TOPIC:

Hi could anyone assist if a citation exists for this DCM gazetted September 1901 I believe?
many thanks

Gunner 100
According to Abbott's Recipients of the DCM 1855-1909, the award to "3154 C/Sgt. Finney, J.W." of the Manchesters was announced in LG 31/10/02 and was in Army Order 10/03. There appears not to have had a citation for that award. A regimental history might give you some more info.
Regards
IL.

Gunner 100

As far as I can tell 3154 Colour Sergeant Finney of the Manchester Regiment received 2 mentions in the London Gazette regarding his service in the South African (Boer) War of 1899 to 1902, as follows:

September 10, 1901 - page 5948

July 29, 1902 - page 4847

Neither are regarding the award of a DCM but mentions in despatches (MID) – the 1901 one in a report by Roberts, the 1902 one in a report by Kitchener.

A transcription record on Find My Past implies his DCM was awarded/gazetted in 1900 but I cannot find him mentioned in the London Gazette during 1900.

The 1901 mention has his initial as J., the 1902 mention as J. W.

The London Gazette can be searched on-line foc and downloads made as a PDF of the relevant page or the whole document it appears in.

Regards, David.

Hi many thanks for the replies all a bit of a mystery!

I had researched on Ancestry as far as I could go and then asked WW1 Forum for help as regards his MC which is a Birthday Honours and no subsequent citation with some reference to Neuve Chappelle in an old newspaper cutting.
His DCM -I wonder there was some info he had officially changed his name from the WW1 Forum but this was that he had enlisted as James William and that his real boirth name was William ie no change to surname

Gunner 100 - humble pie time - noticing IL’s comment and the date 31/10/1902 I went back and had another search – could not find his DCM mentioned in the London Gazette but the Edinburgh Gazette of November 4 1902 on page 1093 states under The Manchester Regiment “To have the Distinguished Conduct Medal: Colour Sergeant J. W. Finney” - no regimental number given and no citation. Don’t know why the LG 31/10/1902 is not coming up but no search engines are perfect and neither are the searchers for that matter! Will have a look in the newspapers of the day – another edit in due course meanwhile a DCM, two MID's, an MC plus 8 other medals is not bad.

Hi David,
many thanks -I used to be able to search London Gazette with good success but they changed the search engine a good few years ago and since I have very poor results! Must be something wrong!
kind regards
Peter