named 16000 SJT. R.ABBOTT. M.G.C.; Victory Medal impressed named 177485 GNR.E.A.BRANCH. R.A.; French Croix de Guerre with bronze star, reverse dated 1914 -1918. The medals are court mounted for display and come with copies of the medal index card, medal roll, London Gazette May 1919 & July 1919.

Military medal listed in the London Gazette 14/5/1919. Schedule 217833. This gazette and schedule numbers 215,000 – 221,999.  Range from August to 1^st week of October mainly Ypres. (Howard William, The Great War Medal Collectors Companion).

The Croix de Guerre is listed in the Edinburgh Gazette 23/7/1919, with Bronze star on Croix de Guerre (awarded to those who had been mentioned at the regiment or brigade level).

Reginald Abbotts records unfortunately did not survive the WW2 ‘Blitz’. What is known is Reginald Abbott was a native of Stoke-under-Ham (Stoke-sub-Hamdon) and was born in 1894. In 1911 he was working as a glove cutter, possibly in the family business. He landed in France as a Sergeant post 1/1/1916, as he has no 14- 15 Star. At some stage he was serving with the Somerset Light Infantry, possibly when he first landed in France. He was serving in the M.G.C. when he won the M.M & Croix de Guerre. He was demobilised on the 20/7/1919.

The 46^th Battalion MGC was formed 28 February 1918 (46^th Division) & disbanded 31/5/1919. The war diary August – November records numerous attacks and heavy casualties.

The order of service on his Medal Index Card is the reverse for the M.G.C. medal roll. However, his regimental number of 15593 (for The Somerset light Infantry) has further lines of investigation as a similar soldier, Private Strickland, 15590 1^st Bn, Landed in France 17/2/1915. Given that Reginald Abbott was a Sergeant when he landed post 1/1/1916, it may indicate that he would have served well prior to that date in some capacity, possibly within a T.A. establishment.