Military Chat

I have been trying to find out when my father enlisted in the Notts & Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) possible 1916 his service number was 201965 or 207965 he was awarded the Military Medal in 1918 his name is Lawrence Roper and lived in Long Eaton prior to enlisting
Thomas

Medal Index Cards Transcription

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First name(s) Lawrence Herrick
Last name Roper
Service number 201965
Rank Corporal
Corps Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment
Service record Soldier Number: 201965, Rank: Corporal, Corps: Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment
Archive reference WO372/23
Archive reference description Women's Services, Distinguished Conduct Medals and Military Medals
Country Great Britain
Image link http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D6214650
Record set World War One British Army medal index cards
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Subcategory First World War
Collections from Great Britain

Lawrence H Roper on the 1939 Register

1939 Register Transcription

Roper Household (2 People) 20 Oaklands Longmoor Road , Long Eaton U.D., Derbyshire, England
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First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number
Lawrence H Roper 07 Mar 1895 Male Railway Goods Guard Married 72 1
Cissie S Roper 19 Mar 1897 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 72 2

Ref: RG101/5914D/007/30 Letter Code: RBRD© Findmypast Ltd
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Thomas - in case you didn't know, about 70% of WW1 military records were destroyed in a fire as a result of bombing in WW2. Lawrence Herrick Roper's appears to be amongst them. The medal cards and index have survived as they were stored elsewhere. If he continued to serve in the army after 1920, his records would still be with the MOD.

Ancestry's version of the medal card index

Name: Lawrence Herrick Roper
Military Year: 1914-1920
Rank: Sergeant
Medal Awarded: British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps: Notts and Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment
Regimental Number: 201965
Previous Units: 201965 2/5th. Bn. Notts & Derby R. Sgt., 201965 1/5th. Bn. Notts & Derby R.

Also
Name: Lawrence H Roper
Regiment or Corps: Notts and Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment
Regimental Number: 207965

Both show that he was awarded the British Medal & Victory medal

From 'The Long, Long Trail' http://tinyurl.com/ha5me4b

About the British Medal
"All men who served in the main theatres of war qualified for this medal, as did those who left their native shore for service in, for example, India."

About the Victory Medal
"This medal was awarded to all those who entered a theatre of war. It follows that every recipient of the Victory Medal also qualified for the British War Medal, but not the other way round. "

The other 2 medals mentioned on the link are the 1914 Star & 1914/15 Star.
"Simple rule: if a man did not qualify for a 1914 or 1914-15 Star, he did not see service in a theatre of war before 1916."

If you look at a medal card image, the last line (very often left blank) gives the date he first entered a theatre of war. For most of the initial wave of volunteers, this would be in 1916. However, my grandad was in the Territorial Force when war broke out - he enlisted 7/8/1914, and entered France 18/4/1915.

Contact the regimental museum - they may hold info abt when and to which battalions the regimental numbers were assigned. I would also ask if they have any info abt his MM - when & wha was his unit when he won it, and do they have a citation. When you have some idea of his units with dates, you can check what his unit was doing day by day from the unit war diaries - Ancestry has these online for most infantry battns.

This URL is a useful starter:
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/sherwood-foresters-nottinghamshire-derbyshire-regiment/

Where did you find he was awarded Military Medal?...

Chris :)

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/

(should be on above)

Its possible that the Regimental Museum have a list of medal holders

http://www.theguardsmuseum.com/