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Find My Past Blog - Ask the Expert - mystery medal

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  • Find My Past Blog - Ask the Expert - mystery medal

    Our military expert Paul Nixon, pictured below, answers your queries.

    From Teresa Donaghue:

    ‘According to my eldest sister who is now deceased, my father, Vincent Maguire, served eight years and 153 days with the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery. He enlisted on 17 November 1910. He transferred to the Army Res. on 22 February 1919 and received his army discharge on 15 November 1922 at Woolwich. He served in the Cheshire Reg.

    He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. I looked up the citation on findmypast.co.uk which I believe is his. It states: 77441 Sig. V Maguire 28th Bty… 9th Bde. R.F.A. Altrincham (LG .3 Sept. 1919) but I don’t know what this means. My father was born 15 March 1893 in Altrincham, Cheshire. His father’s name was John Maguire, also born in Altrincham.

    I know from family knowledge he served in India and France, where he was gassed with mustard gas and suffered trench foot. I cannot trace any more information as my siblings are either dead or of poor memory now. On the medal rolls it states ‘77441 28 By 9 Bde MAGUIRE V’. Under Operations it states ‘DCM’, under Vol. it states ‘1 Jan.’, under page it states ‘..19′. In another column it states ‘D162- 42′.

    His brother Barry James Maguire also served in the above Reg. ‘R.H & R.F Art’. He served six years with the regulars and six years with the reserves. He enlisted in October 1907 when he was 20 years old.

    If you can direct me to any relevant help with this information or can help me in any way I would be very grateful.’

    Paul says:

    ‘I’ve found the following information for you:

    Vincent Maguire: The DCM citation abbreviations are expanded as follows:

    Sig: Signaller (his rank)
    28th Bty: 28th Battery
    9th Bde: 9th Field Artillery Brigade
    Altrincham: place of birth
    LG 3 Sept 1919: notification of his DCM published in the supplement to the London Gazette of 3 September 1919

    The number ‘77441′ looks to date to May or June 1914 rather than 1910, but he was certainly overseas by 14 October 1914 and qualified for the 1914 Star. The 9th Brigade was a regular brigade of artillery.

    Barry James Maguire
    : I could only find one Barry Maguire listed and that is ‘48421 Gunner (later sergeant) Barry Maguire’ who was a regular soldier who arrived overseas with the 5th Royal Field Artillery Brigade on 6 November 1914. His number suggests that he enlisted around October 1907. He also received the India General Service Medal (with Waziristan clasp) and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (in 1926). The 5th Brigade was also a regular army brigade of artillery.

    Contact the Royal Artillery Museum at Woolwich (Firepower) to see if you can glean further information on either of these two men, their batteries or brigades.’



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