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William Alton  W. Alton        Sherwood Foresters - Notts & Derby cap badge

Alton Memorial    Alton Memorial    

Alton Memorial     Alton Memorial

Surname Alton
Forename/s William
Rank Corporal
Service Number 19744 - Formerly 12984, Leicestershire Regiment
DOB 1895 at Codnor, Derbyshire
Address Rose Terrace, Tupton
Date & place of death/details 11/6/18 at Auchonvillers. Killed in action.
Regiment & Unit Served with "C" Company 11th Platoon, 10th Battalion. Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment)
Service details France & Flanders
Military Awards? Military Medal for gallantry and devotion to duty near Plouvain on the 5th August 1917, when taking part in a patrol which entered enemy trenches.
This Level 3 Gallantry Medal was established during the First World War on the 25th March 1916 and introduced in the London Gazette issue 29535, (back dated to 1914) to personnel of the British Army and other services, and personnel of Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank. It was the other ranks' equivalent to the Military Cross (M.C.), (which was awarded to Commissioned Officers and, rarely, to Warrant Officers, who could also be awarded the M.M.).
The military decoration was awarded to William Alton for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire or for individual or associated acts of bravery which were insufficient to merit the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
Conferment of the medal was announced in the London Gazette and William Alton earned the right to add the letters M.M. to his name
Married?               Children? Married to Mary Alton (nee Beard)
2 sons - George & Thomas William
Any photographs? Yes - Derbyshire Times 22/9/1917 (page 4) winning DCM
Derbyshire Times Obituary? Derbyshire Times Obituary
Parents names Son of Uriah, (a coal miner) and Ellen Alton
Parents address 2, Cross Street, Grassmoor, Derbyshire.
Grave location or   memoria location No Grave. Pozieres Memorial near Albert on the Somme, Panel 52-54
Living relatives? Yes
Any other information? Pre war occupation was a coal miner pony driver.
Enlisted at Chesterfield in 1914, and entered France in July 1915.
Wounded 3 times before his death.
Also remembered on the Grassmoor War Memorial.
Mary Alton remarried in 1920 to a Mr Richard Betton and lived in Ringwood Terrace, New Tupton.

Campaign Medals:
Victory Medal

Victory Medal		 Given the information available it is likely that William Alton was entitled to the Victory medal, also called the Inter Allied Victory Medal. This medal was awarded to all who received the 1914 Star or 1914-15 Star and, with certain exceptions, to those who received the British War Medal. It was never awarded alone. These three medals were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.

Eligibility for this award consisted of having been mobilised, fighting, having served in any of the theatres of operations, or at sea, between midnight 4th/5th August, 1914, and midnight, 11th/12th November, 1918. Women who served in any of the various military organisations in a theatre of operations were also eligible.
British War Medal

British war Medal		 From the information available, it is very possible that William Alton was entitled to the British War Medal for service in World War One. This British Empire campaign medal was issued for services between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918.

The medal was automatically awarded in the event of death on active service before the completion of this period.