The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of WW1 Campaign Medals to the Royal Marines 1914-1920

This database is a transcription of The National Archives document classes ADM/171/167 to ADM/171/171 (inclusive), ADM/171/92 & ADM/171/139, which contains the complete World War I Campaign Medal Rolls for the Royal Marines. Service details are added to the transcript for a large number of men, particularly those killed in action or died of wounds during WW1 and in many cases post-war deaths and WW2 deaths are noted.

The database contains the names of over 75,000 Royal Marine Officers, NCOs and other ranks, and provides a complete listing of all Royal Marines who served in WW1.

The medals covered by the rolls are: the 1914 Star, the Clasp to the 1914 Star, the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Each man's entry is linked to display the original medal roll page image. For recipients of the 1914 Star, two or more images are provided, from the original handwritten 1914 Star Roll (ADM/171/139) and the later typewritten rolls.

The following branches of the Royal Marines are listed in the rolls:

• RMLI - Royal Marine Light Infantry (Chatham (CH), Portsmouth (PO) or Plymouth (PLY) prefix to service number)
• RMA - Royal Marine Artillery (RMA prefix to service number)
• RMB - Royal Marine Band Service/Royal Naval School of Music (RMB prefix to service number)
• RMLC - Royal Marine Labour Corps (Old) (Deal prefix to numbers 8000/S to 15952/S)
• RMLC - Royal Marine Labour Corps (Home Service Labour Company) (CH prefix to numbers 14100/S to 14342/S)
• RME - Royal Marine Engineers (RME prefix to service numbers 301/S to 8271/S)

The men specially enlisted for the Royal Naval Division support units:

• Royal Marines (RND Divisional Engineers - Deal prefix to numbers 1/S to 1500/S & 5001/S to 5895/S)
• Royal Marines (RND Divisional Train - Deal prefix to numbers 1501/S to 2762/S)
• Royal Marines (RND Medical Unit - Deal prefix to numbers 3000/S to 4400/S)
• Royal Marines (RND Ordnance Company - Deal prefix to numbers 4501/S to 4564/S)

In addition to the above, there are several anomalies on the roll:

RMLC - Royal Marine Labour Corps (New) (Deal prefix to service numbers 1/N to 1424/N). This unit was raised in March 1919 and the few men listed on the roll all had former service with the RMLC (Old). The service which qualified them for WW1 medals was with the RMLC (Old).

There are two men with no service number, who enlisted pre-1880 and were never allocated a service number. These two men re-enlisted in 1914 for UK Home Service and are listed under their old RMLI or RMA company number (Private Henry MEDLEY, 25th Company RMLI & Gunner Thomas H. PITT, 5th Company RMA).

During the course of transcription of these rolls, The National Archives (TNA) released the Royal Marine Service Registers (ADM/159) for online access which, with the free search facility for names and numbers, provided a very useful source for error checking. Please note, however, that ADM/159 Service Registers do not exist for about 15,250 WW1 enlisted Royal Marines.

Three branches are not catered for in the TNA online records:

• 7000 Royal Marine Labour Corps (Old) ADM 157/3270-3458
• 250 Royal Marine Labour Corps (Home Service Labour Company) ADM 157/3459-3466
• 8000 Royal Marine Engineers ADM 157/3467-3625

All of the records in these ranges are arranged in service number order.

Fortunately, the service papers for these 15,250 Marines may be found in TNA Class ADM/157. Royal Marine Officers' Records are not currently available online, although their service records are on microfilm in TNA Class ADM/196.

Known problems and errors

The compilation of such a large listing in the late 1920s, without the benefit of modern computer aids, was an awesome task. It is, therefore, understandable that many errors and omissions crept in. All identified errors in service numbers, names and ranks are corrected in the transcript, with an accompanying note of the error correction in the text notes. The medal entitlement column, however, is listed exactly as is given in the rolls, even if in error, and the correct medal entitlement is shown in the text notes.

Acknowledgments

Captain Roy SWALES R.N. as representative of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, who provided many hours of his time investigating and checking queries, thereby enabling accurate corrections in this project.

Mary LEONG, of The National Archives, in providing a very efficient and conscientious service of document copying and supply.

Jack Marshall © 2009