Defence Medal

[DavidGreenall110]

I've just come into posession of my Grandfathers and G Grandfathers medals from both wars however, one of them has come as a bit of a surprise. My G Grandfather served during WW1 and I have all the supporting documentation for those medals but, he appears to have a Defence Medal from WW2.

I've asked around the family but nobody knows anything about it or how he got it.

He lived in Stepney and Hackney all his life and would have been 47 when the war started.

Is there anywhere that I could look to find out what he did and which service he was with?

Regards

David

[Olde Crone Holden]

I believe the Defence Medal was very common and unless it is inscribed or has a citation, it will be difficult to find out anything.

Are you absolutely positive it is his? He may have been in the home guard or in some other kind of Civil Defence role.

OC

[keldon]

Wikipedia has an article on it and who received it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Medal_%28United_Kingdom%29

[DavidGreenall110]

Therein lies my problem, nobody in the family can give me an answer!

Going on his previous military service I would go for Home Guard, ARP, Warden or AFS?

David

[keldon]

I've been looking through The National Archives to see if there is a central register. One was proposed in 1945/6 but I can't see anything after that date.
I see that some claims for the medal may be in County Archives. See this one for Gloucestershire.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=040-c_2&cid=5-3-12-1#5-3-12-1

I read in the Times that 3 million servicemen and women, and 4 million civilians were eligible. They had to apply by submitting a number of forms. I presume it's these mentioned in the source above.

[Janet]

My OH has two of these medals inherited from friends of his family. They were ususlly given for some brave incident during the Second Worls War either through the Fire Service or ARP Warden etc. Sometimes there is a date or citation on the back but if he was in the Auxilliary Fire Service during the war in London that would almost be good enough to earn any one a medal!

Janet

[keldon]

This one looks as if it's worth following up. It's not clear, but it may only refer to the council employees.
"Defence Medal Register; record of names of recipients, and dates when forms and ribbons sent H/A/29 1946-1949
These documents are held at Hackney Archives Department"

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=084-h_1&cid=1-18-6#1-18-6

[DavidGreenall110]

Thanks Phil I'll give Hackney Archives a call.

Regards

Dave