Description
British War Medal, PLY 14477 Corporal Frank Aaron Pearce M.M. Royal Marines Light Infantry.
Officially impressed: “PLY 14477 Cpl F.A. Pearce. R.M.L.I.”
With copy service records.
The recipients very rare Military Medal “For Bravery in the Field” and his Royal Naval LS&GC is extant and was recently sold in Dore & Rees auctions, Lot 171, 21st February 2024.
His Special Services section of his records note:
“27th August – 31st August 1914, Landed at Ostend
19th Sept – 12th October, Served at Dunkirk, Defence of Antwerp
April 1918, 1914-15-16-17 Chevrons awarded”
Award of the Military Medal, announced in Supplement to the London Gazette, 17th April 1917.
Very rare and unusual for a Royal Marine to earn the Military Medal, there were about 114,000 Military Medals issued during the war, whereas only about 570 of those were given to members of the Royal Navy, including the Royal Marines.
Frank later returned for service in World War 2, and died on service on 26th December 1944 aged 55, being recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
