The Christchurch RSA is in position of a Medal Group of Pte E.S. Coward, Dorset Reg. The 1914 Star has a bar on the ribbon "5th August - 22nd November 1914" What is the meaning of this bar? Should the other medals have bars as well? We have three other medal groups with the 1914 Star. There are only two known New Zealand personal to receive this medal, both nurses.
http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/themedals.html 'Mark of distinction to 1914 Star' (served under fire)
You'll find on his Medal Index Card that he was in France on 16 August 1914, which is when the 1st Battn disembarked at Le Havre. Name: Ernest S Coward. Regiment or Corps: Dorsetshire Regiment, Regimental Number: 9409, which should be engraved on the reverse. He later transferred to the Royal Munster Fusiliers. Regimental Number: 236953, which should be engraved on the rims of the British War and Victory medals. Confusingly, a second Medal Index card shows his Devonshire Number but ascribes 236953 to the Royal Engineers for his medals and 10749 as his Munsters number. Perhaps you could confirm what they have on the rims? There was a date reference 25/10/57, if that means anything to his family. An Ernest Sidney Coward was born 2nd Qtr 1896 in the Shaftesbury, Dorset area and in 1927 he appears as the Hon Sec at Semley Reading Rooms, just north of Shaftesbury. The Absent Voters List at Lower Langham, Gillingham Parish, North Dorset shows him as Sapper 236953 10th Signalling Company, Royal Engineers, so that's what should be on his medals!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1914_Star 5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914 Often referred to as Clasp and Roses. Instituted in 1919 (Army Order Number 361 published 16 October 1919) and awarded to those who had operated within range of enemy mobile artillery during the above period.[5] When the ribbon bar was worn alone, recipients of the clasp to the medal wore a small silver rosette on the ribbon bar. TD
Thanks TD The Star is engraved " 9409 PTE E.S. COWARD. DORSET R" The War & Victory Medals are both engraved 0 " 9409 PTE E.COWARD. DORSET R"