Orders, Decorations and Medals

Six: Acting Regimental Sergeant-Major F. Wademan, King’s Royal Rifle Corps - wounded in an air raid, 5 June 1917

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Defence of Ladysmith (9661 Pte., K.R.R.C.); 1914-15 Star (9661 C.S. Mjr., K.R. Rif. C.); British War and Victory Medals (9661 T.W.O. Cl. 1, K.R. Rif. C.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. , 1st issue (9661 C.S. Mjr., K.R.R.C.); Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (9661C.S. Mjr.-A.R.S. Mjr., K.R. Rif. C.) contact marks, fine and better (6) £400-460

M.S.M. London Gazette 3 June 1919. ‘... in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with Military Operations with the Forces in East Africa’.

Frank Wademan was born in Keighley, West Yorkshire on 29 August 1876. A Moulder by occupation and a former member of the 4th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, he attested for the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on 21 October 1896. With the 2nd Battalion he served in India, March-September 1899; South Africa, September 1899-July 1900; Ceylon, July 1899-January 1901, and India, January 1901-February 1910. Promoted to Lance-Corporal, January 1901; Corporal, June 1903; Sergeant, June 1907 and Company Sergeant-Major of ‘B’ Company, 9th Battalion K.R.R.C. in January 1915. C.S.M. Wademan entered the France/Flanders theatre of war on 21 May 1915. Appointed Acting Regimental Sergeant-Major of the 9th Battalion K.R.R.C. on 8 July 1915. Due to illness he was invalided back to England in July 1916. Recovering, he was posted to the 5th (Special Reserve) Battalion K.R.R.C. at Sheerness, Kent in September 1916. In May 1917 he was promoted to Temporary Warrant Officer Class 1 and awarded the Army L.S. & G.C. On 5 June 1917 Wademan was wounded in a German air raid on Sheerness - 22 ‘Gothas’ attacked Sheerness, Shoeburyness and other places in the vicinity, which killed 13 and wounded 34. On 20 June 1917 Wademan was posted on attachment to the 3rd (East Africa) Battalion King’s African Rifles and in October 1918 to the 6th/4th Battalion K.A.R. With the end of hostilities in Africa, Wademan was posted in March 1919 as Regimental Sergeant-Major to the 5th Battalion K.R.R.C. in England and was discharged to Class ‘Z’ Reserve in May 1919. His home address at this time was given as ‘12 South View, Crosshills, Keighley’. In June he was awarded the Army M.S.M. for his services in East Africa - one of 126 M.S.M’s. to the K.R.R.C. for the Great War; this unique to the regiment for the East African theatre of war.

With two original photographs of the recipient in uniform and a quantity of copied research, including service papers.