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Hi all,

I am after a bit of help, I know the surname isnt easy but here goes........

My great grandad Thomas (Tommy) Smith was enlisted in the battle of the somme, he got pensioned of at around 18. I have the 'silver badge' from him, it has a number on it, I realise that this is not the service number, but a medal number (I think)

Does anyone have any idea's?. Idealy I would like to obtain army records but I understand alot got destroyed in ww2.

Yours Hopefully
Paul Smith

what is the number? most but not all medals have the army service number printed around the edge of the rim

Roy

Hi,

I have the medal number:235072.

He was born in either Castleford or Pontefract west yorkshire around 1896 according to the marriage cert. But he got married after his service, which would have only been a couple of years before been pensioned off.

Thanks

Hi,

Thanks for that, no one know the father of Tommy, bit of a mistery, not mentioned on marriage cert. I am more interested in finding the army records, I dont have any more info, he could have been in the yorkshires the the kings own

I think he was born around the castleford/pontefract area, I have worked out from the marriage cert, he was born in 1895, as in 1917 he was 22

Paul

The Silver War Badge or SWB were issued to men who were invalided out of the army after a wound or sickness that led to a medical down-grading were awarded this badge. It was authorised in September 1916 and applied to soldiers regardless of whether they had served in a theatre of war or not. Thus a soldier could 'win' a SWB but have no campaign medals. He will therefore have a Medal Index Card. The badges were individually numbered on the reverse side.

The Silver War Badge is mentioned on the man's medal index card (shown as "List...") and there are detailed rolls that give a certain amount of vital information about the recipient. At the very least you will learn the number of the badge and the official reason and date of his discharge.

As Ericthered has already mentioned there is a Thomas Smith born 1897ish on Ancestry being discharged. There are also over 3,000 medal index cards for ‘Thomas Smith’ name combination and 119 Pension records (Thomas smith DOB 1895 +/-2). So if you don’t have access to Ancestry or access to TNA then I’d try and see if Ancestry are doing a free 14day trail and plough through each MIC and Pension Records

Good Luck
MB

Thanks for that, I have access to ancestry, can you search by the badge number or is that too easy?

Paul

I tried that - now that would be far too easy.

On the pension records - if you know his parents names & where the were living when he enlisted, it'll help as in most cases the next of kin names are listed - sometimes address too.

MB

Please someone help! Ive tried search the records on ancestry but I have no luck!, any idea's?