MEDAL

A silver 'British War Medal' dating c. 1918-1920, awarded to Private Harry Thomas Hogg of the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. It is circular in plan, the obverse depicting the bust of George V facing left, accompanied by the legend: GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN REX ET IND: IMP:. Above the bust is a small circular perforation that originally would have accomodated the clasp and its co-incident silver rivet (now missing). The reverse face of the medal depicts a naked horseman riding right, holding a shortsword- the horse itself trampling a skull and cross-bones alongside a Prussian shield, which symbolises both victory over death and the Central Powers. To the right of the rider's head, the sun of victory rises. Above the horse's hindquarters and in front of its forelegs are the dates '1914' and '1918' respectively, visible curving around the rim. On the edge of the medal is an engraved inscription detailing the service number, name and rank of the recipient: 53589 PTE .H.T. HOGG. THE QUEEN'S R. The British War Medal was awarded to all British Army soldiers who had been deployed overseas in a theatre of war between 1914 and 1918, for a period of greater than 28 days. Over 6.5 million examples in silver were manufactured.

Preserved in fair condition with some surface wear, the medal measures 36.35mm in diameter, 3.48mm thick, and weighs 29.35g.

Discussion: Harry Thomas Hogg was born in Stetchworth, Cambridgeshire, in the second quarter (April-June) of 1879. His exact birth-day remains unknown. On the 4th of April 1880, he was baptised. The 1881 census records him living with his parents in Church Street, Ashley cum Silverley (his father Frederick Hogg being a butcher in Newmarket). The 1891 census records the same place of habitation, but now with two younger brothers and a younger sister, born in 1882, 1884 and 1885. His occupation as a 'scholar' denotes his attendance at school during this period. In 1900, aged 21, he married Jessie Kent, and with her had six children, who are listed in the censuses for 1901 and 1911 living in Icewell Hill, Newmarket. Of these children one died shortly after being born and two disappear completely from the historical record after the 1911 census-including his first-born child Sydney Hogg, who strangely is listed in the 1911 census as living with his paternal grandparents (Harry Thomas Hogg's parents) in Exning. In both the 1901 and 1911 censuses his occupation is listed as 'Gardener' or 'Gardener domestic'. His military career is largely unknown, but his medal card survives in the National Archives-indicating he was awarded both the British War Medal (as recorded here) alongside the Victory Medal. The absence of the 1914-15 star being awarded suggests his service did not start till 1916 at the earliest, supported by the fact that his last child (who died in infancy) was born and died in the first quarter of 1916. Further evidence inferring this can be found in the fact that married men ceased to be exempted from the January 1916 Conscription Act in June of the same year. Given his age of 38 at this time, it is certain that he was indeed conscripted into the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) regiment at some point after this. However, his medal card indicates that he also served in the Army Labour Corps (service number 76964), formed in 1917 from men graded medically below the A1 standard required for frontline combat infantry. Having evidently served overseas and survived the war, his life post 1918 is somewhat obscure. In 1920 his wife Jessie passed away and he appears to have re-married a younger woman from Northamptonshire the next year, though it is uncertain whether they had any children. He died between April and June of 1936, aged 57.

Research showed that a direct surviving descendant of Harry Hogg is alive to this day, who was subsequently contacted about the find. The medal was generously returned to them by the finder.