SERGEANT E. BEAUCHAMP, RIFLE BRIGADE AND NATIONAL FIRE BRIGADES. Three: British War and Victory Medals (15, Sergeant, Rifle Brigade) National Fire Brigades’ Association Long Service Medal, silver, with 4 silver clasps for 20, 5, 5, and 5 years

SERGEANT E. BEAUCHAMP, 21st (MIDLAND) BATTALION (TERRITORIAL FORCE) RIFLE BRIGADE AND NATIONAL FIRE BRIGADES ASSOCIATION. Three: British War and Victory Medals (both officially named, impressed in plain block capital numbers and letters: 15 SJT. E. BEAUCHAMP RIF. BRIG.); National Fire Brigades Association Long Service Medal, silver, hallmarked for Birmingham 1930 with silver additional service clasps for 20 years and 5 years (3) (officially impressed 4057 and officially engraved: EDWARD W. BEAUCHAMP.).

Recipient’s rank erased from National Fire Brigades Long Service Medal, otherwise generally Almost Extremely Fine.

Group accompanied by copied Medal Index card and extract WW1 medal roll.

Medal Index card confirms that Edward Beauchamp saw service initially as 15 Sergeant, Rifle Brigade and subsequently as 203413 Sergeant, Rifle Brigade during the First World War, and confirms entitlement to British War and Victory Medals only (not entitled to either of the Stars). WW1 medal roll confirms that Beauchamp saw service exclusively during WW1 with the 21st Battalion Rifle Brigade, seeing two terms of service with that battalion; 14/1/1916 to 18/3/1916 and 19/3/1916 to 18/9/1918.

The fact that Beauchamp’s National Fire Brigades Association Long Service Medal is hallmarked for Birmingham 1930 would indicate that he had seen service as a pre-war fireman (from circa 1910?), volunteered for service during WW1, and returned to his pre-war profession at the end of the war.

Initial service number 15 indicates that Beauchamp was one of the first men to volunteer for service with the 21st Battalion Rifle Brigade. The fact that he had been promoted to Sergeant by the time he found himself in a theatre of operations was undoubtedly due to the his pre-war service with the National Fire Brigades Association.

The 21st (Midland) Battalion Rifle Brigade was formed as a Territorial battalion on 28 November 1915 from Supernumerary Territorial Force companies, the Supernumerary Territorial Force companies themselves having previously been raised in May 1915 from National Reservists. The battalion was initially employed in garrison duties at home, but saw service overseas in Egypt and India from March 1916 to September 1918. Beauchamp’s two periods of service with the 21st Battalion Rifle Brigade indicates that he saw service at home from January to March 1916 and in Egypt and India from March 1916 to September 1918.

The three additional 5 Year Long Service clasps on Beauchamp’s National Fire Brigades Association medal indicates that Beauchamp saw service with the National Fire Brigades during the Second World War, during which the Midlands was heavily bombed during the Blitz. Beauchamp may, as a result, also be entitled to the 1939-45 Defence Medal.The group therefore perhaps worthy of further research in this regards.