The medals of Private Benjamin Brown, who served with the Durham Light Infantry during the Great War.
Photograph courtesy of his son, Ben Brown now residing in Australia.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
The medals of Private Benjamin Brown, who served with the Durham Light Infantry during the Great War.
Photograph courtesy of his son, Ben Brown now residing in Australia.
These medals were awarded to most of the British servicemen who served in the Great War from 1914 or 1915. They are (L-R) the 1914-15 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. The 1914-15 Star was issued to officers and men of the British and Imperial forces who served in any theatre of the war between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915 (other than those who had already qualified for the 1914(or Mons) Star which was only issued to those who saw action between 5 August 1914 and 22/23 November 1914). The other two medals were issued in 1919 to all members of the armed forces who had served in any theatre of war between 4 August 1914 and 11 November 1918.
They were irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak, and Wilfred and still are today. These names were taken from a popular strip cartoon in the Daily Mirror at the time. (in the order shown they are Pip, Wilfred and Squeak).
Unless I miss my guess, the ribbons on the Victory medal and the British War medal have been switched at some time.
I have my fathers medals from the WW1. They are the centre one and the one on the right.
My father was 1st in the KOYLI’s but ended up with the DLI. This was possibly because he was kept on after the War with the clearing up and was demobbed in 1919.
Bob, the KOYLI’s or Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry were along with the Green Jackets or the Rifles all interchangeable. If one of those Regiments were going overseas, they were always short of men as the turn over was very high then a company or two would change badges and become part of the Regiment on the move. Infantry Regiments during the second world war had up to 300% losses being always the front line troops, no different to the first world war where many men died without firing a shot.
The infantry were better used in WW2 though this area being the recruiting ground for the DLI, Koyli and Green Howards suffered more than its share of losses. Mother was over the moon when I was transferred to REME, kicking and screaming I might add being happy in the DLI, she would not have been so happy had she known I was always with the Forward Armoured repair teams, the Infantry were not the only ones out in front.
Thank you for the comment on my fathers medals I will now change the ribbons over as to your information. Dad may have had a few when he made the changes for what ever reason I do not know. I can not understand the people who put up their relatives medals for auction as happens regularly these days. Money would not buy my fathers medal as it is a lasting connection to him. Dad died 43 years ago from the effects I believe of the Mustard Gas attack in the WW1 trenches, The death certificate said leukemia but I have read that Mustard Gas poisoning can cause leukemia. He did reach 74 years after the medical authorities had said he would not reach 21 years when discharged from the army after being wounded and gassed