Chris Boonzaier

There is a huge amount of French "Old soldier" material. Official stuff, association stuff etc. etc..... Thought it may be interesting to group it all here... so... if you have any.... First off, the "Carte de combattant"... this is a WW1 card, known as "1st Generation" (WW2 is 2nd, Algeria and indochina 3rd, Opex 4th) Front and back....

Not the greatest example, but one to a train unit "Tunisie" signed in 1894.

To play devils advocate here for a moment.... Although a name would of course make things "Nicer"... I would argue that an unattributed untouched medal with the bars is historically just as interesting as a named one to "Private X".... especially with such rare bars. The way I see it.... a medal like that would open vistas of research concerning the campaign, and you would be able to read all about it in detail (More so than an unnamed medal with just a "Maroc" bar for instance). In that case the extra info knowing it was awarded to "Private Jean Henri" does not really add much. I am after a set of docs to a Lt Col of the 3eme REI for Indochina.... that is a bit of a dream group for me ;-)

That is an error that can cost dearly.... I have some of the cream of my collection from Ebay, mostly stuff put on by non collecting "Civvies". And I mean mind blowingly rare, extremely sexy and historically cutting edge pieces..... From a dealer you would never afford it and from a collector you would never get it.... but ebay.... :-)))))

strangely enough... my first choice would not be a legion unit at all.... ;-)

... in todays update. A big thanks to the owner for his efforts and pics.... What a piece of history !!! just a few sheets of paper... making up more than any unnamed/unattributed piece.... :-) http://www.kaiserscross.com/40312/179301.html

A big thanks.... A most beautiful death.... http://www.kaiserscross.com/152301.html

There used to be a looot of skepticism about nachtj?ger clasps with really high pendant numbers... I forget all the arguments and dont know if they are still valid... but I think a lot of care is needed with these...

OK, let me recalibrate...... think 1900-1939 in North Africa (as far as my dream unit goes)... But feel free to add any others as per your own desires ;-)

If you could choose a Medaille Coloniale medal to ANY unit in the French army.... which would it be? best Chris

Hi, but my guy is bottom of the list... promoted to LdR from Vizefw.... no not yet learned to shave f?hnrich there....

Wait a sec.... he was Vizefeldwebel? Cannot have been 19 then?

Rick, you have one a?? kiss on credit for when we finally meet ;-)

I thought it was the castle of the WW! american engineering corps (blush)

They gave him the paper... he put it in the cover of his choice. Best Chris

I have a couple of the "Normal sized ones" but unlike the guys in the 2nd pic... I know which way around they go ;-)

any takers?

Here we go.... wikipedia also has an article about him.... he was a biggie in the legion..... I had his whole group of awards, press cuttings etc in my hands quite often. It was in a suitcase under the bed of a school friend. he and his brother used to play with them. I offered to buy the group but the father said he could not sell it, an old lady had given it to the boys.... I hate to think where it may be now, 20 years later..... http://www.themoor.ukf.net/html/history/andrew_belton.html

I once almost had an OBE or MBE group to captain Andrew "Kaid" Belton. OBE/QSA/KSA/Natal1906/trio and on the end of the bar a silver and a bark bronze cross (I think both on a brown and white ribbon) in the middle of the crosses were small union jacks and something about god. I could almost swear they were the same as the center piece of the badge posted by Tiger pie. And he WAS Fusiliers... so it could fit. anyone know anything about service medals for this lot?

Interesting... I had never seen that in the statutes.....

Are you sure about the EK? Mine is indeed to an officer. Using the logic that usually the Divisional commander awards EKs to troops under his command.... A regular Austrian infantryman would probably never get an EK as his own divisional commander would be Austrian and give him an Austrian award... But if we take the example of Austrian heavy M?rser troops under German command... their bravery awards would have been given by the German command they were serving under... so possibly the EK? Is there a rule I am unaware of with the EK and Prussian Krieger-Verdienstmedaille? I really wonder what he could have done to get a LdH? Usually they would be awarded after yeeeeaaaarrrrrs of Service...

Hi, I have a nice Iron Cross award document to an Austrian... it was not impossible... dont forget, Austrian troops served on the Western front as well. What really makes me scratch my head is the "Frenchman".... How comman was a LdH to Germans between the wars? How likely was it still to be on the bar in the period after the flower wars? Best Chris

Known to his friends as Kooky K?rner

Nice to see coverage of some of the more obscure campaigns! Best Chris

not my field of collecting, but I have always had a thing for Cobras...