Militia [1930 - 1952]

Abbreviation: EM(M)

The Militia scroll was awarded to members of the Supplementary Reserve, these were men with various skills from their professional lives that were immediately transferable to the Army in times of war or emergency, this award continued until 1952 when the Supplementary Reserve was replaced by the Army Emergency Reserve and the Efficiency Medal Army Emergency Reserve

The EM(M) can be found with 3 different Obverses, GV, GVI 1st Type and GVI 2nd Type.

The Militia Scroll is relatively scarce in comparison to the Territorial Scroll especially the George V obverse as the table below illustrates.

Crompton

1|M|0|S|138|33|0010

2554976 CPL. T. W. CROMPTON R. SIGNALS.

Efficiency Medal MILITIA GV (2554976 CPL. T. W. CROMPTON R. SIGNALS.)

Efficiency Medal Militia: AO 138 1933 (Royal Signals)

Crompton was born on the 18th March 1897 in Woodley, Cheshire, the son of Frederick W Crompton a Railway Passenger Porter and Annie E Crompton.

Died Oct 1965 Lincoln

Research continues

2555737 SGLN. D. RHODIE. R. SIGNALS.

Rhodie

Efficiency Medal MILITIA GV (2555737 SGLN. D. RHODIE. R. SIGNALS.)

Efficiency Medal Militia: AO 33 1935 (Royal Corps of Signals)

I have been unable to fined any record of D Rhodie except the Army Order announcing the award of his EM(M). There is no trace of any WW1 or WW2service or an entry in the 1939 register. Research continues

3305804 SGLN. H. C. GRIEVE R. SIGNALS.

Grieve

British War Medal (46704 PTE. H. C. GRIEVE. LINC. R.)
Victory Medal (46704 PTE. H. C. GRIEVE. LINC. R.)
Territorial Force War Medal (46704 PTE. H. C. GRIEVE. LINC. R.)
Efficiency Medal MILITIA GV (3305804 SGLN. H. C. GRIEVE R. SIGNALS.)

Efficiency Medal Militia: AO 33 1937 (Royal Signals)

Only 48 Territorial Force War Medals to the Lincolnshire Regiment and 94 Efficiency Medal MILITIA GV to the Royal Signals.

5245273 SPR. J. BURNS. R.E.

Burns

1914-15 Star (3358 PTE. J. BURNS, GORD. HIGHRS.)

British War Medal (3358 PTE. J. BURNS. GORDONS.)
Victory Medal (3358 PTE. J. BURNS. GORDONS.)

Defence Medal

War Medal
Efficiency Medal MILITIA GV with two Clasps (5245273 SPR. J. BURNS. R.E.)

Efficiency Medal Militia: AO 39 1936 (Royal Engineers)

John Burns was born in 1898

3304121 SGLN. J. KEARNEY R. SIGNALS.

Kearney

1|M|2|G|33|37|0011

British War Medal (23464 PTE. J. KEARNEY H.L.I)
Victory Medal (23464 PTE. J. KEARNEY H.L.I)

Defence Medal

War Medal
Efficiency Medal MILITIA GV with two Clasps (3304121 SGLN. J. KEARNEY R. SIGNALS.)

Efficiency Medal Militia: AO 33 1937 (Royal Signals)

1st Clasp: AO183 1944 (Signalman Royal Corps of Signals)

2nd Clasp: AO183 1944 (Signalman Royal Corps of Signals)

James Kearney from Glasgow originally enlisted with the Highland Light Infantry. AO 204 1916 shows Kearney as wounded and was entitled to a Wound Stripe. At some point following this he was transferred to the Royal Army Ordinance Corps with a new number 026879.

In approximately 1925 Kearney enlisted with the Royal Signals in the Supplementary Reserve earning his Efficiency Medal Militia in 1937. He served for the greater part of World War 2 with the Royal Signals earning two additional clasps in 1944.

Research Continues

2212467 SPR. E. KNIGHT. R.E.

Knight

Photo to Follow

1939-45 Star

Africa Star, 1st Army Clasp
Italy Star

Defence Medal

War Medal
Efficiency Medal MILITIA GV with Clasp (2212467 SPR. E. KNIGHT. R.E.)

Efficiency Medal Militia: AO 110 1937 (Royal Engineers)

1st Clasp: AO 123 1944 (Royal Engineers)

7574818 C.Q.M. SJT. J. RICHARDSON. R.E.

Richadson

1939-45 Star

Defence Medal

War Medal

Coronation Medal 1937

Efficiency Medal MILITIA GV with two Clasps (7574818 C.Q.M. Sjt. J. Richardson. R.E.)

Efficiency Medal Militia: AO177 1937 (Royal Engineers)

1st Clasp: AO104 1945 (C.Q.M. Sjt. Royal Engineers)

2nd Clasp: AO104 1945 (C.Q.M. Sjt. Royal Engineers)

Coronation Medal 1937: QLIB5-6

James Richardson was born 1st May 1898 and lived in Brotton, Skinningrove, Yorkshire. He enlisted with the Royal Army Ordinance Corps as a Reservist on the 27th February 1919 with his trade noted as Clark, very little else is noted here apart from on the 29th April 1925 he transferred to the Royal Engineers Supplementary Reserve Cat “B”

Richardson’s R.E. Tracer Cards show that the unit he enlisted with was the 106th (West Riding) Army Troop Company Royal Engineers (Special Reserve) for 4 Years, re-enlisted 29th April 1929 for a further 4 years, promoted C.Q.M.S. 1st April 1930 and re-enlisting again 29th April 1933 again for a further 4 Years.

Richardson is shown on the 1939 Register as Single, living in a boarding house at 20 Park Street, Selby, Yorkshire. Working as a Foreman at the Army Ordinance Depot. This is assumed to be Barlby Army Ordinance Depot as it is very local Selby.
Richardson embarked as part of the B.E.F 13th Sept 1939 with the 106th (West Riding) Army Troop Coy.
Army Troop Coy.

The story of the 106th (West Riding) Army Troop Coy. is told in an excellent book, Ordinary Heroes: The extraordinary tale of 106 Army Troops Company Royal Engineers by Charles Jones.

The 106 Army Troop Company received their mobilisation telegrams on the 1st September 1939 and the following day assembled at the Drill Hall where hurried preparation as their mobilisation equipment arrived, all had to be unpacked, checked and issued, the men were vaccinated. They dug trenches around the Drill Hall to act as refuges from air raids. Lorries requisitioned from local removal firms were painted green and loaded with the unit's equipment and on the 10th September the 106th departed from Doncaster station arriving in Southampton at 14:30 that afternoon, by 18:15 the 106th were embarked on the "Mona's Queen", leaving after dark to hopefully avoid the risk of U Boats. The 106th arrived in Cherbourg the following morning.

T.S. Mona's Queen

106th (West Riding) Army Troop Coy were the first unit of the British Expeditionary Force to land in France. The unit was made up primarily of miners and railway workers who all had a wide verity of engineering skills that would prove very useful over the coming months.

Their time in France was eventful and more details will be added soon.

The 106 Army Troop Company by now were located in Rennes and had missed the evacuation at Dunkirk, the unit were eventually evacuated from St. Malo on two vessels, the Prince Bedouin and the Alt on the 17th June as part of Operation Ariel and arrived in Poole on the morning of the 18th.

Richardson was now 42 and is transferred to the 2nd Training Battalion Royal Engineers 26th August 1940 and then moved through several Training units, he was briefly embarked to the British Liberation Army on the 17th May 1945 returning to the UK on the 3rd July and discharged 1 week later.

2212597 SPR. J. W. MULLEY. R.E.

Mulley

Efficiency Medal MILITIA GV (2212597 SPR. J. W. MULLEY. R.E.)

Efficiency Medal Militia: AO 177 1937 (Royal Engineers)

James W Mulley was born in Born 1896. he joined the Royal Engineers Special Reserve Essex Electrical & Mechanical Company on the 3rd Feb 1925, where he served until being discharged on the 2nd Feb 1937

1939 Register shows living at "Hildase", Main Road. Chelmsford, Essex and working as a Foundry Foreman and also an ARP Warden. He was living here with his wife, Dorothy A Mulley and three others Edgar Johnson who also worked at the foundry and two children of school age, John William Bell
and Albert R E Bell.

Died 17 Feb 1969 Chelmsford, Essex age 73

2213861 C.Q.M. SJT J. S. YOUNG. R.E.

Young

British War Medal (J. 37763 J. S. YOUNG SIG. R.N.)

Victory Medal (J. 37763 J. S. YOUNG SIG. R.N.)

1939-45 Star

France & Germany Star

Defence Medal

War Medal

Coronation Medal 1937

Efficiency Medal MILITIA GVI 1st Type (2213861 C.Q.M. SJT J. S. YOUNG. R.E.)

This group also came with a 1914-15 Star that has been erased and engraved No 37763 J. S. YOUNG. SIG. R.N.) Young is not on the roll for the 1914-15 Star

Efficiency Medal MILITIA: AO 145 1941 (Royal Engineers)

Coronation Medal 1937: QLIB5-8

Joseph Stanley Young was born on the 17th February 1898 in Deptford, Southeast London and lived 11 Hughes Terrice, Yeoman St. The second eldest of 6 children.

Young enlisted with the Royal Navy at Chatham as a Boy 2nd Class on the 14th April 1915 giving his occupation as Telephone Department (GPO). He continued his training until being drafted to HMS Prince Rupert on the 19th December 1916 as an Ordinary Signalman, passing his exams for Signalman on the 29th January 1917. Young also passed his exam for Petty Officer on the 17th June 1918, a rate he would not be promoted to before he was Shore Discharged from HMS Prince Rupert on the 21st February 1919.

At some point during his service Young received an injury to his hip and was granted a War Pension as the injury was attributed to his service whilst on board HMS Prince Rupert.

HMS Prince Rupert

HMS Prince Rupert was a First World War Royal Navy Lord Clive-class monitor named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine.

Her 12" main battery was stripped from the obsolete Majestic-class battleships.

The Lord Clive-class monitors were built in 1915 to engage German shore artillery in occupied Belgium during the First World War. Prince Rupert, with her sisters was regularly engaged in this service in the Dover Monitor Squadron, bombarding German positions along the coast with their heavy guns. In 1916 with her rigging was reduced, the bridge extended, and she was fitted with additional 6-inch and 12-pounder guns.

Following the armistice in November 1918, Prince Rupert and all her sisters were put into reserve pending scrapping, as the reason for their existence had ended with the liberation of Belgium.

Young enlisted with the 107th (North Riding) Army Troop Coy Royal Engineers Supplementary Reserve on the 17th March 1926, giving his trade as a Bricklayer. His promotion was rapid, Corporal 1st September 1926 and Colour Quarter Master Sergent 24th September 1926. In 1937 Young received the 1937 Coronation Medal as CQMS RE (SR). Young re-enlisted twice during his service taking him up to WW2

On the 19th September 1939 Young went to France with the 107th Army Field Coy Royal Engineers as part of the BEF, retuning to the UK on the 8th June 1940 and moved to No2 Field Depot. On the 14th June 1941 Young transferred to the RASC at the 201 Officer Cadet Training Unit and was Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant 6th September 1941, promoted to Lieutenant 1st October 1942 and Temporary Captain 5th August 1944

Joseph Stanley Young died 7th October 1979 in Berkshire.

7250147 S/SJT. T. H. LEMON. R.A.P.C.

Lemon

Defence Medal
War Medal
Efficiency Medal MILITIA GVI 1st Type (7250147 S/SJT. T. H. LEMON. R.A.P.C.)

Efficiency Medal: AO164 1943 (Royal Army Pay Corps)

Thomas Henry Lemon was born in Hounslow Middlesex on 1st March 1901 the Royal Army Medical Corps register of soldiers 1900-29. MMM AB358_Box14_1. He first joined the R.A.M.C. at Hounslow on 16th August 1920, he stayed at the RAMC Depot until February 1921 when he was posted to India and was stationed at Lucknow until posted home on 15th December 1925. He was transferred to the reserves on 15th August 1927 and released in 1932. Joining the Supplementary Reserve prior to 1939 with the R.A.P.C. he was called up for war service on 2nd September 1939 his trade “Civil Subordinate”, he served during the war with the 44th Battalion RAPC in Radcliffe, Lancashire. Released from service on 25th July 1945, he later died in Chatham, Kent during September 1984.

2322966 W.O. CL.2. T. H. EMMETT. R. SIGNALS.

Emmett

M.B.E. Military 2nd Type

1939-1945 Star

Africa Star Clasp 1st Army

Italy Star

Defence Medal

War Medal

Korea Medal 1st Type with M.I.D Oakleaf (Major. T. H. Emmett. M.B.E. R.A.O.C.)

United Nations Korea Medal

Queen Elizabeth Coronation Medal 1952

Efficiency Medal MILITIA GVI 1st Type with Clasp (2322966 W.O. CL.2. T. H. EMMETT. R. SIGNALS.)

Efficiency Medal: AO 123 1944 (Royal Corps of Signals)

First Clasp: London Gazette 2nd May 1947 (Lt. (now T. Maj.) Royal Army Ordnance Corps)

M.B.E.: London Gazette 13th December 1945

M.I.D.: London Gazette 2nd May 1952

Queen Elizabeth Coronation Medal 1952: WO 32/14733

Officers Number: 309563

Thomas Henry Emmett was born in 1913, in Salford Lancashire he attested for the Royal Corps of Signals and served in the ranks during the Second World War, being advanced Regimental Sergeant Major. Appointed War Substantive Serjeant Major (Foreman of Signals) 10th April 1942, commissioned temporary Lieutenant, Quartermaster on 12 August 1943, he served as Staff Officer Stores with the rank of temporary Captain with the Lines of Communication in Italy, and for his services during the Second World War was created a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Granted a permanent commission as Lieutenant on 13 July 1946, Emmett was awarded the clasp to his Efficiency Medal in May 1947, before transferring to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps with the rank of Major on 12 November 1948. Emmett was a keen footballer and was the manager of the RAOC Team that won the Army Cup. He also took part in the 1948 Royal Tournament 130 stone Tug of War, the R.A.O.C. Team won the event.

He saw further service with the R.A.O.C. in Korea, being Mentioned in Despatches, and was promoted to his ultimate rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on 12 April 1954.

Lt Col Emmett died suddenly when visiting the RAOC at Moreton-on-Lugg on the 29th January 1958 at the age of 45.

M.B.E. London Gazette 13 December 1945:
‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy.’

The original Recommendation states: ‘In his capacity of Staff Officer Stores to C.S.O. Lines of Communication, Captain Emmett has been responsible for the siting and stocking of forward dumps and for arrangements for delivery of stores as required by units employed on the construction and installation of the main telecommunication system. It is in a large measure due to the outstanding energy, ability, and enthusiasm with which he has carried out his duties that it was possible to commence work on the three main constructions north of Bologna immediately after the capture of that city and to maintain them in such a measure as to ensure an exceptionally rapid completion of the main telecommunication system in Italy.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 2 May 1952:
‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Korea during the period 1 July to 31 December 1951.'

Research continues

1468649 GNR. A. C. ARTHUR. R. A.

Arthur

Efficiency Medal MILITIA GVI 1st Type (1468649 GNR. A. C. ARTHUR. R. A.)

Efficiency Medal Territorial: AO 196 1946 (Royal Artillery)

Angus Chisim Arthur was born at 45 Montreal St, Belfast, Ireland to Mary (Minnie) Thompson Gray, age 28, and Angus Christian Arthur, age 28 on the 27th April 1915, He enlisted with the Royal Artillery in 1938 and was placed on the Z Reserve 16th March 1946.

LT. L. GREENLEY. R.E.

Greenley

1939-1945 Star

France and Germany Star

Defence Medal; War Medal

Efficiency Medal MILITIA GVI 2nd Type (LT. L. GREENLEY. R.E.)

Efficiency Medal: London Gazette 23rd January 1947.

First Clasp: London Gazette for 23rd January 1947. (Lt. (Hon. Capt.) Royal Engineers)

Officers Number: 181297

Leonard Greenley was born 15th May 1905 and enlisted in the 150th LNE Railway Construction Co Royal Engineers Supplementary Reserve 1st June 1931. He is also noted as "Re-mustered as a Motor Cyclist and then to R.T.O. Ordnance Depot Bramley 28th September 1939. (I have yet to discover what R.T.O. is, if anyone knows please pass it on)

Greenley was then selected to become an Officer Cadet and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant (No.181297) into the General List on 21st April 1941, Lieutenant LG 25 December 1942, and was Hon Captain by the time he received his EM(M) in 1947.