TOPIC:

I have just updated the Dudley Tribute Medal page with photographs and additional recipients' names.

I am still lacking eight names, so if anyone out there can help identify these men, it would be greatly appreciated.

SEE: DUDLEY TRIBUTE MEDAL



QSA and Worcester & Dudley Tribute Medals to 6746 Private David HARTLAND, Volunteer Active Service Company, 2nd Bn. Worcestershire Regiment.


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Neville - My offering for one of your 8 missing names: 6825 Private George March, 2nd Btn Worcestershire Regt.

Evidence 1 - The Worcestershire Chronicle, Saturday 28th April, 1900 - unfortunately with incorrect spelling of name:



Evidence 2 - his appearance on the same medal roll page as D Hartland, John Jones & J C Mason:



His service records show he was born in Evesham and his father (next of kin) was living in Evesham when he attested. His occupation given as "Musician".

Regards. David.

Thank you David.

I had actually included George March as a recipient, but removed his name earlier today.....

Despite his inclusion in the 28 Apr 1900 report, no mention is made of Pte. March in any of the articles covering the return of the men.

Further doubts were raised when I studied the list of recipients of the Evesham pocket watch:

Volunteer Active Service Company, 2nd Bn. Worcestershire Regiment –
6722 Corporal Reginald John DALE
6706 Bugler Frank FINCH
6712 Private G. BYRD
6715 Private Joseph CASSELL
6819 Private Charles FREEMAN
6736 Private William John GARDINER
6741 Private Frederick HALFORD
6821 Private George HARCOURT
6745 Private Henry HARRIS
6747 Private J.H. HAY
6763 Private James LANGSTON
6825 Private George MARCH
6831 Private William John PORTER
6797 Private J. TOMKINS
6801 Private Wilson C. WALTERS

16th (Worcestershire) Company, 5th Bn. Imperial Yeomanry –
7330 Trooper Robert Edward TWIGG



Evesham clearly saw Private March as one of theirs.

Furthermore, his attestation papers show that he joined from the 2nd V.B. Worcestershire Regiment (which covered Evesham). Dudley, on the other hand was covered by the 1st V.B. ("G" & "M" Companies).

On balance, I think it is unlikely that he would have received the Dudley medal. But, I may be wrong.....


Neville

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Neville - Smethwick did not present tribute medals or pocket watches but erected a memorial in the Town Hall:



Actually, I think it is really a memorial to the larger than life Mayor who paid for it and told everybody so when his wife unveiled it. It has taken me some time to get my head round it but the only common thing about all the names on it is that they belonged to the Smethwick (Rifle) Volunteers and volunteered en masse for service in the Boer War. The regimental numbers and ranks all refer to their standing in the Smethwick Volunteers and are nothing to do with their service in the Boer War. Despite what it says on the memorial several of them actually served in the IY and as far as I can ascertain two of them never went to SA. The remainder and vast majority did serve in the 1st VB S Staffs and went out in 3 waves (determined by some sort of selection process) and served in the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Volunteer Service Companies of the 1st VB S Staffs. Perhaps if the war had lasted longer the two who apparently never went would have formed the 4th wave. For at least 3 of them, their only connection with Smethwick was that they were in the Smethwick Volunteers - they actually lived in neighbouring Handsworth (part of Birmingham).

I wonder if the common criteria for the Dudley Tribute medals was similar in that they served in the Dudley Volunteers which, based on the newspaper article, George March definitely did. You have partly discounted George because Evesham claimed him but the medals you have shown for D Hartland appear to show he was claimed by both Worcester & Dudley.

So, I would tend to disagree with your conclusion regarding George but then again I might well be wrong (I often am).

Regards, David.

David

I think the issue here is that the newspaper article is misleading/incorrect. I can't see how George March could have served in one of the Dudley Companies, given that his attestation papers clearly state that he joined the VASC from the 2nd Volunteer Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. As mentioned above Dudley formed “G” and "M" Companies of the 1st Volunteer Battalion.

There would have to be an error on Pte March’s attestation papers for him to have served with one of the two Dudley Companies, and I think I put more faith in his service records than the newspaper article.

The issue of the two tribute medals to Pte Hartland reflects the fact that the Worcester medal was presented at County level. There are a few instances of this happening. For example, all the Bromsgrove volunteers received two medals (from Bromsgrove and Worcester). Volunteers from Bewdley and Kidderminster similarly received two medals. Evesham, Pershore & Upton-on-Seven men received silver watches from their respective towns, together with Worcester medals. Malvern Volunteers received a silver cigarette case each, and also the Worcester medal.

N



.Volunteer Service Gazette, 28th March 1902



.Pte Hartland Attestation (1st V.B.)



.Pte March Attestation (2nd V.B.)



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Neville - I concede regarding George March - the newspaper report would appear to be in error.

Having looked at the "Roll-of-Honour" website regarding the Dudley Boer War Memorial (which bears 56 names) I do have another name to tentatively offer: 4388 Pte Richard Hickman:



The website shows 7 others named on the Memorial also served in the 2nd Btn Worcestershire Regt:

2403 Pte John Carrington, 2802 Pte John Morris, 3728 L-Cpl John Perks, 3757 Pte Patrick Quinn, 3757 Pte John Salmon, 4380 Pte John Shenton & 2769 Pte John Webster.

Obviously, the likelihood that your 8 missing names all did not return from SA is extremely low but 56 names with a population at the time of about 46,000 does show that Dudley had a non-return rate well above average - my fag packet calculations indicate possibly as high as twice the average. I think I can also discount one of the 7 above - John Carrington lived for a time in Smethwick and at the time of his death his wife was living in Smethwick. The Smethwick Telephone reported him as "another Smethwick Reservist" - that of course assumes the Smethwick Telephone were not in error.

Also as indicated by Frederick Hill's entry, the Roll of Honour website does not identify the unit all 56 served in.

David.