Kiwi Medals

A modest medal, unfortunately an orphan. This medal is impressed to 8846 PVT A. BURCHELL R.W.FUS. Albert Burchell served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and later in The Welsh Regiment. I haven’t been able to find any more information about this man. No attestation papers. But since he doesn’t appear on the CWGC site, it appears he survived the Great War.

Update: From a friend on another site a little more about Albert
Albert Burchell
Rank: Private
Medal Awarded: British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps: Welsh Regiment Regimental Number: 267026 Sub Unit: 1/6th Battalion
Previous Units: 8846. R.W. Fus. Pte. Infantry Base Depot., Att. 6th Welch R., 15632. 6th Welch R., 267026. 6th Welch R., Welch R. Infantry Base Depot., 8th Welch R., Att. 37th Div Cyclists, 8th Welch R.

Here’s another very ordinary Birchall. In this case it’s Albert Birchall, Private, 38249. He served originally in the East Lancashire Regiment and later in the North Lancashire Regiment. His medal card shows an entry for the Silver Wound Badge.

Here’s a lonely single to Private Jonathan J. Birchall of the South Lancashire Regiment (No 39159). John Joseph Birchall was born in Salford in 1885 and appears in the 1911 census as single, living with his Mum Elizabeth and working as a general labourer. The census has their address as 16 Anderson St, Salford. This house and street no longer exist as they were flattened during the Blitz in WW2 and never rebuilt.

This single British War Medal belongs to Thomas Birchall. It is impressed to 11114 T.Birchall N. Staffs. Ex-Private Birchall seemed to be in the habit of losing his medals since his Victory Medal was reported lost in 1922. The police subsequently found and handed in his lost medal which was returned to him.

This British War Medal belonged to John H. Birchall. It is impressed to DM2-208049 Pte J.H.Birchall A.S.C. John Henry Birchall was a sanitary worker in civilian life and enlisted on the 5th of June 1915. He served in the Motor Corps.

This is an orphan medal for 2nd Lieutenant George Birchall. This medal single is impressed for 21176 2 Lieut. G Birchall H.Light.Inf. He enlisted as a Private soldier in the Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was transferred to the Highland Light Infantry as a Corporal and then promoted from the ranks to Temporary 2nd Lieutenant and then confirmed as 2nd Lieutenant.

He was removed from the suspense list and then placed on the retired list on the 20th of October 1921. In the meantime he had reenlisted in the Royal Scottish Rifles as a Private on the 1st of December 1919. His new Regt. Number was 3122424. Why would someone reenlist in the army having survived WW1?

This group is for Sapper Thomas Birchall of the Royal Engineers. The medals are impressed to 125581 Spr T.Birchall R.E. Thomas was from Wigan and was a shoe and boot repairer before the war.

This Group is for Joseph Birchall. He served in the Lancashire Fusiliers and enlisted on the 11th of November, 1915. The medal is named to 202627 Pte J.Birchall Lan.Fus. John enlisted on the 11th of December 1915. He was discharged in 1919 due to injury.

This group is named for Leonard Birchall. It is stamped 94017 Gnr L.Birchall R.A. He was a clerk from Middlesex according to his attestation papers.