WW1 Marine Corps medals and awards

Anyone here an expert on WW1 Marine medals? I have been trying to figure out what one of the medals on my great grandfathers uniform is. He was a machine gunner during the war. I know the 2 are expert pistol and expert rifle. The dark medal on the left is the one giving us fits. It has been ided to be everything from a WW1 Victory medal to a shooting match award. I do not believe it to be the victory medal, that should be on a ribbon. His good conduct medal would also be on a ribbon.

Open to any and all ideas. I have shown this to a lot of Marines, and they were stumped as well. I am not sure of the date of the photo, but would say it was taken not to long after basic training and before the war ended.


View attachment 2867

Thanks,
Bill

 

As a Marine, I'll take this challenge.

I'm almost certain that it is a qualification for the machine gun - you used to have to qualify on it, as well as on rifle and pistol. I'll do some digging and get back to you.

 

According to this ,
USMC MARKSMANSHIP BADGES
Between 1912 & 1924 there were only 3 types of Marksmans Badge, all silver.

The only Bronze ones listed are as you say Competion ones.
see list at bottom of that link.

Hope this helps .

 

Three "basic" marksmanship badges. You could qualify on other weapons but you just wore a different bar. However, after looking through my 1912 Marine Corps Manual (handy for just such an occasion) I'd have to third that it is indeed a shooting award of some kind. We typically never wear (or wore) medals with shooting badges, its either medals, or ribbons with badges.

What was his full name? I can look him up in the old muster rolls and maybe find out what unit he was with, as well as se if there are any quartermaster's comments, to shed some light on the issue.

 

Here we go, found this stuff in the 1917 revision of the 1912 USMC Uniform Regulations.



The plate that corresponds:



So it appears he has a "Badge for Excellence in Small Arms Firing."

I'd still like to look through the muster rolls though.

 

Many thanks Lippert & Wessex.

Lippert, this is all of the info I have on him. Sixth Company, Seperate Battalion, Heavy Artillery Force, MB Quantico, Virginia. I don`t think he went overseas. His name was Charles Hoyt Nickloy. Served July 23, 1918 to Feb 1919.

 

I was able to find the below in the USMC muster rolls. The one for below is August 1918, and shows his receipt of his Expert Rifleman badge. According to the muster rolls, he enlisted 23 Jul 1918, but he spent a lot of time very ill (perhaps due to the Spanish Flu that was crushing the world at that time) and was discharged on the 28th of Feb 1919. It says "character given in discharge documents." So if you have his DD-214 you probably know the rest. Check E-vet recs, they have full-time professional researchers and they may have something on him. I'll keep an eye out... incidentally.. is there a Walter G. Nickloy in your gene pool as well? I have records of him enlisting in 1928...

 

Many thanks Lippert. I don`t have a copy of his DD-214. I should try to get one. I am not sure who Walter is. I am sure he is related somehow, seeing that Nickloy is not a very common name. Thanks again!

 

Hello All -

Am working on a bit of a family history/mystery and stumbled (fortunately) accross this site and this particular thread. The soldier is believed to be an ancestor of my wifes and was apparently a Marine during the first world war. He may be (I think) a lost relative (fate unknkown) named Harry Bricker but we have no proof since the photo is not dated nor is there a name anywhere to be found on the back or date when the photo was taken. We do know, from the cover, that it was taken in Ft Wayne, IN which was the closest location to his believed home in Hicksville, OH. The alternative possibility is that his last name is Arnold and either way he would be from Ohio. Being the bold NCO that I am I am wondering if Lippert has any info on either of those names in his records? Or is that out an out of thread question. Please advise.
Thx

MSG G

 

I'd be more than happy to have a look for it. NCO huh? What branch?

Sorry it took me so long to see this!

 

I have a Harold E Bricker who transferred from the SATC branch at University of Minnesota to the Marine Corps in Oct 1918, then was sent to Parris Island in December of that year.

In January, he qualified sharpshooter on the "Army Course" or on the pistol, since the rifle course of fire was Marine Corps specific. (The man in the photo has a sharpsooter badge where a pistol badge would be worn).



He was discharged on February 28th at the convenience of the government and showed character as Excellent.



This may be your man if you know whether or not he ever attended the University of Minnesota. I will continue to look for more info.

 

And I'm a dummy - I just noticed his fourragere. This might indicate service in either the 5th or 6th Marine Regiments.

Digging continues

 

that one has me stumped as well i'll get back to you with more details

 

I have multiple Harry Arnolds, in particular a Harry T Arnold who was with the 5th Marine Regiment in France, and perhaps at Belleau wood. What are the odds of the name being Arnold?

 

Great work, Lippert!!!

 

Thanks brother.

 

He wouldn't have been given a 214 in that era he would have been given a Certificate of Discharge. No IRR time back then.