1914-1915 star medal Squeak 1919 medal Victory medal

Front || Thomas James Morley, on the right here, is my Great Grandfather. He was born 1884, so would be in his early 30s here. I was supposed to be named after him but my parents broke with tradition and instead of becoming the sixth Thomas Morley in a row I was named James Thomas! He was a machine gunner in the 34th Battalion Machine Gun Corps during World War 1. In World War 2 he was a fireman in London (Hornsey I seem to recall). The photograph was taken in about 1917, probably in the UK.

Medals from R-L The 1914 Star or Mons Star was instituted in 1917 for service ashore in France and Flanders between 5 August and 22 November. The British War Medal 1914-1920, authorised in 1919, was awarded to eligible service personnel and civilians. Qualifications for the award varied slightly according to service. The basic requirement for army personnel and civilians was that they either entered a theatre of war, or rendered approved service overseas between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918.The Victory Medal 1914-1919 was also authorised in 1919 and was awarded to all eligible personnel who served on the establishment of a unit in an operational theatre