OT: Family Research

[MikeDixonUK 5]

Somewhat off topic, but it's from the same War and I thought there might be some Chaps around here who know their stuff.

 

I've been doing some passing research into my close Family History (read as: searching the numerous internet family history based websites) and am so far up to a Great Grandfather, whom we know was called Gerald Lyhnam, fought in WW1 and was from Scotland (not exactly a lot to go on, but what can you do) and with that information have found this medal card from the end of WW1 (from The National Archives), which seems to be the only evidence that someone called Gerald Lyhnam ever existed (on the internet at least):

 

 

(Note the odd spelling of the surname Lyhnam, as opposed to the more common Lynam/Lynham.)

 

The information we've been able to gather thus far is that he was in the Royal Scots (R. Scots in the Corps table) and the Machine Gun Corps (MGC in the Corps Table) as a Private, that he served in Western Europe (Theatre of War: 1) and that he first went on the 2nd of October 1915, and presumably either left the Army or the medal card was issued on the 18th of February 1919 with a Victory Medal, British War Medal and 1915 Star.

 

Other than that we think that the two Regiment Numbers are his personal numbers from when he was serving in those Regiments, the part next to Victory in the Roll table seems to say MGC/101B16, which the nearest I've been able to guess is that he was in the 101st Machine Gun Company and / or the 16th Battalion (B16).

 

Not sure what it says next to 15 Star in the Roll table, something like MGC/164 (164th Machine Gun Company?)- equally, not sure what it says infront of the 18/2/19 part - something like C.L. Z a.r. (CL Might mean he was sent a dated clasp for the Ribbon and ZAR might mean he was an Army Reserve.)

 

Also there's an X in front of the R. Scots part, and another X between the Victory and British lines, which escape me.

 

Any assistance from someone more knowledgeable than I (wouldn't be hard ) would be much appreciated.

Edited November 19, 2010 by MikeDixonUK

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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That is very cool Mike. I can't offer anything more than you've already sorted out, and I believe you are likely correct on your suppositions thus far.

 

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[Hasse Wind 46]

I suppose there's nothing at the National Archives site? Such family research is quite popular here, though it's mostly about WW2 records (a very large part of the population participated in that war) and our National Archives have prepared guides for people who want to know what all the strange acronyms and other markings on military documents mean. Unfortunately I know nothing about British military records, but the people at your National Archives are more than willing to help, I bet.

 

Such discoveries are always very interesting.

[MikeDixonUK 5]

The National Archives website has a page for finding out information from Medal Cards http://www.nationala...line/medals.asp which is what's helped me to find out what I have thus far, but it doesn't seem to go in to specific details such as what the /101B16 part etc mean or what the two "X" es mean (not that I can see anyway.)

 

Upon closer inspection it seems that the MGC/101B16 refers to the part of the medal roll where the medals are recorded, rather than what Company / Battalion he was in, etc.

 

I've ordered a copy of the page from the medal roll with his details on from The National Archives to see if I can find any more info from that.

 

Thanks for the help.

Edited November 19, 2010 by MikeDixonUK

[tranquillo 10]

Hi Mike,

I did a bit of research on my grandfather who served in the Royal Engineers and on to the the RAF in 1919. Unfortunately a lot of WWI records were destroyed during the blitz of WWII so be prepared to come up against a brick wall. Having said that this site might be useful. You probably have visited it anyway. I know you have to join but you can get a 21 day membership or something. I managed to find a copy of my grandfather's original signing up papers here. At the site here the people are really helpful and very knowledgeable. It was here that I was pointed in the direction of my grandfather's name appearing in the medal honours in the London Gazette in 1919 - got a copy of that somewhere.

 

Anyway, good luck in your search. It often becomes frustrating but it is ultimately very rewarding.

[Dej 17]

Mike,

 

As the award of the 1914-15 Star automatically conferred the War Medal and Victory Medal, perhaps (only perhaps... I'm conjecturing) the cross against the Royal Scots entry indicates the unit he was serving in to earn the award. Which could fit, as the Machine Gun Corps only became an independent body on 14th October '15 and he'd been serving since the 2nd of that month.

 

The latter fact is not normally something I'd know, but I happen to be reading 'Band of Brigands', about the first tanks and that piece of data happens to be in there.

[Von Paulus 8]

At the site here the people are really helpful and very knowledgeable. It was here that I was pointed in the direction of my grandfather's name appearing in the medal honours in the London Gazette in 1919 - got a copy of that somewhere.

I was going to post the link for the forum that tranquilo posted here. People there seem to be very helpful.