Sergeant "Tommy" Moreton

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 25/12/2012 23:48:45

A Google search led me to a Commando named Tommy Moreton. Anybody know anything of him ? what led me to Tommy, is below.

Today I received a Commando's 50th Anniversary bronze medallion that my late grandfather George Barnes bought and put away for me, with a similar medal for my sister. I can just about recall him showing me it back in 1990, only 22 years ago, so perhaps shows how difficult it is for veterans to accurately remember names, places from 70 years ago.

I did a search about this type of medallion and found a link to a London auction house DNW for a lot of medals dated April 2006, for a Commando named ?Tommy? Moreton. Anybody know anything about Tommy ?

I'm reproducing the text in full in case it gets deleted from the original site.

Description
Six: Sergeant T. Moreton, Royal Signals

1939-45 Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; Efficiency Medal, E.II.R., T & A.V.R., with Second Award Bar (22212390 Sgt., R. Signals), together with Commandos? 50th Anniversary (1940-1990) Commemorative Medallion, bronze, contact marks, generally very fine or better (7) £180-220
Footnote
According to the recipient?s widow, ?Tommy? Moreton served in the Commandos for much of the 1939-45 War, and was present in the Dieppe raid, the Normandy operations and the battle of the Bulge, during which latter fighting he was wounded

http://www.dnw.co.uk/medals/auctionarchive/searchcataloguearchive/itemdetail.lasso?itemid=51927

I didn't find much about the Medallion though, was it issued/sold by the old Commando Association to its members ?

The Bronze Medallion was sold at the 50th Anniv. Reunion at Blackpool in 1990. I was there with my two brothers, and my father and uncle. One of their Commando pals, Bill Humble MM, 2 Cdo, very generously purchased one for each of us brothers

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 27/12/2012 11:02:16

Hi Pete, I wish I had been able to attend some Commando reunions with my granddad, not least being fascinated with history. But my granddad was totally uninterested in such events, including remembrance day - I understood in the sense he didn't want to be reminded of it, nor did he claim any of his service medals, refusing any suggestion of doing it. But on the other hand proud enough to display his Commando certificate on his bedroom wall, and read any Commando books I gave him. I understand that depending on their experience, veterans have different responses to dealing with experiences that ranged from extreme highs to sheer terror and horror that words can not describe.

My response to losing my granddad is to want to find out more about him, I realise this will only ever be seen through the mists of time and warped by my own experiences.

Back to the medallions , my mum recalls my granddad ordered the medallions by post, then a year or so later moved house and did not inform the Commando association, as I never saw another Commando association newsletter after about 1991 ish.

But as my granddad used to say, what is done is done !

Would it be a big no, no to have the medal inscribed around the edge with a veterans name (similar to the WW1 medals)?

Kevin

All a matter of opinion of course, but sounds good to me. Say in 150 years time, the person holding your medallion could look up the name you had inscribed on it, and perhaps find them on some kind of time capsule version of this website !