A '51st Highland Division -'The Hardest of them All' - Prisoner of War & German Spring Offensive casualty medal pair with companion 'Silver War Badge': Private James McKenzie Battalion Seaforth Highlanders

- British War Medal. Silver issue (S-25174 Pte. J. McKenzie. Seaforth.)
- Interallied Victory Medal: (S-25174 Pte. J. McKenzie. Seaforth.)
- Silver War Badge: Rev with pin & clasp fittings & numbered B170536 (Awarded for Wounds)

Wounded-in-Action: Private James McKenzie 6th (Service) Battalion Seaforth Highlanders is confirmed having 'Wounded-in-Action', in Franceon 13 April 1918, at which time he received a Gunshot & Shrapnel Wound, (or GSW) to the right knee and fingers of left hand (extant service papers refer) 

As a conseqnence of his wounds the medical consensus was that the degree of wounds rendered him a 20% disability rate towards the level of pension to be awarded for 1 year subject to future review 

Prisoner-of-War:

The Aberdeen 'Evening Express' issue of 6 June 1918, contained the below notice:

Quote,

ABERDEEN CASUALTIES

Prisoners of War

Private James M'Kenzie Seaforths who was reported missing on 9th April, is wounded and a prisoner of war in Germany. His parents reside at 9 Stafford Street

Unquote.

Medals Verification:  All the Great War awards verified per cited sources:

- British War Medal. Silver issue: WO 329/1647. Shows served 6/Seaforth, previous unit 1st Training Reserve Bn holding number 1/14952
- Interallied Victory Medal: WO 329/1647. Shows served 6/Seaforth, previous unit 1st Training Reserve Bn holding number 1/14952 
- Silver War Badge (B170536): WO 329/3067. For 'Wounds', enlisted 30/01/17, discharged 11/04/19 at age 19 years

James McKenzie was a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, where he was born circa 1899. Prior to enlisting in the British Army on 1917, James had bene employed as an 'apprentice Stone Cutter' (Mason) with 'Arthur Taylor, Sone Cutter & Sculptor, Jute Street, Aberdeen. James a plucky Scottish teenager, was only 17 years of age, when he attested for service with the British Army at Aberdeen, Scotland, on  30 January 1917, he was just 17 years & 130 days of age, his terms of service were 'Duration of War', however his actual service was only to reckon from 25 September 1917. fter the passage of some time, he was eventually mobilized for military service, and posted to the Seaforth Highlanders which regiment he joined on 25 September 1917.  James embarked for France on 31 March 1918, and joined 6th Battalion Highlanders, on 4 April 1918. Only days after joing his battalion in the field, he became a casualty of the German Sprin Offensive, when he was both wounded-in-action and captured the same day by enemy German troops. Following  his capure, the teenager spent the next 4 x months a POW in enemy occupied Lille, and thence to Germany. He was repatriated to Switzerland - for temporary detention - on 8 august  1918, After the war was concluded he was finally repatriate to the United Kingdom that he reache on 6 December 1918. received wounds, and was captured on his extant service record showing his age was 47 years of age at time of enlistment in the 'Deal Division'. His service record is extant and accessible at The National Archives ref file series WO ADM 157/3273/29 folios 390-399. Following his repatriation to the United Kigdom in 1919, he took his final discharge from the British Army on 11 April 1919, declared ' No longer physically fit for War Service'. At the time he took his final discharge he had since attesting for the British Army accumulated 2 years & 72 days reckonable service

His extant service papers record his service as:

- Home: 30/01/1917 - 30/03/1918 (note although attested  30/01/1917 he only joined his regiment on 25/09/1917
- France: 31/03/1918 - 09/04/1918 (inc POW Germany): 9 x Months
- Prisoner of War: 10/04/1918 - 05/12/1918
- Home: 06/12/1918 - 11/04/1919 

During his period of internment as a POW and the period of recuperation after liberation: James reported being held at the below following hospitals in France , Germany & Switzerland:

- German Hospitals: Lille (France); Schillerschule; Wurtzburg Bayern
- Swiss Hospital: 3 x months
- 4th London General Hospital: Home: 4 x days 
- 1st Scottish General Hospital: 6 x weeks

The recipients service papers - a good set - are extant and accessible at The National Archives

Recipient is believed to be the older brother of Pipe-Major James McKenzie, 4th (Machin-Gun) Battalion Gordon Highlanders - a Dunkirk veteran - whose medal group is being offered separately on the website
  
An uncommonly encountered 51st Highland Division 'German Spring Offensive' casualty and Prisoner of War group that includes the recipients confirmed Silver War Badge

Condition:VF

Code: 26106