TOPIC:

A member of the family of my g/g/grandmother appears to have been awarded an OBe DCM and MSM and I have been searching for notices in the London Gazette with no luck in finding the entries for those awards can anybody help me please to find some details, citations, gazette notices or any info about those awards. The ancestor was Frank Charles Stannard, Royal Artillery, he served with 42nd Bty RA in the Boer War, then later in WW1 and apparently finally retired from TA service in the 1920s, would appreciate any help given

other details known are his army number 9035, he was a BQMS, has the QSA medal with clasps Ladysmith and the entry on this site shows him as follows

Tom
9035 Battery QMS F.C.Stannard was entitled to clasps "Elandslaagte" and "Defence of Ladysmith" on his QSA. The medal roll for his Battery (in series WO100/141) indicates that he was "invalided". The medal roll also has the notation : "presentation"; I have not seen such a notation before - others more experienced may have. One of the extensive library on this site is Stirling's "Our Regiments in South Africa" and in it you will find the doings of that particular Battery. You might also care to explore the topic "Elandslaagte" on our host's site.
Interestingly, BQMS F Stannard is "Mentioned in Despatches" by Sir. G.White; despatch dated 02121899. My copy of "The Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal" shows "9035 BQMS Stannard FC" as being so awarded; London Gazette 27091901 and Army Order 15/02 - "Defence of Ladysmith".
I cannot tell you anything about his subsequent service unfortunately. A researcher would be better placed to do that. Your distant relative was a distinguished soldier, indeed. I hope you will be able to locate his medals sometime and if you do, you might share them with us on this site.
Good luck
IL.

thank you so much for your help, we are in contact with members of his family so will ask if any of them have possession of his medals, and if so, will ask them to send us an image to place on this site.

we also found an F C Stannard as a member of the Kimberly Horse who was awarded the clasp Defence of Kimberly and wondered if perhaps Frank had left the RA at that time and remained in SA and joined another unit to continue his service in the War, could that be possible, we cant find any service records for Frank, even for WW1, so his were perhaps among those lost during WW2 bombing raids and fires, so not easy to piece together his service.

Yes, there is a Pte. Frederick Thomas Stannard in the KTG; however a bit of research would be needed to establish any connection. "Defence of Kimberley" clasp qualifications are service in Kimberley garrison between 14101899 and 15021900 and it would be stretching things a bit to tie one Stannard in with the other; even if they have the same first initial. In any case, the 42nd Bty roll does not have a marginal note indicating subsequent service. My opinion for what it is worth, is that they are different people.
I feel certain that your F.Stannard would have left some other trace behind. Have you checked the rolls for the MSM and the OBE? It might be best to engage a professional researcher on this quest.
Good luck
IL.

thanks again for your help, but engaging a professional researcher is beyond my means now that I have been retired for 17 years (I am an old bloke now!) a couple of years ago I contacted some professional researchers in England to help me find some details about another ancestor, and the lowest quote I was given for the service of researching at the National Archives was 200 pounds per hour plus travel time and fares to and from London to do the research. The estimate given was a minimum of 4 hours and no guarantee that the info I sought would be found, and it had to be paid in advance, the sum of 1000 pounds non returnable if nothing found, so I gave up. As a retired soldier my pension does not run to such large amounts, too risky, and although rssearching family history keeps both myself and my wife "off the streets" for an hour or so each day, that was just too much, so we muddle through and find so many people who are willing to help and guide us, and we certainly need that help and guidance, thanks again for your help and suggestions, I will just have to muddle through and hope I can find an entry for the OBE, MSM, DCM and MID with the suggestions given so far, but find it is not easy to negotiate the pages of the London Gazette to find entires I need, and have no idea where to look for the actual citations, best wishes from Australia

Stannard came from Woolwich Kent and joined the Royal Artillery as a 14 year old boy on the 27th of August 1881, he was 4 feet 10 inches tall and had a chest of 28 inches at that point in time.
Promoted to Bombardier on the 9th of January 1889, Corporal on the 3rd of December that same year, Sergeant on the 21st of August 1891, BQMS no the 10th of February 1896 and RSM on the 28th of May 1903 after his service in South Africa during the Anglo Boer War, from the 17th of September 1899 to the 14th of July 1900.
Interestingly, in addition to his DCM, his Coronation Medal and being twice mentioned, he received a well deserved LSGC by Army Order 163 of 1901, he was finally discharged from his original engagement on the 26th of August 1912.