Meritorious Service Medal

Awarded on 17 May 1915 and Gazetted on 6 Sep 1918  "His Majesty the King has been pleased to approve of the following awards for distinguished and gallant services rendered on the occasion of the destruction or damage by enemy action of Hospital Ships, Transport and Storeships".

Military Service History

• Part of original Yeomanry contingent sent to Gallipoli. More here.
• 10 Apr 1915 left Avonmouth for Egypt aboard HMT Wayfarer
• 11 Apr 1915 The Wayfarer was torpedoed. More here.
• 11 Apr 1915 Went back aboard the Wayfarer and stayed with it and the horses as it was towed to Queenstown, Ireland. These event later led to his award of the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) for his actions
• May 1915 arrived in Alexandria
• May to July 1915 - In camp at Chatby, Egypt
• 14 Aug 1915 left Egypt arriving in the Dardenelles at Suvla Bay on 18 Aug 1915
• 20 Aug 1915 took part in the attack on Chocolate Hill
• 8 Dec 1915 invalided out of the Gallipoli theatre to the UK
• 26 Feb 1916 applied for a Commission
• 17 May 1916 commissioned as a Cadet 2nd Lt and trained at Troon
• 7 Nov 1916 Commissioned to 2nd Lt in Machine Gun Corps
• 30 Mar 1917 left UK for France
• Jul to Dec 1917 took part in Third Battle of Ypres and Battle of Cambrai

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

Following the largest bombardment ever seen on the Western Front the Germans were in high spirits and they launched their Spring Offensive on March 21 1918 east of the old Somme battlefields, where the British-held positions stood on ground favourable for attacking infantry. By chance there was dense fog and they advanced quickly and overran the trenches held by James Wilkes and the Machine Gun Corps near Favreuil, north of Bapaume, almost unobserved.

The whole British line began to crumble, and an army trained to hold a trench had no experience of open warfare, and were driven back in bewilderment. Learning as they retreated, the Corps momentarily held at isolated redoubts at Poisieux Au Mont, Poullens and Mondecourt, and it was during one of these engagements that James Wilkes was wounded and died on Sunday March 26.

We are, once again, grateful for the assistance of Philip Wilson of the Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum for his invaluable assistance