Talk:Alhaji Grunshi

Latest comment: 14 years ago by David Underdown in topic More sources

More sources

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His medal index card, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=6506541 may reveal a few more details. I'll try to take a look tomorrow. David Underdown (talk) 20:38, 14 February 2010 (UTC)Reply

The Gold Coast Regiment only lists the DCM, so I think the MM may be incorrect - my source for that was this which obviously isn't particularly reliable. I was trying to avoid using The Gold Coast Regiment as a source as it doesn't say anything about the man other than his number and rank, and I didn't want "Studies of Brown Humanity" in the references if I could avoid it. Hart of the Wud (talk) 20:44, 14 February 2010 (UTC)Reply
Unfortunately the medal card I found is only a record for his Mention. However, I did find the Gazette entry for his MM, so that is definite. COuldn't find anything for the DCM yet, but that doesn't mean it's not there - the way the Gazettes have been scanned sometimes makes searching a bit of a hit and miss affair. I may be able to lay my hands on books that list all DCM awards, and give the relevant Gazette. The only thing about the article that doesn't read quite right, is describing him as RSM in 1914, we know in 1918 he was a lcpl, and he would have to be been court-martialled to be busted down from RSM if he had held that rank in 1914 - I suspect that was actually his final rank at the end of his career. David Underdown (talk) 11:12, 15 February 2010 (UTC)Reply
I found an article on him in the Times, which is probably accurate; that says he began the war as a Sergeant, and finished it as RSM with the DCM having fought in three campaigns. (It doesn't say where/when he was awarded the DCM, but it's hardly the kind of thing the paper have any reason to invent. Hugh Clifford apparently wrote a full history of the regiment, which would presumably cover Grunshi in some detail given his significance, but I've no idea who one would find it. Hart of the Wud (talk) 13:19, 15 February 2010 (UTC)Reply
An interesting article which does help fill things out a little. I found the books I was thinking of relating to the DCM, but so far I could see it only includes the British Army, armies of the Dominions, and the British Indian Army, colonial forces such as the Gold Coast Regiment/West African Frontier Force don't seem to get a look in unfortunately. David Underdown (talk) 14:28, 15 February 2010 (UTC)Reply