My grandfather George Conkie was in the Kings Regiment Liverpool in the First World War.(  55 division  165 brigade 1/5th Battalion ).

August 1914 : in St Anne St, Liverpool. Part of Liverpool Brigade, West Lancashire Division.
22 February 1915 : landed at Le Havre and transferred to 6th Brigade, 2nd Division.
15 December 1915 : transferred to 99th Brigade in same Division.
7 January 1916 : transferred to 165th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division

    He was awarded the Military Medal which is a great honour of course.  Unfortunately, the medal vanished and I don't where it went.  It was actually promised to my husband by my Grandfather because he knew my husband would look after it.  Alas, it vanished as the years went by as my Grandfather lived with his son  and his wife ( my parents ).  They are now deceased.

 

   

 

    I do not know the date the action took place or where my Grandfather won his Military Medal.  Though it was in France.

 

    The story in the family was that, my Grandfather and others were ordered over the top to attack a German machine gun emplacement.  Through heavy fire my Grandfather reached the machine gun emplacement and killed two Germans and captured others.  The odd thing was, he was on his own and was surprised that his chums had hesitated because of heavy gun fire.  This may be only a family tale embellished over the years.  Who knows ?

 

        After the war my Grandfather became a horse jockey ( he was only 5 ft 4in's tall ).  Later he became Head Stable Lad for Lord Wavertree. 

 

    My Grandfather was born in Scotland in the village of Maybole in Ayrshire.  His parents were bakers. 

 

 

From National Archives

 Description     

Medal card of Conkie, George

Corps   Regiment No   Rank

Liverpool Regiment    94371 Private Paid Lance Corporal

Date    1914-1920

Catalogue reference    WO 372/23links to the Catalogue

Dept    Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies

Series   War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War

Piece    Women's Services, Distinguished Conduct Medals and Military Medals

Image contains            1 medal card of many for this collection