Sgt James Croft MM RWF Citation

[BennytheBall]

Hi Our Great Band of Researchers.

A Lady approached me in Asda Queensferry during our flag day held on behalf of the ABF and asked me where she could get her above grand fathers Citation, his medals are in the RWF Museum in Caernarfon, but they don't have his citation.

Any Ideas Gents

Many Thanks
BennytheBall

[Baconwallah]

This is what I have:

Crofts, James. 240121 Cpl, MM
Born Queensferry. Disembarked as L/Cpl with the 5th Bn in Gallipoli 08/08/1915 where he served until 12/12/1915. Withdrawn to Egypt where he saw action, then to Palestine with “A” company where as Cpl he was wounded and for bravery was awarded the MM (London Gazette 19/03/1918). He was presented with his award 13/11/1917 by the Corps Commander. Served until disembodied 07/05/1919. As Cpl (A/Sgt) awarded the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal in AO 275 dated 01/08/1919 His medal group, consisting of MM, 1914-15 Star. BWM, VM, TFEM are displayed in the Regimental Museum.

There is no citation as such, as citations were only published for the VC and DCM.

His original number, before the Feb 1917 renumbering, was 686.

Hope this helps.

John

[Hywyn]

Address of 37 Fairfield Rd, Queensferry.
He appears on a N W Chronicle caslist dated 14/12/1917. These tend to be some weeks after the event and given that Johns' write up shows him wounded and awarded by 13/11/1917 then there is every possibility that both the wound and the deed are from 3rd Gazza earlier on that month. In fact I would say that the award info is most probably extracted from the War Diary which may indicate the date of the deed. If there were quite a few awards then they are arguably from a reasonably sized show and 3rd Gazza was the most recent to that date.
Although, as John says, there are no official citations for this award level I have found as number of newspaper articles which give an account of the events.

In this case here your enquirer could do no worse than pop along to the Hawarden Archives and have a look at this card first of all, see if it says anything. If not, a look at the local papers covering Queensferry around the date of the award and also the 'offcial' LG date a few months later may prove fruitfull.

He was a pre war TF man. Enlisted April/May 1909 I should think but I'm not fully up on 5th Bn men just yet.


Hywyn

[BennytheBall]

Hywyn
Once again excellent work too, as with John's info I will pass on to the lady concerned.
Many Thanks
BennytheBall

[BennytheBall]

John
Excellent work I will pass on the info to the lady concerned.

Many Thanks
BennytheBall