Newsletter,
- Issue No 20, September 2005
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The Green Howards Medals,
- the People Behind the Medals
The Newsletter reveals the stories of some of the men whose medals are in the Green Howards Regimental Museum Collection, and explains a little bit about the medals themselves. The Museum holds over 3850 medals in its collection,
making it one of the most notable displays in the country. |
CONTENTS
Medal Briefing | An illustrated discussion as to
how medals can help the family historian. The four elements that can be
found on a medal, - the man's Unit, Personal Number, Rank, and Name are
discussed with relevance to the award of medals. |
|
The Soldier's Story | Medals, in themselves, only tell part of the
story. It is research into the lives of the individuals to whom the medals
were awarded that makes medal collecting so fascinating. |
|
The Medal Collection | The origins of the Green Howards medal collection
lies in the 1920s with Michael Lloyd Ferrar who presented his collection
of 250 medals to the Museum. From then on, the Museum collection grew
steadily, so that currently 1,296 individuals are represented by 3,876
medals. |
|
Private Francis Collins, - The Crimea 1854-56 | The story of this Private soldier, who was
awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, British Crimean War Medal (3
clasps), French Military Medal, and Turkish Crimean War Medal. |
|
Sergeant-Major Patrick Campion, - The Crimea 1854-56 | The story of this Irish soldier, who was awarded
the Distinguished Conduct Medal, British Crimean War Medal (3 clasps),
and Turkish Crimean War Medal. |
|
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Warden, - The Crimea 1854-56 | The story of this officer, who was made a
Companion of the Bath and was awarded the British Crimean War Medal (3
clasps), the French Legion of Honour, Turkish Medjidie, Turkish Crimean
War Medal, and Sardinian Crimean War Medal. |
|
Major John Barnard, - North West Frontier, 1868 | The story of this officer, who was made a
Companion of St. Michael and St. George and was awarded the India General
Service Medal - North-West Frontier 1868, South Africa Medal 1877, Afghanistan
Medal 1878, Egypt Medal - Suakin 1885, Jubilee Medal 1887, and the Khedive's
Star 1884-86. |
|
Private Joseph Jordan, - Egypt and the Sudan, 1885-86 | The story of this Private soldier, who was
awarded the India General Service Medal - North-West Frontier 1868, Egypt
Medal, Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and the Khedive's Star 1884-86. |
|
Sergeant Albert Bullock, - Kachin Hills, Burma 1892-93 | The story of this soldier, who was awarded
the India General Service Medal - Kachin Hills 1892-93, India Medal -
Tirah 1897-98, Queen's South Africa Medal (6 Clasps), King's South Africa
Medal (2 Clasps), 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal,
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. |
|
Lieutenant-General Sir William Edmund Franklyn, - The Franklyns | Sir William Franklyn and his son, Harold,
both served with the Green Howards. Sir William was highly distinguished,
being a Knight Commander of the Bath, and a Commander of the British Empire.
was awarded the India Medal - Tirah 1897-98, 1914 Star, British War Medal
1914-20, Victory Medal, and Coronation Medal 1902. |
|
General Sir Harold Edmund Franklyn | Son of Sir William Franklyn, Harold, also
served with the Green Howards. Sir Harold was not only highly distinguished,
but showed himself to be immensely brave in war. He was a Knight Commander
of the Bath, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, the Military
Cross, 1914 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, the Victory Medal (2 mentions
in Despatches), 1939-45 Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, Jubilee
Medal 1935, Coronation Medal 1937, Coronation Medal 1953, French War Cross. |
|
Private Joseph Greenwood, - Punjab Frontier and the Tirah 1897-98 | A Private soldier who was awarded the India
Medal - Punjab Frontier - Tirah 1897-98, Queen's South Africa Medal (2
clasps), British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal, Defence Medal. |
|
Sgt Major Frederick Neesam, - The Great War 1914-18 | A Sergeant Major who was awarded two bravery
medals in the Great War. Frederick Neesam was awarded the Distinguished
Conduct Medal, the Military Medal, the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal,
Victory Medal, and the Russian Medal of St. George (4th Class). |
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Major Cecil Goodwin, - The Great War 1914-18 | The medals awarded to Major Goodwin represent
unusual areas of service. His medals include The Order of the British
Empire, British War Medal, Victory Medal (Mentioned in Despatches), Khedive's
Sudan 1910 Medal (3 Clasps), and the Egyptian Order of the Nile. |
|
Captain William Wilkinson, - The Great War 1914-18 | The story of this officer, who was made a
Companion of the Bath and Commander of the British Empire and was awarded
the Distinguished Service Order, The Military Cross, the 1914-15 Star,
British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal (Mentioned in Despatches), Defence
Medal, Coronation Medal 1937, and Coronation Medal 1953. |
|
Nurse Mary Devas Marshall, - the Great War 1914-1918 | The second wife of Captain William Wilkinson,
she was one of the few women to be awarded the Military Medal. Although
she was not a Green Howard, her medals are on display in the Museum. The
awards were the Military Medal, the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory
Medal, Distinguished Civilian (Belgium), Queen Elizabeth Nursing Medal,
(Belgium). |
|
Major (QM) Thomas Halmkan, - Afghanistan 1919 | A remarkable Green Howard who rose from Private
to Major in his 39 years with the regiment. He was awarded the British
War Medal 1914-20,the India General Service Medal - Afghanistan, North
West Frontier 1919, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, Long Service and
Good Conduct Medal, Coronation Medal 1937, and Coronation Medal 1953. |
|
Brigadier George Eden, - North West Frontier 1936-39 | A distinguished Green Howards officer, who
served as Colonel of the Regiment between 1959-65. He was a Companion
of the British Empire. He was awarded the India General Service Medal
- North West Frontier 1936-37 (2 Mentioned in Despatches), 1939-45 Star,
Africa Star, North-West Europe Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45
(2 Mentioned in Despatches), Coronation Medal 1953, Norwegian Order of
St. Olav. |
|
RSM Lofty Peacock, - Palestine 1938 | The father of four sons, two of whom also
served with the 1st Battalion. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct
Medal, the Military Medal, General Service Medal - Palestine, Malaya,
Cyprus (Mentioned in Despatches), 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star,
North-West Europe Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45 (2 Mentioned
in Despatches), Coronation Medal 1953, Long Service and Good Conduct Medal,
Norwegian Military Cross. |
|
Major General Desmond Gordon, - World War Two, 1939-45 | One of the best known officers of the Green
Howards he was both distinguished and brave. He was a Companion of the
Bath, and Commander of the British Empire. He was awarded the Distinguished
Service Order, the India General Service Medal - North West Frontier 1936-37,
1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, North-West Europe Star, Defence
Medal, War Medal 1939-45, Coronation Medal 1953, Jubilee Medal 1977, and
the Dutch Order of Orange Nassau. |
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Lieutenant-Colonel (Quartermaster) Edward Pickard OBE, DCM 1873 -1928 | A soldier who served for 36 years with the
regiment, who rose from Private Soldier to Lieutenant-Colonel and who
survived two major wars unscathed with a chestful of medals for gallantry
and devoted service. The event for which he was possibly best remembered is for being the first Green Howard to fire at the enemy in anger on 14 October 1914. Of the 26 officers of the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment who took part in the First Battle of Ypres in October 1914, he was one of only three who survived the war without being killed, captured, or wounded. |