Bilco

Hi Gents, Well, after selling off all sorts of bits and pieces I managed to amass enough cash to contact the seller of the medal in Lambert's post (#76 above) with a proposal. After a little negotiation we agreed a price, and I'm now the proud owner of the medal! As Rob suggested in post #77, I've replaced the rather moth-eaten ribbon with an original piece of French ribbon. The ribbon the medal came with was very stiff and quite rotten - it disintegrated when I tried to remove it. The planchet is a beautiful piece of workmanship - I can gaze at it under the magnifier for hours, picking out the details. So, photos with the replacement ribbon: obverse Reverse. As you can see, the replacement ribbon isn't pristine - it's rather faded on the inner side, and worn on the reverse - but I hope you'll agree, it looks a bit better than the piece that came with the medal - which I've saved. Now, what can I sell to afford a Brazil vic .... Bill

Hi Gents, Just for interest see this thread http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31107&highlight=rnas Bill

Lambert - I think S.A.H.A is South African Horse Artillery. See http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/records/abbreviations-in-world-war-one-medal-index-cards-unit.pdf the list of abbreviations used in WW1 MICs. This source also has the first set you show as South African Service Corps Mounted Brigade Train! Bill

Ah yes, sorry - the medal is issued to 6652 PTE. J. MORLEY. NORTH'D FUS: Bill

Hi Gents, I've acquired a bit of an oddity - an ordinary Type 2 British vic, but silver plated (or silver-coloured-metal plated). Obverse Reverse There is a yellow tinge to the photos from the lighting - the top of the reverse is more silver than it appears. I've seen silver-plated French vics - indeed, Delande offered them for sale - but this is the first British vic I've seen so treated. There's no way of telling, of course, if it was the person to whom it was issued who had it done, or someone much later, trying to 'improve' it, or even try out the plating process. The obverse is pretty well covered, as is the edge, but the reverse has a patch in the right side missing the plating - or maybe it has worn off. Would the original gilding have had to be removed before the plating process? Maybe it had been removed by over-zealous polishing and this was an attempt to restore a shine. Anyway, it's a bit different, and it wasn't expensive, so I bought it! Bill

Hi Peron - a great find! Bill

This item on the BBC News web site this morning - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34229633 Bill

Hi Gents, There was a nice posting on the US Militaria Forum a while back with an amusing sting in the tail (!) http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/241171-buttwhat-do-you-believe/ post about 2/3 down the first page, extracts from a book about the OSS. Bill

Hi Tim, A very nice group! And as Lambert said, it's good to see you posting again. I think you welcomed me to GMIC when I joined! Bill

Hi Lambert, Yes, definitely 'inspired by' the Italy vic, but rather freely interpreted! An interesting piece - did you find it in Brazil? Bill

Many thanks Rob. At least there are decent ribbons on these 'reissued'medals. The Worcester Medal Service web site shows modern ribbon on their copies. The thread on GWF today shows the naming, although the photos are rather blurred, and the general opinion is that the naming looks to be impressed. Bill

Many thanks Rob. Bill

Many thanks Dick. I have the article that appeared in the September 2009 OMRS Journal, and you posted here about the Type 1R - is that the subject of the second article you mention? I'll look out for the new material. Bill ​

Hi Lambert, There has been a long topic on this subject on the Great War Forum. The MoD medals web site says that replacement WW1 medals will not be supplied https://www.gov.uk/the-ministry-of-defence-medal-office However, the lady who has been successful was able to get them because the originals were returned to the Government - as the soldier in question was dead it's assumed it was his mother who returned them because the rank shown on the medal was wrong. I can sympathise with that, as my mother always said that her father's Commonwealth War Graves Commission gravestone had the wrong rank, and she couldn't get it changed. It appears that, notwithstanding the statement on the MoD web site, in the case of returned medals they can be claimed. As the originals would have been destroyed after 10 years new ones had to be sourced from a commercial medal supplier that the MoD has used for other medals. The GWF thread is here http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=216669&page=1 Bill

Hi Gents, There's a suggestion on the GWF that the supplier is Worcester Medal Service - their web site shows the vic they sell http://www.worcmedals.com/shop.php?sec=prod&prod=564&product=victory-medal-copy Apparently, their associated firm of Gladman & Norman was one of the official producers of the Diamond Jubilee Medal. Bill

​Yes, I've just had a quick look on eBay, and there are several that look very similar to the photos posted on my link. Some sellers talk of an 'MoD-approved supplier' who makes the medals they sell - it would be interesting to find out who this is. ​ Will you be publishing the text of your talk at the Atlanta Convention? Bill

Hi Gents, The Great War Forum has a post concerning (very) late issue of the British vic and War Medal http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=216669&page=4 post # 78. It appears that the vic is a brand new striking - another variety to add to the list - Official Type 3 or Reissue Type 1??? Bill

Hi Gents, In his book Laslo says that the Belgian Victory medal was struck under contract by Establissements Jules Fonson, and examples have been found in Fonson wrappers, like this one: However, he raises the possibility that the vics were also made by other Belgian firms, and quotes one he calls Fibru Fish. This may be Fisch, and I have seen an example, although I don't have one at present: I have just acquired a boxed example of the Belgian vic, with the stamp of Ch Galere Decorations, 172 rue du Trone, Bruxelles: The medal and its ribbon look like they have had some wear, though I suppose it could have been kept in the box between wearings for many years. I would be interested in any comments, or examples of other manufacturers packaging. Bill

​I wonder if the chap seated thrird from the left in the deck chair is Hugh 'Boom' Trenchard. He was in the Royal Scots Fusiliers and, according to this site http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/hugh_trenchard.htm "In 1900 Trenchard was posted to South Africa where the Second Boer War was being fought. Here Trenchard was ordered to form a mounted company of the Imperial Yeomanry. The Boers were skilled riders and had poised many problems for the British during the campaign. While in India, Trenchard had developed a reputation as a skilled polo player (in 1896 he clashed with a young Winston Churchill during a match) and it was for this reason that senior commanders believed he was the right man to create this new unit. During a clash with the Boers in October 1900, Trenchard was seriously wounded in the chest and in December he returned to England. In late December he moved to Switzerland to convalesce – it was believed that the fresh air in St Moritz would be good for his damaged left lung. Wanting to continue his army career, Trenchard returned to South Africa in July 1901. Kitchener, Commander-in-Chief, tasked Trenchard with creating a new corps of mounted infantry. In early 1902, he was appointed commander of the 23rd Mounted Infantry Regiment and by August 1902 he held the rank of brevet major. " There's a resemblance to the well-known photo of Trenchard as CAS of the RAF. Just a thought. Bill

Many thanks Gunner 1 - I'll look at giving them both a clean and see what comes up. Bill

Hi Paul - a very nice example. Bill

Hi Gunner 1, Many thanks - more good info for the files. Sadly, it's usually the soldered suspension that shows in the on-line photos, and not the ring! The other vic I thought was Type 1 is much darker than the 'guaranteed' one, and is smooth and shiny - much more like the one I posted above. It also has the soldered barrel, but the ring is the same as the one above. It's just in better condition - see the pics below. It raises the question of how they get to be that dark brown colour. I have a Type 2 which has lost the gilding, and it's a dull gray-bronze colour. The real deal Type 1 is matt and more milk chocolate colour. Bill

Hi Gunner 1, Interesting - my guaranteed Type 1 - I have the acknowledgement of receipt dated 17 Dec 1920 - has an open, unsoldered joint, while my other suspect is the same as the photo above. In-hand, the joint is more gray than the photo shows - that's what helped me spot the join - you can see in the photo a thin gray line. What about the soldered barrel suspension - does that not mean a Type 1? Bill

Hi Gunner1, The join in the suspension ring is hard to see ... ...but I think it's at the 2 o'clock in this photo. Hope that is what you are after. Bill

Hi Gents, I recently acquired a much-abused British vic with dings, dirt and verdigris. I've had a go at cleaning it and treating the verdigris - I can't do anything about the dings: Obverse before and after treatment .... ... and reverse before and after. The verdigris on the reverse has nearly all gone, but that on the obverse is quite stubborn in places, and I don't want to rub too hard in case I make shiny spots. It appears to be a Type 1 from the soldered suspension ... and I'm wondering if the reddish colour, which has been accentuated by the cleaning, means it's a Refurbished example. The medal is named to G-4778 Pte M.J.Simmons R.Suss.R., who turns out to be Harry J Simmons on the MIC. Unfortunately, I can't find any other records for his service. All comments welcome Bill