Tom Morgan

I found this Instruction very interesting, Graham, and thanks to you for posting it. Army Form B104-82 (The form which the Instruction notes as the wrong one to use) is the form which notifies that a soldier has been killed. It has a space where the cause of death is to be written, and presumably they were writing "Missing, Believed Killed" there. The form the Instruction says should be used, Army Form B 104-83, informs the next-of-kin that a soldier is missing, with an explanation that this does not necessarily mean that he is dead. Tom

Welcome. Perfectos. I've seen the details of an officer who was reported Missing and about three months later, his solicitor wrote to the War Office to ask if the officer was still consiered missing, or if he was now considered to have been killed. The reply said that the the officer could not be listed as "presumed killed" because six months had to elapse first. At the end of six months the officer's family received notification that he was presumed to have been killed. This would seem to suggest that the "waiting period" was six months, but in many other cases I have heard of, it was more like a year. Incidentally, British soldiers were never listed as "Missing in Action" - it was just "Missing". And I believe that missing soldiers were not re-classified as "Killed in Action" - it was "Missing, Presumed Killed". In other words, the principal part of the classification was still "missing" because no one actually knew what had happened to the man. Tom

If it was made in Britain it would say, "Sterling" and not "Stirling". Tom

I also have a QSA medal belonging to a relative who was undoubtedly entitled to it. Although it has his name around the rim it looks as if there was once another name there. There could be quite a few reasons for this, I suppose. Tom

It's a shrapnel fuse, with that timing-ring. Shrapnel was designed to burst in the air, and the timing-ring was used to set the delay so that the shell would burst over the target. Mind you, if looks very much like Tony's illustration of the - Lg. Zdr. S/22. That fuze was used to initiate a special shell containing a slow-burning, illuminating flare which came down slowly via a parachute. Tom

He's operating a peep-show. (There's a picture of another one below.) Essentially it was a portable entertainment consisting of a box which could be carried on the back like a pack and a small folding table to stand it on. There was also a flap somewhere which could be opened to let in light. Customers looked through the round holes. Inside there might be a representation of a royal procession or a sea-battle painted on a long roll of paper. The showman would wind the roll across the field-of-view, giving a very primitive impression of movement or progression. The showman could them give a commentary. Other subjects could be the story of a notorous and recent "horrid murder" - the crime, the capture, trial, imprisonment and execution, etc. More sophisticated peep-shows used articulated images operated by rods, so sword-arms could slash, horses could gallop, and so on. The squirrel on the treamill, ringing the bells, is just an attention-getter! Tom

Hayling Island would seem to be a good contender. There is a website which has details of mulberry harbour construction going on at Hayling. CLICK HERE to see it. Tom

Mike, I'm afraid not. The only reference I can find is to some of Sir John's British awards, honorary degrees, orders of knighthood, etc. I can't find any reference to foreign awards though he must certainly have been awarded several. Tom

At last! A question I can answer! This is Kwajah Mohammed Khan, a member of Sir John's personal staff. I can tell you no more than this, but a photograph obviously taken at the same time appears in The Little Field Marshal by Richard Holmes, a biography of sir John French, and this name appears in the caption. It does not appear in the index, unfortunately. The other officers named are, Fitz Watt on the left and Maj. Jack Dawnay on the right. Tom

I think the term pre-dates the Great War slightly. Although withering massed rapid fire was a feature of the B.E.F.'s musketry actions early on in the war, the phrase was originally used to describe part of the pre-war infantry training which enabled the men to do this so well. As part of the standard infantry musketry course, the soldier would be required to fire as quickly as he could for one minute, aiming at a target 300 yards away, and he would be required to hit the target at least 15 times during the minute, working the bolt between each shot, of course, and having to reload the rifle at least one to achieve this. "The Mad Minute" was thus the climactic, pass-or-fail part of the musketry course. Tom

Many thanks, Dan, for such a complete answer to my question. the reason I asked is that a friend of mine in Belgium has a Maxim, very much in relic condition, dug up from the fields after his plough hit it. They only have the gun, not the mount. They also found a pair of tongs but didn't know what they were for. They are of course exactly like the ones in your picture. Knowing what they are and exactly what they were used for is very welcome information. Tom

Daniel - could you explain how the cartridge tongs were used? Tom

Barry you might like to try This Website which has quite a large section on War memorials. (Scroll down the page a little way and you'll see the "War Memorials" heading. As well as the standard, highly-visible outdoor memorials there are references to smaller memorials inside churches, at workplaces, etc. Tom

Kevin - the RAOB Grand Lodge England website has in its sidebar menu an appeal for old jewels, with a contact address for the museum. (There is also a mention that old jewels of no specific interest to the museum will be passed for disposal for the Grand Lodge Benevolent Fund.) If your friend is in the UK, he might write to the address given to ask for advice about the history of the jewel. The website can be found here. Tom

Kevin - could the intertwined "BRAO" be "RAOB" - Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes? And could "CLE" be "GLE" - Grand Lodge of England? Tom