WW1 medal pair – British War Medal & Victory Medal – awarded to JAMES JOHNSTON of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, later the 296th Coy (Scottish Command) Labour Corps & Royal Scots Fusiliers

Stock Reference – MM-MED-0033

WW1 medal pair – British War Medal & Victory Medal – awarded to JAMES JOHNSTON of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, later the 296^th Coy (Scottish Command) Labour Corps & Royal Scots Fusiliers

You are looking at a WW1 pair of medals, British War Medal and Victory Medal, awarded to Private JAMES JOHNSTON of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, who later served with the 296^th Company Labour Corps (Scottish Command Depot Labour Company) and the Royal Scots Fusiliers.  

The medals are inscribed ‘29812 PTE. J.JOHNSTON. K.O.SCO.BORD.’

On the Medal Index Card, this soldier is named as JOHN JOHNSON, although other records, including the ‘Roll of Individuals entitle to the British War and Victory Medals’, he is named as JAMES JOHNSON, and this appears to be his correct name.

JAMES originally served with the 1^st Battalion K.O.S.B, and from his service number, it is likely he enlisted in late 1916 early 1917, when he was in his mid 40s it appears (born 1871). When he arrived in France and Flanders is not known, but his battalion saw action in the Battle of the Ancre (November 1916), the Battle of Arras (April 1917), and the Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele (August 1917).

It is not clear what happened to him, but he was later transferred to the 296th Company of the Labour Corps (service number 123385), a Scottish unit formed in 1917, based at Blairgowrie in Scotland, made up of soldiers, many of whom had been wounded or fallen ill whilst on active service overseas, and from his service number, he may have transferred into the unit around May to July 1917, after Arras but prior to Passchendaele.   

Again, it is not clear exactly what happened, but we know he ended up in the Royal Scots Fusilier (service number 205838) where he held the rank of corporal, and he probably transferred into the unit around March to April 1918, when the army were actively seeking able bodied men to return to front line duties following the losses sustained during the German Spring Offensive.

JAMES was discharged from the army on the 22^nd of March 1919.

There is a record of a Private 1540 JAMES JOHNSTON, also born c1871, who enlisted into the 3^rd Battalion of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, at Dumfries, on the 15^th of March 1888, and served, on and off it appears, until July 1897.....Whether this is the same JAMES JOHNSTONE is unclear, but they are both from Dumfries, and an older veteran soldier would have been greatly sought after by the army as the war progressed, and when it was necessary to raise the enlistment age to meet the demand required due to troop losses.

JAMES was born in 1871, so he was an older soldier, and in documents made after the war had ended and he had returned to civilian life, his address is recorded as Quarry Road, Locharbriggs in Dumfriesshire.

SELLER NOTE = Supporting documentation obtained and / or created during my research into this medal will be provided.