DevonMMGtoI

In a war in which every man was a hero, the men named below did some deed which raised them above the rest. Many repeated their heroism hence the awarding of a Bar to their original medal - some men acquired two Bars but only one - an Australian - ever earned three Bars. Only when the award had been personally approved by the King and announced in the London Gazette (i.e."gazetted") did an award become official and this could take several months. This was generally linked to other rewards such as promotion or additional pay.

Most citations have been lost and we shall never know what the majority of these Devon men did. In various parts of the country however, a few citations survive. We include a random selection in pages of the index so that searchers may judge for themselves the special qualities of the men listed on these pages:

Award to a Private in the Cheshire Regiment

"During the attack on Wargenies-le-Grand, on the 6th of November 1918, he displayed conspicuous gallantry and initiative by attacking, single-handed, an enemy gun position, severely wounding one of the enemy and capturing the remaining seven."

DEVON'S MILITARY MEDAL RECIPIENTS 1916 - 1920

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GALE, W	241145 Private William Gale of the 5th Battalion, the Devonshire regiment. Believed to be the son of Joseph and Mary Gale. Born in Torquay in the September Quarter of 1898. Military Medal gazetted 7 February 1919.
GALLIFORD, H	T4/21058 Driver Herbert Galliford of the Royal Army Supply Corps. Son of William and Sarah Galliford. Born in the June Quarter of 1897 in Exeter. Military Medal gazetted 23 February 1918.
GILBERT, W	44093 Private William Murray Gilbert of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Berkshire Regiment. Son of Samuel and Mary Gilbert. Born in Milton Abbot, nr. Tavistock, in the December Quarter of 1899. Military Medal gazetted 7 February 1919; Bar added 13 June 1919
GILL, H	14860 Sergeant Herbert James Gill of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Landors and Sarah Gill. Born in Dartmouth in the June Quarter of 1893. Military Medal gazetted 12 July 1918.
GLASS, J	46058 Sergeant John William Glass of the Royal Field Artillery. Son of John and Ann Glass. Born in Cullompton in the March Quarter of 1893. Military Medal gazetted 16 October 1917.
GLYDE, G	305543 Private George Samuel G. Glyde of the 5th Battalion, the Tank Corps. Son of George and Sarah Jane Glyde. Born in Exeter St. Thomas in the December Quarter of 1897 - later the family moved to Ilfracombe. Killed in action 3 October 1918 aged 20. Military Medal gazetted 21 January 1918.
GOODYEAR, W	8553 Sergeant William Edward Goodyear of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Edward and Catherine Goodyear. Born in Plymouth in the December Quarter of 1888. Military Medal gazetted 12 July 1918.
GORFIN, J	3/4649 Sergeant Joseph Edward Gorfin of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Joseph and Cathering Gorfin; husband of Florence (née Kerslake). Born in Exeter in the March Quarter of 1896. Military Medal gazetted 15 June 1917.
GORFIN, W	78382 Gunner William George N. Gorfin (promoted to Bombardier) of the Royal Garrison Artillery. Son of Thomas and Emily Gorfin. Born in Exmouth in the December Quarter of 1887. Military Medal gazetted 19 March 1918.
GORWYN, H	510406 2nd Corporal Hector Bruce Lambert Gorwyn of the Royal Engineers. Son of Richard and Susie Gorwyn. Born in Plymouth in the March Quarter of 1892. Military Medal gazetted 23 February 1918.
GOUGH, F	18266 Private Frederick John Gough of the Machine Gun Corps. Son of Richard and Mary Ann Gough (née Tapp). Born in South Molton in the March Quarter of 1895. Military Medal gazetted 21 January 1918.
GOULD, S	43709 Corporal Sidney James Gould ( aka James Sidney Gould) of the 6th Battalion, the Machine Gun Corps. Son of George and Emma Gould (née Smyth). Born in Barnstaple in the March Quarter of 1894. Military Medal gazetted 11 March 1919.
GRANGER, T	15000 Corporal Thomas H. Granger (also Grainger) of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Mark and Mary Ann Granger. Born in Sidbury in the March Quarter of 1887. Military Medal gazetted 12 July 1918.
GREENSLADE, C	33172 Corporal Charles Greenslade of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of James and Ellen Greenslade. Born in Crediton in the December Quarter of 1890. Military Medal gazetted 12 July 1918.
GREENSLADE, D	6795 Private Daniel Greenslade of the 2nd Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Greenslade. Born in Tiverton in the September Quarter of 1889. Military Medal gazetted 27 October 1916.
GREENSLADE, J	G/74820 Private John Morris Greenslade of the Royal Fusiliers. Son of Titus and Elizabeth Greenslade. Born in Bishop's Tawton in the December Quarter of 1883. Military Medal gazetted 7 February 1919.
GREGORY, G	26135 Private George Gregory of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Richard and Eliza Gregory. Born in Lydford in the March Quarter of 1890. Military Medal gazetted 21 October 1918.
GUSH, A	66338 2nd Corporal Archibald Walter Gush of the 23rd DS Company, the Royal Engineers. Son of Walter James Wells and Elizabeth Francis Gush of Marine Cottage, Beer, Devon. Born in Beer in the December Quarter of 1893. Died 17 November 1918 aged 25. Military Medal gazetted 6 January 1917: Bar (Italy) gazetted 28 Mar 1919.
HAIN, E	223088 Sapper Edwin William Hain of the Royal Engineers. Son of Edwin and Ellen Hain. Born in Okehampton in the June Quarter of 1883. Military Medal gazetted 13 September 1918.
HAKE, W	43445 Lance Corporal William Channon S. Hake of the Royal Engineers. Son of William Hake of Ottery St. Mary. Born in Ottery St. Mary in the March Quarter of 1898. Military Medal gazetted 12 July 1918.
HALE, F	241029 Private Fernley George Hale of the 5th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of George and Sarah Hale. Born in Ugborough in the March Quarter of 1894. Military Medal gazetted 10 December 1918.
HAMMACOTT, W	29681 Private Wilfred Hammacott of the Wiltshire Regiment (transferred to become 21034 of the Devonshire Regiment). Son of George and Lucy Hammacott. Born in Chudleigh in 1892. Died of wounds 1 April 1920 aged 28 and buried in Chudleigh Cemetery. Military Medal gazetted 16 August 1917; Bar gazetted 13 September 1918.
HAMMETT, W	W/3291 Gunner William Hammett of the Royal Field Artillery. Son of William and Fanny Hammett. Born in Fremington in the December Quarter of 1890. Military Medal gazetted 13 March 1918.
HANDFORD, J	RMA/11901 Bombardier John Handford of the Royal Marine Artillery. Son of John and Emma Handford. Born in Peters Marland, nr. Torrington,in the December Quarter of 1899. Military Medal gazetted 14 December 1917.
HANNAFORD, J	15493 Private John Parker Hannaford of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of James and Elizabeth Hannaford. Born in South Pool, nr. Kingsbridge, in the December Quarter of 1895. Killed in action 16 September 1916 aged 20. Military Medal gazetted 1 September 1916.
HARPER, S	14340 Sergeant Samuel John Harper of the 9th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Alfred and Anna Maria Harper. Born in Holcombe Rogus in the December Quarter of 1887. Military Medal gazetted 22 July 1919.
HARRIS, A	8093 Acting Corporal Albert John Harris of the 1st Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of the late Robert and Hannah Harris and brother of Annie Salter of 2 Railway Cottages, Exmouth. Born in Sidbury in the June Quarter of 1885. Died 28 September 1916 aged 31. Military Medal gazetted 27 October 1916.
HARRIS, A	624210 Sergeant Alfred Edward Harris of the Honorable Artilery Company. Son of Enoch and Mary Harris. Born in Exeter in the March Quarter of 1885. Military Medal gazetted 11 Jan 1918.
HARRIS, P	9430 Sergeant Percy Harris of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Territorial Force). Son of Edwin and Mary Jane Harris. Born in Combe Pyne in 1894. Military Medal gazetted 14 February 1918.
HART, O	11588 Gunner Oliver Frederick Hart of the Royal Field Artillery. Son of Oliver and Louisa Hart. Born in Bideford in the September Quarter of 1897. Military Medal gazetted 4 October 1918.
HAWKER, H	10819 Private Heber Lyle Hawker of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Ellen Hawker. Born in Axminster in the June Quarter of 1890. Military Medal gazetted 21 January 1918.
HAYTER, A	510304 Sapper Albert Hayter of the Divisional Signal Company, the Royal Engineers. Son of James and Ellen Hayter. Born in Babbacombe in the September Quarter of 1890. Military Medal gazetted 23 February 1918.
HEARN,S	533774 Private Stanley William Hearn of the London Regiment. Son of William and Elizabeth Hearn. Born in Modbury in the December Quarter of 1897. Military Medal gazetted 13 March 1918.
HEATH, C	240458 Private Charles F. Heath of the 5th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment (TF). Son of Frederick and Dinah Heath. Born in Totnes in 1885. Military Medal gazetted 10 December 1918.
HENSON, E	33155 Private Ernest Frederick Henson of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Sidney and Ellen Henson. Born in Topsham in the June Quarter of 1888. Military Medal gazetted 12 July 1918.
HEXT, S	29754 Private Sydney (also Sidney) Hext of the 1st Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Believed to be the son of John Hext; Husband of Clara (née Williams) of Tavistock. Born in Princetown in the March Quarter of 1894. Military Medal gazetted 7 February 1919.
HEYWARD, H	17727 Private Henry Thomas Heyward of "C" Company, 8th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of Thomas and Louisa Heyward. Born in Sampford Peverell in the March Quarter of 1891. Killed in action 7 October 1917 aged 26. Military Medal gazetted 21 January 1918.
HOCKINGS, G	88393 Private George Alfred Hockings of the King's Liverpool Regiment. Son of George and Ellen Hockings. Born in Plymouth in 1898. Military Medal gazetted 2 April 1918.
HOLWAY, S	W/959 Gunner Stanley Charles Holway of the RFA. Son of James and Emily Holway. Born in Taunton in the June Quarter of 1893 before the family moved to Barnstaple. Military Medal gazetted 13 September 1918.
HONEYWILL, G	220099 Private George Edward Honeywill of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Son of George and Charlotte Honeywill. Born in Torquay in the March Quarter of 1896. Military Medal gazetted 20 January 1920.
HONOUR, R	18320 Private Reginald Alexander Honour of the 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards. Son of Thomas and Drusilla Honour and husband of May Honour of Holcombe, Dawlish. Born in Dawlish in the September Quarter of 1894. Killed in action 17 October 1918 aged 25. Military Medal gazetted 21 January 1919.
HOOPPELL, B	202323 Lance Corporal Benjamin Harris Hooppell of the Gloucestershire Regiment. Son of Robert and Elizabeth Hooppell. Born in Totnes in the December Quarter of 1892. Military Medal gazetted 23 February 1918.
HOSKIN, W	91460 Private William Hoskin of 153rd Company, the Tank Corps. Son of Joseph and Ellen Hoskin of Dartmouth. Born in Newton Ferrers in 1881. Military Medal gazetted 20 August 1919.
HOWARD, W.J	Information supplied by a family member: 7808 (93825) Sergeant Walter J, Howard of the 1st Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment, attached to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers). . Son of William and Agnes Howard of Shobrooke. Born in Shobrooke about 1888. Awarded the Military Medal 18 Februry 1919.(Retrospectively) Also awarded the DCM. (see citation below published 10 January 1920. ) He left the army 17 April 1919 and married Rosa Jane Richards and together they ran pubs in Exeter, including The Bull (Goldsmith's Street) until his death in 1947. "Sergeant W. J. Howard MM, 16th Battalion, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Mortho Wood on 8th October 1918, during the early morning attack. On reaching the enemy wire, which was found to be almost intact, he went forward several times under intense machine gun fire to try and find gaps. He eventually found a route, through which he led his platoon and conntinued the advance, walking along the line encouraging the men until he was wounded."
HOYLE, W	345398 Sergeant William Henry Hoyle of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of John and Grace Hoyle of North Molton. Born in North Molton in the March Quarter of 1896. Military Medal gazetted 22 March 1918.
HUDSON, W	240967 Corporal William Henry Benjamin Hudson of the 5th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of William and Selina Hudson. Born in East Stonehouse in the June Quarter of 1896. Military Medal gazetted 13 May 1919.
HUNT, S	201464 Private Stanley Charles Hunt of the Tank Corps. Son of George and Mary Ann Hunt of Tamerton Foliot. Born in Tamerton Foliot in the September Quarter of 1900. Military Medal gazetted 19 March 1918.
HUTCHINGS, J	15929 Private John Hutchings of the 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards. Son of Samuel and Sarah Ann Hutchings. Born in Tiverton in the December Quarter of 1890. Military Medal gazetted 21 January 1919.
HUXTABLE, E	345796 Private Edward John Huxtable of the Devonshire Regiment. Son of John and Mary Ann Huxtable. Born in Thrushleton in the March Quarter of 1891. Military Medal gazetted 10 April 1918.
ISAAC, F	16493 Driver Frederick William Isaac of the Royal Field Artillery. Son of William and Hannah Isaac. Born in Braunton in the June Quarter of 1897. Military Medal gazetted 25 September 1917.