Latest news with #MilitaryMedal
BBC News
01-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bodies of British WW1 soldiers finally identified in Belgium
British soldiers who died in World War One and were buried in unnamed graves have finally been remains of L/Cpl James Ball Baron, 29, L/Cpl Samuel Chapman, 19, and 2nd Lt Hugh Barr, 28, were found after the war and buried as unknown soldiers in graves were identified after researchers submitted cases to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission hoping to have identified their final resting places. Military officials later confirmed their 26 March, services were held for L/Cpl Bell, from Mevagissey, Cornwall, L/Cpl Chapman, from Hull, East Yorkshire, and 2nd Lt Barr, from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire. Tim Buescher, the great great nephew of L/Cpl Chapman, who joined serving soldiers at the service, said: "We are amazed that after all this time, Sam is found. "This generation of our family, like many others, was hit hard by the Great War and as a result, these people were lost to us before we could know them."The services, at Tyne Cot Cemetery and Zantvoorde British Cemetery, both in Belgium, were organised by the MOD's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the War Detectives. Mr Buescher added: "The care and dedication to duty of the JCCC and CWGC has made us feel cared for. "The detail of research, constant communication, and consultation on our family's wishes has helped to create a sense of closeness to Sam and by extension, his siblings John and Rachael. Sam's brother John died only six weeks before him. "Being able to commemorate their life and their sacrifice, whilst mourning their loss, feels like they are being brought home somehow."According to JCCC, records, including war diaries from the soldiers' units, were used to identify the remains. 'Bravest and coolest' LCpl Baron enlisted into The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry after the outbreak of war in was awarded the Military Medal on 14 November 1916 for his bravery on the Somme, when he single-handedly held a position after all his comrades had been put out of action. He was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre on 1 May 1917.L/Cpl Baron was killed around 24 August 1917 during an attack on Inverness Copse. His commanding officer described him as "a man of great spirit and example, and undoubtedly one of the bravest and coolest men of the company". L/Cpl Chapman enlisted into The East Yorkshire Regiment in March 1915. In mid December 1917, his battalion took over part of the line near Passchendaele. While there, L/Cpl Chapman was wounded and evacuated to an aid post at Tyne to JCCC, the post was located in a pillbox, now the location of the Cross of Sacrifice, in the cemetery. Casualties who did not survive were buried near the pillbox.L/Cpl Chapman was one such casualty and appears to have died there or while travelling to the aid post on 14 December. 'Daring' mission On 5 September 1914, 2nd Lt Barr enlisted into The Scottish Horse. He was later commissioned into 6th Battalion The Rifle Brigade, before being posted to 35th Battalion Machine Gun to records, on 30 September 1918, 35th Battalion Machine Gun Corps supported an attack on Werwik.A fellow officer said: "2nd Lt Barr went out on a daring reconnaissance during an attack, and his men state that his bravery and daring astounded everyone, and there is no doubt his action was the means of saving many lives and of helping to restore the situation at a critical period." JCCC caseworker Rosie Barron added: "It has been an honour to have been involved in the organisation of these rededication services and to have joined the family of L/Cpl Chapman, their military family and the local community in Ypres in remembering these three men. "The memory of each of these men has now been passed through generations of their families and they are all still fondly and proudly remembered."Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Appeal to buy medals for 'beastly' WW2 battle
In November 1944, soldiers of the Dorsetshire Regiment fought and won a little-known but gruesome battle in a wood on the Dutch-German border. The 4th and 5th battalions had been tasked with breaking into the Nazi defence line, which was 400 miles long and 2.5 miles deep. Among the men was 23-year-old L/Cpl Frank Boyce who was seriously injured at the start of the operation but bravely continued, earning him a Military Medal. Now The Keep Military Museum in Dorchester is fundraising to buy his medals for its Dorsetshire Regiment collection. Frank "Biddy" Boyce was born in the New Forest on 24 August 1921. When his 5th battalion arrived at the wood, near Geilenkirchen, they had already suffered heavy losses at Hill 112 in Normandy in July, and again at Arnhem in September. Their target, the German Siegfried Line which blocked the way into Nazi Germany, was filled with bunkers, pill boxes, guns, mines and tank obstacles. The battle was fought at great cost and, after breaking through, the Dorsetshire soldiers held their position, fighting in conditions likened to World War One. Their Corps Commander, General Sir Brian Horrocks, later wrote: "The Battle of Geilenkirchen is barely mentioned in military histories, yet it was one of the hardest fought actions of the whole war. "This was warfare at its most beastly with continuous cold rain turning the ground into a sea of mud and constant counter-attacks from experienced German troops." The citation on L/Cpl Boyce's Military Medal reads: "L/Cpl Boyce was No.1 on a 2-in Mortar with a forward company. "He was wounded very shortly after crossing the start line but carried on with his platoon. "He maintained his mortar in action with great effect throughout the attack and reached the final objective with his platoon. "By this time he had suffered considerable loss of blood but still made no complaint of his wound. "His courage and self-sacrifice were a magnificent example to the men of his platoon." Since the war, the site of the battle has been known as Dorset Wood, in a tribute to the soldiers who fought there. Biddy died in Southampton in 1999. The Keep was originally the gatehouse for the Depot Barracks of the Dorsetshire Regiment and, with the exception of World War Two, it served as regiment's administrative centre from 1879 and 1958. The museum, which is temporarily closed, features thousands of original exhibits of military history relating to the regiments of Devon and Dorset. To raise funds for the medals, the museum is hosting a talk by historian and author Christopher Jary where the story of Biddy and his Dorsetshire comrades will be brought to life. Details of the event, in Dorchester on 7 March, can be found on the museum's website. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Museum's unsafe roof forces year-long closure D-Day anniversary preparations under way The Keep Military Museum
