Description
Military Medal, with second award clasp, 1914-15 Star Trio, 2nd Lieut James Albert Edgar, 9th King’s Royal Rifle Corps, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire L.I. and Royal Berkshire Regiment. A Yorkshire man.
Military Medal Officially impressed: “R-14003 Pte J. A. Edgar 9/K.R.R.C.”
Second Award clasp an original striking.
1914-15 Star: “R-14003 Pte J. A. Edgar. K.R. Rif: C.”
WW1 Pair: “2. Lieut J. A. Edgar.”
Some contact wear overall, the group being display mounted.
Military Medal announced in the London Gazette as a Private, 18th July 1917
Second Award Bar announced in the London Gazette as Corporal on 23rd February 1918.
According to the Battalion War Diary, award of the M.M. was from the action in front of Polderhoek Chateau, which netted them a Military Cross and 7 Military Medals during late October 1917, the diary reads that on 6th November 1917: “News was received that our efforts in front of POLDERHOEK CHATEAU had been rewarded by 1 M.C. and 7 M.M.s”.
The award was swiftly confirmed on 5th November 1917 by Routine Orders by Major General Couper in command of the 14th Division, announcing that the following awards were for acts of gallantry in the field during recent operations.
The list of awards shows a gallant bunch making up the 7 recipients of the Military Medal, one of the KRRC men was earning his 2nd Bar (3rd Award) of the M.M., whilst Cpl Edgar along with 2 others were all getting a 2nd award bar, with 3 regular first awards of the M.M. granted.
The end of the war diary for October recalls that the regiment stood left with a strength of 16 Officers and 266 ranks. They had suffered 1 Officer and 43 ranks killed, 1 Officer and 6 ranks Died of Wounds, 2 Officers wounded and 84 Ranks wounded, with 11 Ranks gassed.
The final week recalls them finally earning a break: “After probably the most trying time the Battalion had ever experienced, we were brought back toe BERTHEN area for a rest, after infinite trouble with the Area, Commandant and other such people, we were eventually accommodated in barns.”
First entered into the war as a Private on 30th December 1915.
Granted a commission as 2nd Lieutenant on 30th July 1918, joining the Oxs and Bucks Light Infantry, being also sent on attachment to the Royal Berkshire Regiment.
James Albert Edgar was born in York, Yorkshire on 19th December 1891.
The son of John Thomas Edgar, a Mechanic.
He lived in Marygate, Yorkshire before the war working as a Painter, and before joining the Army he had just married his wife Minnie Precious at the local Parish church in St Olaves, Marygate on 26th May 1915.
He returned home to York after the war and remained there.
In 1939 he was working as a Sign Writer living in York, Flaxton R.D., Yorkshire.
He died in York during April 1960
