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    Ceylon

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    Everything posted by Ceylon

    1. Colleagues: I just acquired a BWM with the following unit abbreviation in the naming, ie., S.A. Vet. Regt. Although I feel fairly certain that the unit is the South African Veteran Regiment I am afraid I have not been able to uncover much more about the unit except: it seems to have been connected with the war in German SWA, and renamed the Protectorate Garrison Regiment in 1916. Apart from that, I have not been able to discover much about it. If anyone has any additional information on this unit and its activities during the Great War, I would be most grateful to learn of it. For instance, I was hoping to obtain a bit more information such as: 1. the recipients were (obviously?) veterans... but veterans of what? ... the early phases of the Great War? .. (only?) the campaign in German SWA?... or veterans, in general? Put another way: what was the (specific) criteria for membership in this unit? 2. If they were veterans of the campaign in German SWA, (which seems like it might have been the case, based upon a couple of snippets I have uncovered thus far via Google), why were these veterans released from service? ... ie., why did they not carry-on in their original units for the balance of the Great War? ... were they wounded? (or otherwise disabled?)... did they not volunteer for "general service", (ie., outside of South Africa) and therefore could not be sent abroad? 3. Alternatively were they, somehow, connected to the Union Government's efforts to suppress the 1914 Rebellion? 4. How long was the unit in existence? 5. What did they do?... ie., what was their military role/function? Did they serve as a sort of labour corps, or in an administrative function, or as a type of (military?) police constabulary? 6. Were they, in fact, limited in their service to a certain geographic area? 7. Were they mounted, mechanized, or on foot? ... or in offices? So many questions that simply knowing they were "veterans" do not answer. I have looked for an article which addresses these types of questions (and more) but whomever they are, and whatever they did, this unit does not seem to have left much of an historical footprint. I have consulted the Official History of the Union of South Africa in the Great War (NMP's reprint) but since it has no index, it was a bit hit-and-miss. So... any leads or additional information grateful received. Cheers, Glen, In Our Dominion of the North PS: The following snippet goes a little way towards answers some of the above questions, but (regrettably) not too far. Its from a Google Books online search.
    2. Thank you, Gentlemen. As always I am grateful that you took the time to share with me your knowledge. I guess we'll just have to wait and see... until more information comes along, Cheers, Glen
    3. Ok Guys... thanks again for your willingness to help. Here are some more images -- this time made with a scanner -- so maybe a little better detail? First, a couple more overall images of the decoration... obverse and reverse. Now the ring: obverse; first an overall image, then a close-up on the area that looks like it might have some makers marks. Now the reverse of the ring; first overall, then a close-up of the "800" mark.
    4. Thanks, Paja. I appreciate your insights. I have to admit, try as hard as i can, I am having difficulty seeing the traditional "HF" hallmark of the Huguenin Brothers on this ring. Hence ... my doubts. Cheers, Glen
    5. I finally got around to taking images of the makers marks on the decoration's ribbon ring. Can I assume that this confirms the maker was Huguenin? Cheers, Glen
    6. Wonderful... absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much. I am very grateful for your kind assistance. These are exactly the types of figures I was hoping to acquire. Cheers, Glen
    7. Are there any figures available on how many of these were issued? ... Or is that something lost in the post-war upheavals? Cheers, Glen
    8. Thanks very much, Paja. I really appreciate the images and your effort on my behalf. Although I went over the decoration very carefully with a magnifying glass -- and did not find any maker's mark -- I did not think to roll back the ribbon and inspect the ring! I'll do that once I get home tonight! Cheers, and thanks again, Glen, Ottawa, Canada
    9. Thanks. Are you aware of any images of the Rothe's example... for comparison... just curious. Cheers, Glen
    10. Well.. the group finally arrived in the post. It is stunning... absolutely beautiful. There was some discussion early-on in this thread regarding an attempt to ascertain the maker... with the suggestion that if I posted more detailed photos, one might be able to tell. (I looked it over to see if i could see any maker's marks... but no luck... assuming they are obvious, since I don't know where to look! ;-) If there is anything in particular one should look for, please let me know. Here are the images. Cheers, Glen
    11. Wow! What a stroke of luck! ... and very kind of you. Yes, indeed, I would feel honoured if you shared with me the family history. And, if you are interested, I am happy to share with you (and/or your family) any of the research I have gathered on L.F. Hirst. My email is glen.hodgins@sympatico.ca Cheers, Glen
    12. Wow! The way those medals are worn, however, would make any Chancellor of Honours scream! ... wrong order ... and in two rows!! Good thing she was a civilian.
    13. Thank you very much for this information. It sounds a bit like the Order of St John in Britain (and other Commonwealth monarchies). The Sovereign is the patron of the Order, but did not establish the Order -- hence it enjoys a kind of quasi-official status. Is there such a thing as an official Order of Precedence for Serbian awards of this period? That would decide the issue, I think. Here's a British example of a table of precedence: (ie., of official awards):https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33554/page/7529 Cheers, Glen
    14. Thanks for that, Rogi. I suppose your last comment is what lies at the heart of my query. If the Red Cross award was not issued by (or in the name of) a Sovereign entity (ie., the King of a country), then (in British practice) it would be considered an unofficial award and (technically) should not have been worn with other (official) awards. It should have been worn separately (ie., on the right side of the chest, with official awards on the left side). This, for example, is what recipients of the Royal Humane Society's Lifesaving Medal must do, since although a prestigious award from a bona fide organisation, it is not issued in the name of the Sovereign -- so therefore is unofficial, and can't be worn with official medals/awards. In practice, however, such rules can only be enforced if the recipient remains in a disciplined organisation like the army, navy, police, etc. As a civilian, there is no one (in practical terms) to enforce the rules (if/when the recipient decides to wear his medals on his civilian jacket). I believe this was the case with Hirst and explains why his medals are mounted as they are. In other words, in summary fashion, here are my conclusions: a) Hirst was awarded the Serbian Red Cross decoration by the Serbian Red Cross (and not the King of Serbia) while serving in a civilian capacity in Serbia in c.1915-16; b) as such, it is an unofficial award and -- as a result -- although he therefore did not need formal permission from the (British) King to wear it, he should have worn it only on the right side of his chest; (with any official awards on the left side); c) as a result of his service in the Royal Army Medical Corps (1917-18) he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal; d) when the war ended he left the army, never to return; e) about 2-3 years later he was awarded his British War and Victory Medal -- which (out of ignorance?) he mounted with his (unofficial) Serbian Red Cross decoration; and f) because he was a civilian, he only wore such medals rarely and when he did, even though they were techincially mounted incorrectly, there was no one around with either the desire or knowledge to point out his error to Hirst... so he continued. The result: his medals have lasted as a single group to this day: together but (technically) incorrectly mounted. Cheers, Glen, In Our Dominion of the North
    15. Thank you for the kind words and the link to Hanson's medals, Paja. The medals are still winging their way to me, but once they arrive, I will be sure to post some close-ups, in the hope that some one can help with any additional information such as the identify of the maker, or the period of issue. One will recall in my initial posting a question asking whether or not these were issued in the name of the King of Serbia or (simply?) by the Serbian Red Cross Society. The reason I ask is because there are no mentions of these Red Cross awards having been granted to Britishers in the London Gazette -- unlike, for example the awards to Britons of the Order of St Sava. See, for example, this Gazette Notification: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/13081/page/791 (Here's a listing of all 133 London Gazette Notifications with the search term "King of Serbia" in it: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice?text=%22king%20of%20serbia%22&location-distance-1=1&categorycode-all=all&numberOfLocationSearches=1&results-page-size=10&results-page=1 ) However, after having checked all 133 notifications, I see that none of them refer to the Red Cross decoration, (as per Hirst's award). This is why I suspect that this award was not -- at least technically -- awarded by (or in the name) of the King of Serbia -- for (in accordance with British customary law) no British subject could wear (or even accept) such an award (ie., an award from a foreign Sovereign) without their own King or Queen's formal approval (hence the Gazette Notifications granting Britons permission to wear such awards highlighted in the above links). The same practice, of course, continues today. My wife, for instance, was awarded the Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French government, and had to wait a year to accept it until formal permission was gazetted. At any rate... any thoughts on my theory that this Red Cross award was not issued in the name of the King of the Serbs, but rather (only?) by the Serbian Red Cross, would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Glen, In Our Dominion of the North
    16. Well.. barring an Act of God, I have just been advised that I was the successful bidder on this lot: Once it actually arrives (4 - 5 days usually) I will get a view of the reverse of the cross and look for any maker's mark/hallmarks. In the mean time, here it is in a bit greater detail. The other three medals are: 1. (the larger copper oval one) the Ceylon Volunteer Overseas Service Medal (for the Great War); 2. (the two silver ones): academic awards from the Faculty of Medicine at University College London - "Anatomy" (1902-03) & "Histology & Practical" (1901-02). The recipient is Leonard Fabian HIRST. Hirst was born 2nd September 1882 and received his medical education at University College Hospital, London, qualifying with the Conjoint diploma in 1905. The following year he took the M.B. and B.S., and in 1909 he both proceeded to the M.D. in State medicine and obtained the D.P.H. Hirst then went out to Ceylon, about 1911, where he was employed as a bacteriologist by the municipal government of the city of Colombo. In 1912, as the Colony of Ceylon's leading Public Health official, Hirst began a series of inquiries into the role of fleas in the spread of the (bubonic) plague. (Few realised that there was a third world-wide outbreak if "The Plague", starting in China in 1855, that lasted well into the 20th century... in fact the WHO did not formally declare this pandemic over until 1959.) By the 1930s, Hirst was considered on of the world's leading experts on the spread of communicable diseases... especially The Plague and Cholera. An internet search of his name will result in hundreds of "hits" in various medical and public health publications. In 1953 Hirst authored the definitive study on how to defeat The Plague: Although I am unclear of the circumstances that led to Hirst serving in Serbia, a Colombo (Ceylon) newspaper account of late 1915 indicates that Hirst went (in late 1914? or early 1915?) to serve in a Serbian Relief Fund sponsored hospital in Belgrade (perhaps the (1st) "British Farmers' Hospital"?), having returned to Ceylon in about Sept 1915. My suspicion is that given the outbreak of cholera in Serbia at the commencement of the war, and given his expertise in this area of public health, Hirst was easily convinced (or decided on his own) to volunteer for such service. Barring any new evidence, it is my assumption -- and it is only just an assumption at this point -- is that it is because of such service that he was awarded the Cross/Order of the Serbian Red Cross. This would also explain the all white ribbon -- he would have been awarded it as a civilian volunteer. After his return to Ceylon, and given the increasing need for medical professionals in the army as the Great War continued, Hirst joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, seeing service in Egypt and then Salonica ... (back with his old friends?). Any additional intelligence, of course, gratefully received. Cheers, Glen
    17. Thanks, again, for the valuable information. Much appreciated. Still awaiting confirmation that I won this item. If so, should be in a position to follow-up with greater details ASAP. Cheers, Glen
    18. Hey, Igor!.... I just noticed you're in Ottawa. So am I! I live in the Alta Vista neighbourhood! Cheers, Glen
    19. Igor: Thank you for the kind words, as well as the very useful information. I am very grateful. Although the Order does not come with a document, I have been advised (and have no reason to doubt this) that the Order was issued to a British doctor who went to Serbia in 1915 working at the so-called "British Farmers' Hospital" in Belgrade -- which was one of several hospitals sponsored by the Serbian Relief Fund . If desired, more can be learned about the Serbian Relief Fund here: http://www.rastko.rs/cms/files/books/5034ba02d6147... but, in general, the Fund raised money from amongst the general population of Britain (with Queen Mary as the Fund's Patroness) to provide medical equipment and medical personnel to assist Serbian sick and wounded at the time of the Austrian/Bulgarian invasion. The "British Farmers' Hospital" was so-called because the money to support it was raised from amongst British farmers. I will try to get more information about the recipient and better images of the Order and post such information here as soon as possible. Thank you again, Igor, for your kind and helpful response. Cheers, Glen In Our Dominion of the North (ie., Canada)
    20. Colleagues: I will soon come into possession of the following medal, described as a decoration of the Serbian Red Cross. This particular example is said to have been awarded to a member of a British-staffed hospital sponsored by the Serbian Relief Fund in Belgrade in 1915. My question: a) what is the formal name for this award? (I have seen several on the internet); and b) by whom was it (formally) awarded? -- the King of Serbia? or the Serbian Red Cross Society? I apologise if this matter has been discussed before, but I did a search of GMIC for related postings, but didn't find anything which addressed these particular points. Cheers, Glen In Our Dominion of the North (ie., Canada ;-)
    21. Still hoping some one might be able to help me with this one. Cheers, Glen
    22. Greetings All: I have the medals of (British) Major-General John Arthur Mallock Bond... that is, I have them all except the US Legion of Merit (Commander) awarded to him by the US government after WWII. I would like to find an appropriate example of that award, of the same vintage, as a representation of his award. (FTI, Bond's citation is repeated below.) I have been looking for years -- but with no luck. In fact, I'm struggling with this one, largely because: a) I want to get an "authentic" replacement -- ie., one from the late 1940s; b) I know that the order has changed (at least in terms of some slight -- but easily recognisable -- manufacturing details over the years); but c) I do not know what details/changes to look for, in order to determine if any given example dates from the desired period (ie., 1940s). As a result, I would be most grateful if anyone would please post a few scans showing the details one should look for in order to confirm that an example of the Legion of Merit (Commander) was manufactured in the immediate post-war period. Thank you. Glen Ottawa, Canada
    23. Thank you, Odulf. I very much appreciate your efforts in my support. The overall shape of both the mystery badge (in the first photo) and the badge you have shown are both "more round" than the standard RN cap badge (which I would describe as "almost triangular"). That's good, in so far as linking the two. What's not so good, however, is the apparent differences in the thickness of the leaves between the 2 badges (ie.,between the mystery one and the one you provided). It seems the leaves in the latter badge are thicker than those in the "mystery badge", (unless that's because in the Dutch navy flag officers have thicker leaves in their badges than those below flag rank?). If it weren't for the circular curl on the rank, I would think the mystery naval officer could have been a merchant navy captain, (ie., master). Thanks again. Glen
    24. Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated,indeed. I've done a (simple) Google search for a RNLN officers' cap badge -- for sake of comparision to the RN one -- but am surprised that I can't seem to find an example on the net. If any knows where such a badge can be seen, I'd be grateful for a link or image. Cheers, Glen
    25. Greetings: Delighted to be jumping in (again!?) I'm a relative new-comer (in terms of postings) to GMIC, (but I suspect several members will recognise me from various other Fora). I'm currently trying to identify the (non-Japanese) uniforms in the accompanying photo -- which was supposedly taken in early-mid 1942, in Sumatra (Dutch East Indies cum Indonesia) shortly after the fall of Singapore. The person who inherited the photo (the som of a Far East POW) suggested the chappies in naval uniforms (ie., back row, standing, 3rd from right in whites; and back row, standing, last on right in the bush hat) were Royal (or Commonwealth) Navy officers. I have my doubts. Any thoughts -- pro or con -- greatly appreciated. Also, any views on the two air force uniforms also appreciated. To me, they look RAF (or Commonwealth) for the period -- but I am far from an expert on such matters. Cheers, and thank you, Glen
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