Spasm

M16 to commemorate Langemarck. Front has a widow's/mother's Hindenburg Honour Cross and the rear has the memorial at Langemarck cemetery.

Think I've found him. No idea what it means though.

Dave

Wow, fantastic and thank you for the time taken to research this. It never ceases to amaze me how learned you guys are in here.

How great to be able to put a name to the miniatures. Thanks again

Spaz

The 1st Chevauleger Regiment 250 year Jubilee Medal of 1932

The Hanseatic Cross of Bremen

The Order of Merit. It looks like it's hanging the wrong way round, but it's the swords that have been mounted incorrectly. Would this have come apart and been stuck back together the wrong way?

The Iron Cross - I'm assuming this is an EKII as it has a back face

Here's the chain.

The Jubilee Medal has been added later as it is not secured through the chain as so could not have been worn as it just slips along to the next medal, it also has a silver coloured link.

The Bavarian Order of Merit IV Class, I think, with silver flames seems to be hung the wrong way round, the chain twists if it is placed the correct way. The later pictures show what's wrong here.

Have taken some detailed pictures. Here's the box - horrible plastic thing

Now have it in hand - will do some better pictures tomorrow.

The little jubilee medal is quite detailed. It says around the edge of the horseman - 250 JAHR. JUBILEAUM 1 KGL. BAYR. 1. CHEVAULEGERS-RGTS. 1932 and on the other side MAX EMANUEL. KURFURST V. BAYERN. 29.VI.1682 around a coat of arms. Spot on Saschaw.

They are in a brown plastic opening case with a sort of flock lining (like that old 70s wallpaper in pubs - horrible) that seems to be made for the medals with what looks like 'Marchmain House' printed on the outside. No more details than that.

The lad who sold them to me said his Granddad had died and these were in a box in the loft with a few other bits that he's sold - a set of spoons and a silver vase (nothing militaria wise). He has no idea why his Grandad would have had them. He had already had them up for sale on ebay but they didn't get to the reserve price. So, no providence. They are what you see.

Thanks again Gents.

Tis mine, thanks gents

So, all ok then. I'll see if I can get it.

Getting on with this one. Goes well with some other bits and bobs. The shovel has a 1915 stamp and a load of little drilled holes in the handle to mark off 1cm intervals from the tip. Must've been very accurate when digging holes.

The last on the right is an EK, the first one on the left I have no idea. Another reason for me asking, I've had my trousers pulled down too many times now.

Gents

Would these be a nice thing to own? As I've shown before I have no idea on the 'rightness' of these although I like them a lot and would be tempted to buy. Should I? It's the only pic I have. I didn't know which topic to choose either although I believe it's a Bremen Cross

So, a bit more on family matters (my Dad) that hopefully some of ya'll can put a bit of meat on as far as squadrons etc are concerned.

I've been doing a bit of scratching and will, eventually, get the records from the MOD and then claim/buy his medals as I think the ones I have are actually one of my uncle's.

I'm trying to piece together little bits and bobs that I remember my Dad talking about as he wasn't too forthcoming about anything.

It looks like my Dad joined the airforce in 1940 (as found on AIR78 from the National Archives - what a rubbish website for IT useless people to search) at Uxbridge, although I'm not sure of this. He ended up in the Rock Apes (RAF Regiment) although he did tell me he served as mid upper gunner in Blenheims and front observer/gunner in Walruses (need to get more info on this). He said it was bloody cold and wet in the Walrus chained into the front seat. He also said it was cold flying nights in the Blemheim as he stuffed newspaper into all the gaps to stop the draughts. He had to get them out quick if attacked. When I asked if he shot anything down (as a kid all you want know is the action bits) he said there was no chance to hit anything - as fighters were too quick - other than shooting out searchlights as he could shoot right down the beam of light. He had a big scar on his chin where he says one of the guns jammed and as as he tried to clear it in a panic it went off in the breach.

The first squadron I've tracked him to is 2867 LAA which was formed in Pillipiville in North Africa and then went off to Italy in 1943. During his time in North Africa he described to me an incident of when a Flt Lieut was killed. I've found the following to confirm what he said from "Through Adversity" a history of the Royal Air Force Regiment by Kingsley M Oliver. I can't say that this was the exact incident but these sort of things couldn't be that common.

'The success of this campaign, for the first units of the RAF Regiment to be committed to battle was marred by a tragic incident in North Africa in May 1943. Flight Lieutenant AG Onley, commanding 4347 AA flight was preparing to hear a charge of dereliction of duty against one of his men when the airman concerned loaded his sten gun and fired a burst of 9mm rounds into the Orderly Room tent. Onley died of his wounds shortly afterwards and the airman was subsequently found guilty of murder by a court-martial'

My Dad described it, as far as I remember, as - 'this Flight Lue was a right git and this guy really hated him cause he was such a tit and says he's had enough of him, he picks up his tommy gun and lets him have the whole clip. The Flight Lue was sitting at the front of the tent and it blew him out the back flaps. The guy gives himself up and is done for murder and sentenced to death by firing squad. His own unit's men were to be the firing squad. When we guarded him there was no door on the cell and we could've just said get on your toes but we didn't otherwise they would have known who'd let him go. We were told that one of the firing squad would be issued with a blank so you could think that it may not have been you that had shot him but everyone knows when you're firing a blank. They put a target over his heart and because he was your mate you didn't want him to suffer so everyone hit the mark.'

I suspect this was the same incident although I can find no other reference to it.

WW1 Sniper's helmet plate with an EK1

Thankyou most kindly gents, it's pretty nice when people say they like the things you do.

The Thule one above just got binned by ebay - damn. Another warning from them as well so I'd best try to stick to Allied and WW1 stuff.

Another one, Totenkopf Thule Regiment - Panzer Grenadier Rgt 5 winter whitewashed helmet commemorating Kharkov 1943:

Worn by sections of civil defence, fire services and rescue services as protection from falling debris and being non metal was a safeguard against electrocution from damaged live power cables. I also believe miners wore the same type of helmet albeit in differing shapes.

Well, that was annoying.

This is a Zuckerman Civilian Fire Guard Helmet and I noticed that the holes (to take the liner) weren't level. On further investigation I found out that they were made this way to give the helmet a slope to protect the neck. Damn, I've painted the bloody thing round the wrong way. I assumed that the maker's stamp would be at the back

So, sand off, re-undercoat, and start again. That's 3 whole days wasted. Poo.

From the Met Police web page:

The Metropolitan Police Act 1829 defined the original Metropolitan Police District as an area of about seven miles radius from Charing Cross. Within the next year seventeen police divisions were set up and centred on the following areas:

A - Westminster; B - Chelsea; C - Mayfair and Soho; D - Marylebone; E - Holborn; F - Kensington; G - Kings Cross; H - Stepney; K - West Ham; L - Lambeth; M - Southwark; N - Islington; P - Peckham; R - Greenwich; S - Hampstead; T - Hammersmith and V - Wandsworth.

M Division is Southwark and F Division is Kensington (I'd rather be walking Kensington than Southwark).

David

It seems to be a way that the US police, and media, distinguish between a 'rookie' and an experienced police officer. In some cases rookies turn into 'veterans' very quickly depending on their place of work and what they've been through. The norm for becoming experienced seems to be about 5 years in the US Police Force but if an officer is called a veteran with only 3 years it portrays that he/she has had a great deal of experience in a shorter period. He/she is therefore considered to have 'been round the block a few times' and a better/more experienced officer than the average.

One officer explained it as "Depends on how many times you've vomited at crime scenes" - makes sense to me

Spaz

Wonderful model and even more wonderful painting. Nice one, well done. A lot of drybrushing which is easily overdone. Thanks for showing.