Photos of Williams name .

Dear Clive ; I ran the photos off my printer this am. and took them up to Dads this pm . I then googled the Thiepval site and it took me to wiki and I took the info , basic as it was and it showed both memorials ( including the big red dragon ) . It's funny when I talked to Dad , that the Quest started out in Owen's name and has extended itself to include his brothers . One of which Dad didn't even know existed , and two that I didn't know existed .

We now know Williams history , except that if he might have been married or not , and if who or anyone received his medals after his death . Dad said this aft . that he had to apply for some of his as they weren't all issued automatically so I wonder if they were sent to John and Elizabeth and if so where the medals might be today . A question that will probably never be answered . Dads uncle John's story is a little different . We have a British War Medal without the ribbon with the scribe on the edge - 41092 pte J Lewis LAN. FUS . I think John was asking for numbers on the edge of the medal . I think that he was going to try and find out some reference to him regarding his service . John Lewis did not join the Cdn Army for WW 2 . I wonder when he enlisted and where , and where he might have served He was probably entitled to the Victory as well .

Those photos of Williams name on the Thiepval Memorial were dated in 2009 , and I show up 2 yrs. later with questions and then , there they are. How in world did you do that . Clive ? Your middle name must be Merlin or you must have an awful lot of photos archived !! In any case the pics are something else . It's incredible how nice the memorials look , especially the one in town . In any case Clive , I've got to hit the hay as I've got work tomorrow afternoon again . The tax man needs to be fed some more . P.S. send me your email so I can send that pic of Owen and the king . Take care , Ron .

Ron, John Lewis 41092 Lancs Fus received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal according to his Medal Index Card (see below). His service and pension records have unfortunately been destroyed in the Blitz; I could not locate them in the National Archives.

John


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Ron,
No, I'm not a Welsh Wizard! - on my 2009 visit to Thiepval I took photos of all the RWF names on the Memorial so that I could use them with my own project. I'm also building up slowly an image database for Anglesey war memorials and war graves.

WW1 medals were issued automatically, except to officers. In the case of casualties, they were sent to whoever was listed as the next of kin, so I guess William's parents got them by recorded delivery in about 1921-22 or so. Owen would have received his India G.S. Medal, but I don't know whether he had to apply for his Canadian WW2 awards?

John's medal card which Baconwallah has kindly displayed only tells us that he first served in a Theatre of War anytime after 1 January 1916. The actual Medal Rolls are held at the National Archives, Kew, London : using those code numbers H/1/101 B38 page 7828 a researcher might be able to check his entry and tell you with which battalion(s) of the Lancashire Fusiliers he served. For further thoughts from Lancs. Fusiliers experts, I'd try the Great War Forum.

I don't think John was living at the family home at the war's end, as he doesn't appear on the Voters lists which were previously mentioned. You'd have to know exactly where he was resident at that time in order to have a chance of discovering the information which those particular lists contain.

My email address can be got from the picture emails - just press Reply!

Clive