Researching citations

[Hunter]

I was wondering if anyone could direct me to some resources which would help research a citation received by a relative.  My great-grandfather was awarded the Military Cross in WW1, but nobody in the family knows what he got it for.  He always insisted that he got it for building a better latrine for the Generals.  The only thing the family knows about the circumstances of his award was at the same time his best friend was being court-martialled for cowardice.  He was an engineer with the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the war, but he never shared any of his war experiences with the family.

His name was Colonel Fred Henshaw and spent a full career with the Royal Canadian Engineers.  If anyone knows where I might learn a bit more about his career, or maybe if you've seen his name on a dusty picture in some building at Gagetown or Petawawa, any help is much appreciated!

 

[jimb]

During the First World War, military awards were published in the London Gazette, the official newspaper of the UK Government. THe Canadian equivilaent was/is The Canadian Gazette which is still published. When a newCanadian law is being proclaimed it appears in the Canadiasn Gazette

The London Gazette has a web site on-line. Go there and see if you can search the archives.

Jim B Toronto.

 

[Hunter]

Thanks for the info Jim.  I searched the London Gazette archives and couldn't find his name.  As it turns out the Gazette only pub;ished records for British soldiers.

However, it did lead me to a a few other searches.  I haven't been able to find anywhere a site that lists the citations for Canadian MC winners, but I did find the name of a book that sounds promising:

Riddle, David K, and Donald G. Mitchell. The Military Cross Awarded to the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1915-1921. Winnipeg: Kirkby-Marlton Press, 1991.

I also found out that there may not be any record of his citation (from http://members.shaw.ca/cef54/mc.htm):

"During WWI there had been Military Crosses awarded without citations. These being Gazetted as, "New Year award; No citation." and also "Awarded on the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday; No citation". These awards were for accumulative good works by the officers conferred."

Who knows - maybe his insistence that he got it for building a better latrine may be the truth!

FWIW I also searched Collections Canada's online research tool and found a copy of his attestation paper.

Front: http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gpc006/389615a.gif
Back: http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gpc006/389615b.gif

I had never been on the Collections Canada website (www.collectionscanada.ca), but it's a treasure trove of information on Canadian History, definitely worth checking out.

 

[Michael OLeary]

The London Gazette has a web site on-line. Go there and see if you can search the archives.

The London Gazette
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/index.asp?webType=0

 

[186bncef]

Riddle's book notes the following: Lt. Frederick Robert Henshaw, C.E., 06/04/17 (London Gazette), 07/28/17 p.263 (Canada Gazette).  Awarded on the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday.  No citation.

 

[Hunter]

Thank you, much appreciated!