Military Chat

Not been on for a long time so hoping someone may be able to help. I've been researching (very slowly) my great uncle who unfortunately was one of the great and good who never came home from the first world war.
He changed rolls during the war from the Border Reg to the MGC and was 'awarded' Pip Squeak and Wilfred.
As he is buried at Ramscappelle would his medals have been passed onto his parents as unfortunately there is now nobody left to ask and no knowledge of where these medals may be and does anyone know what 'D of W' means in the Action Taken on his index card?

I think it means 'died of wounds'

If you want help looking, post his name

serjeant james fulton
I've also tried the roll of honour on another site but for some reason it won't load so don't know if he is listed on there and if it gives any description

Not sure why he doesn't seem to be on the CWGC site.

This is from the War Graves Photgraphy Project site

http://twgpp.org/information.php?id=3801514

Cemetery: Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery
Country: Belgium
Area: Nieuwpoort West-Vlaanderen
Rank: Serjeant
Official Number: 14218
Unit: 202nd Coy. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry).
Force: Army
Nationality: British
Details: 10th September 1917. Age 22. I. BA. 16.

Medals of deceased servicemen where usually sent to their next of kin.

Got there in the end - no additional information as to next of kin.

FULTON, J

Rank:Serjeant
Service No:14218
Date of Death:10/09/1917 Age:22
Regiment/Service:Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) 202nd Coy.
Grave Reference: I. BA. 16.
Cemetery:RAMSCAPPELLE ROAD MILITARY CEMETERY
Additional Information: (none given)

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/164310/FULTON,%20J

There's a little more info on this:

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914-1919
First name(s) JAMES
Last name FULTON
Service number 14218
Rank SERGT.
Regiment Machine Gun Corps
Battalion (Infantry).
Birth place KIRRIEMUIR, FORFAR
Residence -
Enlistment place MANCHESTER
Death year 1917
Death day 10
Death month 9
Cause of death Killed in action
Death place France & Flanders
Theatre of war Western European Theatre
Supplementary Notes FORMERLY 10887, BORD. REGT.

Found this notice about his death, did you know about Lily?

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/keepsafe/asset/details/7832370

From Manchester Evening News dated 09 October 1917

I'm not finding a casualty for the brother Willie Fulton on the date mentioned in that article.

ADDED: William's death is in the civil registrations so he may not have been on active service when he died, hence not on the casualty lists.

MarieCeleste may you forever carry on drifting in the ocean of knowledge you have provided for me.
You could not believe I live where the MEN is my local paper and the number of times I've looked through the archived obituaries and completely missed this.
This means so much receiving this information. There was talk that 2 of the boys were in the army but never found anything regarding William (Willie). We knew he had suffered from TB most of his life but this I now assume must have cleared as I believe he wouldn't have been allowed to join up with this ailment?
Also never knew that James had a sweetheart, Lily, now another path to explore.

James and Margaret Fulton (the Parents) had 8 children altogether but only 2 survived into adulthood one being my grandmother.
Would you know if his medals would have been given to his parents?

Again thank you so much for this article :-)

Wandhunter, there are many people who thought I should be cast adrift but none have said it as nicely as you!

If you want to click on my name to send me a private message with your email address I shall forward you the full page from the newspaper (the file is probably too large to attach to a message on here).

The only way one could be absolutely certain who James' medals went to would be if his service records had survived and you may well be aware that over 60% of records were destroyed during WW2 (and many of those that did survive are incomplete/illegible). If James named his mother or father as next of kin (and that's a strong probability) then they would have been issued his medals.

Regarding Willie's TB - he may have enlisted but then been deemed unfit through his condition, he obviously served long enough to make it to lance corporal though.

Yes, that seems to have been Willie's case:

Silver War Badge Roll

First name(s) William
Last name Fulton
Service number 3098
Rank Lance Corporal
Badge number 26644

Enlistment date 26-Jan-1915
Discharge date 20-May-1916

Unit from which discharged 7th Lanc. Fus.
Cause of discharge 392/xvi Sickness <<<<<<
Whether served overseas No

Badge date of issue 21-Feb-1917

ADDED: Have sent Wandhunter Willie's medal card.