47th Battalion Machine Gun Corps.

[Guest kmo]

I was given the following information by a family member. I do not know it's source.

47th Machine Gun Battalion........................No.99

Routine Orders by Major F.E.C Lewis commanding

Part II

4. Decorations and Awards

Under authority granted by His Majesty the King, the III Corps Commander has awarded the following decoration to the undermentioned N.C.O’s and men of the battalion

Military Medal

A.66757 Pte Morgan W.W.

(with nine others)

signedG.W.Leech

Lieut’ for Capt’ And Adjt’

47th Battalion Machine Gun Corps

Dated 24.9.18

I believe W.W. Morgan served in A Company, 47 Battalion Machine Gun Corps, 47th Division, 4th Army. I would like to find out more information about his whereabouts at this time, or the circumstances that led to him being awarded the Military Medal. Alongside the MM, he received the BWM and the Victory Medal.(he was drafted in 1916 aged 39.)

Many thanks

kmo

[Staffsyeoman]

kwo,

That's an interesting thing to have..

Here's his entry from my MGC H&A database:

66757 MORGAN WW PTE MM 11/02/1919 2121 47 BN WALTON ON THAMES

(Walton on Thames being declared place of residence at the time of the award)

Quite a delay between the notification in orders and the publication in the Gazette, but not uncommon at the time. On balance it was probably for the Battle of Bapaume.

You'll be very lucky to find out the exact circumstances, as records were not retained centrally (type 'military medal' into the Forum search engine to see similar cases) for UK awards. The only chances would be a reference in the unit War Diary, or published sources such as local newspapers - but this is very much a case of luck. The Divisional History will put it in context too, but hard experience suggests (for complex reasons I won't expound here) that the MG units will not figure greatly in the narrative.

I'd be very interested in seeing the names of the other nine; I've probably crossreferenced them all 47 Bn, but it never hurts to double check..

The War Diary for the appropriate period is at the National Archives as WO95/2722.

Phil

[Guest kmo]

Staffsyeoman.

Thankyou for the information.

I'm sorry I don't have the names of the nine others listed.

I do have a copy of a certificate, W.W. Morgan, received, dated October 2nd 1918

Army Orders

General Sir H.S. Rawlinson, Bart

GCVO, KCB, KCMG, Commmanding Fourth Army

Immediate Rewards

Bar to the MC

Second Lieut' (a/Captain) W.KAY M.C., Manchester Regt

Military Cross

Temp' Lieut' H.J.M MUTCH, Royal Engineers

Temp' Sec' Lieut' S. P. BEGGS, Royal Engineers

Lieut' E.E.E. CASS Yorkshire Light Infantry

Lieut' H.J. KNIGHT Yorkshire Light Infantry

Temp 2nd Lieut' W.BUTLER Yorkshire Light Infantry

Temp 2nd Lieut' U.E. BUTTERS, Yorkshire Light Infantry

Temp 2nd Lieut' A.W. BOWDEN, Manchester Regt

2nd Lieut F. HAYWARD Manchester Regt

Lieut' D. KIDDIE Highland Light Infantry

Lieut' R HUNTER Argyll And Sutherland Highlanders

2nd Lieut E. McGEE Argyll And Sutherland Highlanders

Temp' Capt W. MILLERICK Royal army Medical Corps

The Distinguished Conduct Medal

22498 Sergeant M. FISHER Manchester Regt

61886 Sergeant R.H.FOSTER, M.M. Royal Army Medical Corps.

The Military Medal.

112043 Sgt C. DUNCAN, Canadian Light Horse

112040 Pte A. DUDGEON, Canadian Light Horse

785226 Sgt L.BATTY, Royal field Artillery

785447 Sgt A.H. HOLLAND, Royal field Artillery

71761 Sgt. T.S JAMES Royal field Artillery

785464 Bombardier(a/corporal) H. BLACKTIN Royal field Artillery

785473 Bombardier J.MARSHALL Royal field Artillery

11310 Gunner D.DAVIES Royal field Artillery

160208 Gunner R.SCAMBLER Royal field Artillery

120045 Sgt P.H. HOARE Royal Garrison artillery

205909 Sgt A.J. McGRATH Northamptonshire Regt

24570 Pte G.T. COSTA Northamptonshire Regt

40470 Pte E.T HULATT Northamptonshire Regt

52155 Pte J. WILLIAMSON, Northamptonshire Regt

530209 Sgt (a/Company Sergeant Major) C. IBBETT, London Regt

531585 Sgt H.T. COX London Regt

548058 Lance Corp R.L. ANGEL London Regt

394649 Pte A.L FEWSTER, London Regt

531585 Pte H.J. HOCKLEY London Regt

391369 Pte C.J. LEWINGTON, London Regt

474283 Pte F.G. WELLS London Regt

571918 Rifleman C. WHATES London Regt

66757 Pte W.W. MORGAN Machine Gun Corps

46133 Sgt J.M. CARSWELL Canadian Machine Gun Corps

1080531 Driver A.A. SHERMAN Canadian Army Service Corps

301528 Pte F.COOPER Tank Corps.

Regards

kmo

[Patesian]

If your relative served in "A" Coy", 47 Bn, he was probably previously in 140 Company MGC, forming the MG element alongside 15/17/21 London Regts. After 1/3/1918, 140 Coy together with 141,142 and 255, formed 47 Bn MGC, becoming A,B,C & D Coys. As you probably know, 47 Div was 2nd London Division.

Without very much doubt, your relative's award was the result of actions at the Battle of Albert (22-23/8/1918) just after the start of the "last 100 days". The Division (and consequently the MGC element) had seen little action since the end of the Battle of the Ancre (5/4/1918), and having been published in Bn orders on 24/9/1918, it is fairly certain that the awards mentioned were for actions around Albert.

The nine other 47 Bn machine gunners who were awarded the MM at the same time were:

39419 A Danson Sgt

23242 WA Hayes Sgt

17113 C Mills Sgt

71550 CA Collins Cpl

97459 E Carter L/Cpl

147968 E Etheridge Pte

21178 WB Gibbs L/Cpl

19198 CT Milson Pte

8171 J Nightingale L/Cpl