British conspicuous gallantry medal help

[SVW1945]

Hi All
I need help researching a USMC on Tarawa that received the British Conspicuous medal, His name is Wilbur M Burgess, I do I get a copy of the award ?
Thanks Nick

[peter monahan]

I did a check through the London Gazette and cannot find any record of awards of the CGM to US Marines. I looked from Nov. 1, 1943 to Dec. 30 1946 and used various combos. of words and letters. However, you may wish to search yourself, using various forms of the name. here is the site: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/search.

I don't know whether this was the case in WWII but I know from friends that during WWI, many of Britain's allies 'sent round' their medals and decorations to the British government who then awarded them. I had, for example, a group of WWI medals to a captain in a [British] Indian cavalry regiment which included a Roumanian Order of the Crown. He had never been closer to Roumania than Mesopotamia but a chap who had served with him explained that he got it after 'not quite' winning a Military Cross.

Apparently this was common practice in WWI. The point is that the award citation, if any, would have been published in the British gazettes, NOT in Roumania. Perhaps 1st Sergeant Burgess was the recipient of a similar award, in which case the records would more likley be in US hands than British ones. Just a thought.

[derrick]

I think there were three US Marines awarded a Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. Two of them were for Tarawa (SGT Clarence Petrie and 1st SGT Wilbur Burgess) and I can't recall what the other one was for. There was also a Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying) awarded to a U.S. Air Man.

I have never been able to obtain the citations for these awards but they are Gazetted. Both Petrie and Burgess also received the Navy Cross for Tarawa so I think it is safe to assume the citations for their Conspicuous Gallantry Medals would be the same.

I would love to see a picture of their medal groups. You don't see too many Conspicuous Gallantry Medals around.