Description
India General Service Medal 1908, 2 bars, North West Frontier 1930-31, Mohmand 1933, 1070267 Gunner Joseph “Joe” Morgan, Royal Artillery, a rare British Mohmand and unusual 2 bar entitlement.
Officially Impressed: “1070267 Gnr J. Morgan. R.A.”
Confirmed on the medal roll for the medal and both clasps.
Very rare entitlement of clasps, according to the medal roll only about 43 men were issued the Mohmand Clasp having already been in receipt of the IGS Medal, such as Gunner Morgan, whereas about 86 men were issued the single Mohmand Clasped medal.
Initial award of the IGS Medal with clasp North West Frontier 1930-31 confirmed on the roll of the 58th Field Battery Royal Artillery.
Mohmand Clasp confirmed on the medal roll for service with the 58th Field Battery Royal Artillery also that the clasp was issued to him on 18th February 1936 at which time he was with the 6th Field Battery RA.
The Mohmand Clasp to the IGS Medal is rarely encountered, especially to British Soldiers, as the vast majority of troops present were either Gurkhas or from the Indian Army.
The 58th Field Battery was present alongside the 6th Armoured Car Company of the Royal Tank Corps with the “Mohmand Blockhouse Line Force” alongside about 180 Men of 20 Sqn Royal Air Force, and a few odd men such as 35 Gordon Highrs were almost all of the small number of British men present.
A quote from the RAMC journal recounting the medical analysis of the campaign recalls: “No British Regiments were employed in the operations, and the number of British Troops with the column was very small, as will be gauged by a reference to the health statistical tables given later in these notes.”
The table notes that there was about 217 British Soldiers employed and 5,635 Indians, along with 838 Followers.
Joseph “Joe” Morgan was born in the village of Littledean, Forest of Dean, near Gloucester, Gloucestershire on 4th November 1908, although would later recall during 1939 that he was actually born on 4th July 1908.
He first enlisted into the Royal Artillery on 2nd November 1926, signing on at Bristol having worked as a Miner for a 6 year Army contract.
After finishing out his service he was discharged on 1st November 1938, under Para 383 (XXI G) of the King’s Regulations (Termination of terms of engagement after finishing 6 years).
After leaving the army he found a Wife, marrying Edith May Evans in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire on 29th April 1939.
He would then return home to Gloucestershire being shown as living back in his hometown of Littledean on the 1939 Census with his wife where he is shown as a “Public Works Contractors Labourer” and his wife worked at home on “Casual Domestic Duties”.
“Joe” as he was noted as on his gravestone, would enjoy a long life with his wife in the Forest of Dean, she passed in 1991, and he followed on 23rd November 1994, at the age of 86.
He and his wife are now buried in St Ethelbert’s Churchyard in Littledean.
