WW1 medals and regiment badges -help

[Jon Fish]

You guys are the best. Some great information there guys, so he entered in Jan 15 and discharged in 18 , wounded , Lewis gunner and in 2 regiments. This guy must have been deep in action on many occasions. I've looked over the medals again this evening, the history you have all supplied has really helped me appreciate the guys dedication and what he with millions of others did for us 14-18. There is no hole in the cloth or backing to show a wound badge has been taken off the group or fallen off in the past. I presume it could be that he never was issued it? Or maybe he wore and only felt anything towards the single metal strip version?

Having looked around the Cambridge Regiment looks a saught after and harder to find regiment medal wise so I'm real pleased with the find!

[Robert Shoaf]

The Cambridgeshire Regiment was a Territorial Army regiment, not a Regular Army regiment, and was affiliated with the Suffolk Regiment. It gained many WWI Battle Honours.
A second battalion was raised post WWI, and both were captured at Singapore, I'm assuming as part of the ill-fated 18th Infantry Divison, which was being shipped to the Middle East until the Japanese Invasion of Malaya, then diverted to Singapore, where the whole division was captured, soon after embarking. A sad fate.

Bob Shoaf

[skypilot]

Just to clarify what medals you have.....

L-R:
WW1 British War Medal
WW1 Victory Medal
WW2 Defence Medal
Special Constabulary Long Service Medal with 2 additional bars.

The Defence Medal was almost certainly awarded for his work as a Special Constable during WW2. I would be pretty surprised if he was a Special and in the Home Guard simultaneously.

The SCLSM is normally awarded after 9 years of service but as war service counted as triple, it could be earned after 3 years service. As a Special, he would have been eligible for the award of the Defence Medal. The subsequent date bars represent additional periods of time (10 years each) where he effectively earned a second (and third) medal. Given that he earned a 1948 date bar, I would suggest that he joined in around 1939/1940, earned his medal by 1942/3, two or three more years at triple time and a further three at normal rate, which would give him the 1948 bar, then an additional 10 years at standard rate to earn the 1958 bar. If you check with the Cambridgeshire Constabulary, they MAY have some records for your chap. Most forces don't, but you never know.

A very nice grouping to a man clearly dedicated to what he saw as his public duty. A lovely find that certainly needs to be kept together.