pieter1012

Recently could buy a first type Grand Cross set, awarded in 1953 by president Juan Peron to an European Foreign Minister. Came in case and together with the award document, signed by Peron

Hi Simius Rex,

thank you for your comments. The cannister could indeed have been used for storing maps, small ones as the tube is not that large. I think to store a promotion document is still a realistic possibility, as I wrote before, it was done in Europe, the most famous ones, being of course the Marshall batons. Whatever its use was, it is a nice looking object.

Regards,

Pieter

Hi Hugh,

thanks for your reaction. A courier device for messages sounds very pausible. I initially thought of rank, because before in  Europe, general officers sometimes carried a baton with their letter of appointment rolled up in the baton.

The initials US on the top of the baton made me conclude it is American, but of course I can be wrong.

Regards,

Pieter

Does any of our Amrican friends know what this American baton was used for? It is made of copper, the tube part is about 32 cm long with a diameter of 3cm. The ends can be removed and the inside is hollow. The baton is adorned by six eagles at the top and three at the bottom.  My guess is that it was used as a militay baton, but for which purpose? If anyoone can give me more information, I will be grateful, this baton has been in my cupboard already for many years.

Regards, Pieter

Reviving an old thread.

I recently could buy a Mentana cross awarded to the French 1st Line Infantery Battalion, with the soldier nr. 1691. Have indeed up to now only seen numbers in the 2000 range. The French  1st Inf. Batt. at the battle of Mentana consisted of 400 men.

Regards, 

Pieter

Hoi Marcon1, thank you, it's easier to read this way.

Groet, Pieter

For those interested in the DSO, I recently bought a Victorian DSO document awarded in January 1899 to Captain McLoughlin of the Army Medical Corps. Thanks to a member of the BMF I learned that he received the DSO fo services during operations in Uganda 1897-98. For some reason, I cannot get one picture upward.

Regards, Pieter

Hi vPerlet,

As you can see in the picture you provided, I think you have the ribbons wrong. The Order of Liberation has a yellow ribbon with red stripes, 1,2 or 3 according to class. The Order of August One has a red ribbon with yeloy stripes, 1,2 or 3 according to class.  here is the Order of August One, third class, so with a red ribbon with three yellow stripes.

regards, Pieter

sorry, picture of the wrong case,here the correct one

The reason I ask, because I have all three classes of the Order of Liberation in my collection, and am of course curious to know how many of the first class were issued. Here some pictures, bear with me,

As you can see, the first class case contains the ribbon bar of the first class of the order  of August One. This could mean the receipient also had this order and mixed up the ribbons. Unfortunately, of the Augut One order I have only the thrid class

Hi All,

 in September 1955, the Standing Committee of the PRC instituted three orders; the Order of August One, The Order of Independence and Freedom,  and the Order of Liberation, all in three classes. After 1957 these orders were no longer awarded.

I wonder if it is known how many of these orders were awarded. Wikipedia gives the follwing numbers for the first class;

August One order; 47

Order of Independence; 196

odre of Liberation; 421

At another source I read for the first class respectively; 171, 307 and 983. That is quite a difference, so I wonder if any of you has the correct numbers for the first class of these three orders.

Thanks and regards,

Pieter

Here an example of an award document to Assistant Doctor Dr. Eugen Fliegel of the Iron Cross 1870 for non combatants. It reads das Eiserne Kreuz zweiter Klasse am weissen Bande mit schwarzer Einfassung. Issued by the King in 1873.

And here a document for a non combatant Iron cross 1914, issued  by the Royal Prussian Orders Commission in 1918

Hi Herman, thanks for your comment, it could very well be a marching medal. The set was made up by Van Wielik in The Hague and they used a ribbon that is similar to the Luxembug marching medal.

Interesting story of the NordBat 2. From it I found out that BA 03 on the medal means 3d Battallion.

Will try to search for a list of Dutch military that were attached to NordBat 2, perhaps that can shed more light on the medal.

Regards, Pieter

I have a Dutch medal set for service in former Yougoslavia, with the Dutch medal for UN Peace operations, the UN medal UNPROFOR, and a Swedisch medal from Nordbat 2. I have no idea what this last medal was given for, but I suspect it is unofficial. The obverse has the map of Yougoslavia with the words NORDBAT 2 and BA03, the reverse is plain.

If someone has more information on this medal, I will be grateful to receive it.

regards, Pieter

Hi Marcon,

thank you for the link. However, this is the Peruvian version of the medal, that was instituted by the government of Peru in 1825, after their independence. Fortunately, there is more information and are more pictures available of this Peru medal.

The Venezuelan version, instituted in 1854, has the same name, but has a different design as can been seen in the picture I added. It is also much rarer, and I have never seen one on the market. In the Morton & Eden auction of the collection of the American Numismatic Society, only the Peru version was offered.

But anyway thanks for your reaction and with best regards,

Pieter

Recently I bought the shown award document for the Medalla del Busto del Liberator Simon Bolivar, issued by the President of Venezuela in 1880. It is made of vellin and awarded to a frenchman. This medal was instituted by the President of Venezuela in March 1854, and  was abolished by the establishment of the Order of the Liberator in Sept 1880.

The only pictures I could find of this medal is the one I show here. The site Condecorationes Venezuela mentions the medal, but only shows the reverse.

If any member has better pictures of this medal, or perhaps even owns one, I would be very grateful to get clear pictures, to accompany the award document.

Thanks and regards, Pieter

Was informed on another forum about a publication in which all awards and investitures by King Edward VIII are listed. Have ordered this in the meantime.

Pieter

Dear Great Britain Forum members,

recently, I bought an award document for the KCB, signed by King Edward VIII in June 1936. Unfortunately it had been framed and displayed, so the signatures have faded somewhat, but are still clearly legible, and for the rest the document is in a good state.

I wonder how many Orders (not only of the Order of The Bath) were awarded during the reign of King Edward VIII, bearing his signature. Undoubtedly, the Chancery of British Orders will have a list of all names, but probably not grouped according to reign. If some fellow forum member has some information on the numbers, I will be very happy to hear it. As the King reigned less than a year, I suppose not so many Orders were issued.

Thanks in advance and stay safe, 

Pieter

To add to the discussion, my great uncle, who was governor of Mid Java (Netherlands East Indies) from 1926-1930, received in 1929 the third class of the order of the White Elephant. He clearly wears the second type of the order on his official uniform as governor. He retired in 1930 and returned to the Netherlands without any further official function.

regards,Pieter

Got a reply on another forum; 137, of which 2  with oakleaf cluster

Just saw on french TV the service at the Arc de Triomphe commemorating 100 years end of WWI. That reminded me of a question I always wanted to ask about a DSC document I have, which was awarded for this war. It is issued to Henri Lenoir, bigadier interpreter for actions on 11 Oct. 1918, exactly one month before the war ended. I bought the document long time ago in Paris, it was framed and became discolored by exposure to light, but fortunately, it was not pasted on carton.

 If my notes are correct, in total 6481 DSC's were awarded for the 1st WW and my question is, how many were awarded to the french military for this war?

Thanks and regards, Pieter

Heusy,

Nice picture of the grand cross of this rare order. The Museum of the Order of Liberation has all the decorations of general de Gaulle, a very nice museum to visit.

I don't know if it is a real story, but about the Latin American visit of general De Gaulle, Time magazine wrote that the Equadorian junta generals were angry that they all received only the Grand- Officer in the french Legion of Honour, whereas the presidents in the other countries received the Grand Cross. The French government explained to the generals that per country only one Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour could be presented. At the suggestion that one Grand Cross should have been presented to the junta as a whole, a french newspaper commented how to get the red ribbon of the Grand Cross around four men without having them look like a Bunch of radishes.

regards, Pieter

forgot this picture

Earlier this week King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands made a State Visit to the United Kingdom. During this visit the King was made a Supernumerary Knight of the Garter by Queen Elisabeth II. Here a picture of the King wearing the Garter, toasting with the Queen at the state banquet in Buckingham Palace (ANP photo, permission granted use for non commercial or business purposes).

In the old times, when foreign monarchs or princes were appointed Stranger Knight of the Garter, mostly a special Garter mission was sent to the foreign court to invest the monarch or prince in the Garter, on behalf of the Sovereign. The mission was often headed by a member of the royal family or, especially before the 19th century, by the Garter King of Arms. They carried with them a Commission of Legation written in latin upon vellum, under the Sovereign's sign manual and affixed with the great Seal of the Order. This letter would name and titles of the receipient, and the persons representing the sovereign, giving them the authority to perform the investiture as if the Sovereign was there in person.

I have such a Commission for the investiture of a far ancestor of King Willem-Alexander; Prince William IV of Orange, signed by King George in June 1733. He was invested with big ceremony in The Hague on 22 and 25 July 1733, the Commissioners being the Hon. William Finch, British Minister to Holland (United Provinces) and John Antis, Garter King of Arms. It mentions the Prince's name in latin; Gulielmus Carolus Honrikus Friso (William Charles Henry Friso) Primops Auriati,  Comos Nassovae (Prince of Orange, Count of Nasau). Unfortunately, the Garter seal is missing.

An interesting piece of history of the longstanding relations between the United Kingdom and The Netherlands, that was again confirmed by the visit of our King.

Regards, Pieter

hi Graf,

thank you for pointing out the thread on french maker's marks. i will study it and see if I can identify the mark on my star.

regards, Pieter

Hi Graf,

In the picture of the backside of the star you can see two spots on the pin; these are marks, one the familiar swinehead, and the other probably the maker, but I cannot recognize it. The swinehead mark is also on the catch for the pin. I have a simple camera, so unfortunately cannot make a close up photo.

Regards, Pieter