Tony

Yummy yummy. I was offered a Boer War tin complete with straw and chocolate down at Camden market in about the early 90s, but thought the nice old lady who wanted 50 GBP for it was possibly taking the michael. Tony

Mervyn, If you need anything checking on ancestry I don't mind doing it at all, I find it all very interesting. Tony A quick edit - my family name apparently landed in England from Iceland in about the 8th century, apart from the name being anglocised (sp) that's all I know. I couldn't find the Zwiccu tribe online, but would like to hear what you know about them. It's very interesting indeed.

Hello Mervyn, That's a very interesting family history and great photos. I've just done a search on ancestry for Henry Mitton's MIC for Great War service and came up with nothing. The only one I could find was a card (I think SWB card) for a Capt. WH Mitton who was in the ASC and living in Southsea in 1917. Tony

I think the postcard was written by Hans in France 24.8.1917 and sent to his sister in Hamburg. Don't quote me on it though. Tony

Hello Pat, It's the South Wales Borderers. Tony

I was issued 58 pattern webbing some years ago, and in training there were a few bits of 37 pat. webbing knocking about. There's probably so much of it around that the prices are kept low, not being German doesn't help with the investment either, I'd like to find some 08 webbing at those prices. That's the first 58 pat. Iraqi webbing I've seen though. Tony

Yeah all the ones messed about with have a WWII date, the 'normal' ones are all undated 9mm rounds except for one massive bullet. Probably meant for the now extinct Ostwestfalien speckled elephant. Tony

Thanks for the reply Brian. There's a good 10 of these bullets together with a couple of knives and a deer calling whistle thing, your hunting thought must be spot on. Cheers Tony

Hello all, Does anyone have an idea why these heads have been changed? All three date from WWII, the one on the right is in its original factory condition whereas the other two have been modified. The one on the left has been pinched together at the tip with something like a pair of pliers and the middle one has had the tip cut off and a hole a couple of mm deep drilled into it. Are they dum dums? Tony

I have a piece of dark blue material (copper/ARP?) with 3 stripes side by side. Instead of using the backing plate and pins, the lugs have been bent downwards over the plates holding the stripes in place. It looks to me as if the material with stripes was sewn onto the sleeve. Tony

I was told the number stamps weren't right, to be exact, the 1. I don't have enough tags to check how many different kinds of No. 1 punches were used (although it no doubt also depends on which country the coin was punched and where the punches were bought) and then I got to thinking about how much 2 Francs may have been worth to a bog standard solder. Does he buy himself some watered down beer or wine in an estiminet or have his 2 Franc coin turned into an ID disc? I'd probably opt for the drink and have a penny or a large centime coin turned into a disc. As for the research, I actually only ever got as far as finding he came from Newington Butts, my dad's family lived down the Elephant and in Walworth so quite possibly a distant relative. By the way, I have 2 coin ID discs, the other being a penny, with the same style of '1' Tony

A silly question maybe, but I know very little indeed about WWII medals. Is there any particular reason why King George VI is wearing his crown on the War Medal but not on the Defence Medal? Thanks Tony

I've had this 2 Franc coin/ID disc for a couple of years now and was once told it isn't original as the details don't look right. A post war stamped coin/disc maybe? Why? It only cost me a pound or 2 at an antique market. What was 2 Francs worth back then, would the average PBI be able to afford this kind of ID disc? Albert Charles Neal was from Southwark, making his disc particularly interesting to me. He was killed in November 1917. Tony

1 guinea reward! The damage must have been tremendous for a reward that high. I wonder if a bunch of tanks were driven over the field. Where did you find the poster, at work? Tony

My wife's grandad was kicked out of France (after taking part in some clearing up) in Feb. 1921. According to their family tales, he was there longer than most but who knows. Maybe the French didn't keep them as long as elsewhere. Tony

Could just as easily be an Englishman or even someone from the UK I think. Do you spell those places the same in English as in German? Shame the give away town of Ypres/Ypern isn't there. Tony

His pension and service records aren't available. Tony

Not much info on his MIC but here it is. Tony

That is fantastic. Strangely enough, every item I've had to do with the AIF belonged to an Englishman whose family went there at around the turn of the century. A great item and something I'd love to have. Tony

Thanks for that. Cheers Tony

This is a distant relative, can anyone tell what he may have been? Cavalry maybe? As far as I know the photo was taken about 1914. Tony

Thanks for the info. Tony

I like the home made mounting on this group. The ribbons are wrapped around a thick piece of card and sewn to a 2 place ribbon bar. The ribbon bar has the ribbons for the 14 / 14-15 Star and a BWM attached. Tony

This is a broken group to a Canadian in the 8th Bn. Manatoba Regt. who was killed on the Somme in March 1916. His mother was from Iowa in the US, his father was born in High Wycombe, England. I'm assuming their son George was Canadian born. Does anyone know if he would have been entitled to US citizenship as well? If any of you come across a Victory Medal named to 438033 Pte. G. Neal 8th Bn Canadian Infantry please let me know. The CWGC has him down as A/38033. Tony

If you mean Great war service dress, I think the Canadian ones have 6 buttons as opposed to 5 on British tunics. There could well be more differences but the number of buttons is the only difference I know about. Tony