Brigade-Piron

Very nice collection! The Korea-period Van Heutsz cap badge is particularly good!

Just one thing though - the Royale 22e R. shoulder title is a 1960s' varient and should be in felt rather than US style embroidery. Is the UN medal with the Glosters' title real? Perhaps it is just the photograph, but it looks rather like the much later replacements.

Good collection though!

Hi JPL,

Thank you very much for the information!

BP

Nice pieces! It would be nice to see some more pictures of your Korean War collection too!

Apologies for my ignorance and I might be wrong, but I believe that all three are North Korean (rather than Chinese) and only the right one is actually Korean War...

Hi Brett,

I recognise the type of PUC in the picture - I believe a Canadian regiment (PPCLI ?) still also wear a home-produced version of the citation they won in Korea similar to that.

BP

Hello everyone!

I'd just like to share my latest finds, two British medal ribbon groups from the Korean War - presumably awarded to the same chap.

I'd just like to know one thing - since I don't know the name of the man who won them (and there seems to be no way of finding out) - I'd like to know how many British soldiers were Mentioned in Dispatches during the war? Since 14,000 campaign medals were awarded, I believe, it would be nice to narrow it down.

Thanks!

BP

Thanks! That would certainly make some sense, considering the reverse:

Tergau might well be a place in North Korea. Unfortunately there is no literature on the Bulgarian participation in the Korean War (in English anyway) to check it with.

Then, vandalising Valter's translation a bit, would this work:

"Considering medical records of next week's patients, 53rd Hospital in Tergau region 1953"

Thanks for your help!

Anyone?

Hello,

I recently bought a photo, and would be really grateful for, if possible, a translation of the cyrillic text on the back.

It was taken by a doctor attached to the Bulgarian Hospital in North Korea, during the Korean War.

Any help anyone could give me would be really appreciated!!!

Best wishes,

BP

Thanks for your help!

This type?

Certainly awarded for service other than in Korea. Again, it was designed to follow the WW2 service type and issued to veterans who missed the application date.

BP

Interesting that he doesn't mention the bar? It is a shame that it does not state its issue dates.

Not really. You quite often see them issued to veterans of WW2 and others. For those who missed the cut-off date for issue of the 1940-5 volunteer medal, It was often awarded.

It is certainly possible to have the same medal, not awarded for Korea and thus without the bar.

Hello,

Just a question I've had on my mind for a few months now.

Belgian UNO medals, like mine below, are "meant" to have a COREE-KOREA (or similar) bar, but I have observed about a douzen for sale - from different sellers, in different countries and with different fastenings - that lack this bar. I am sure that some medals might have lost the bar, but it seems unlikely that it would be so common.

So what other explanation is there? Could it be that soldiers in Korea after the armistace got the medal, but not the bar?

Here is my example:

I'd welcome your comments.

Best wishes,

BP

I've seen one or two (loose) in my time of collecting. Usually sell for a lot anyway.

Besides, why would you want to? A Volunteer medal without Coree-Korea clasp is not a Korean War medal.

Thanks for your help, here is a pic of the back:

Thanks!

BP

Not to hijack the thread, Guy, do you know what the technical term for the model of battledress below (same type as Markgraf's Carabiniers Cyclistes one)?

Thanks ;)

Got the records I was looking for! Thanks Hendrik!

Pvt. RIBAUCOURT was wounded accidentally at the Han river in the left foot by a rifle bullet and evacuated to Japan, where he returned to Belgium. Fortunately, it had "no long term effect".

Hello,

Having been stung by fake Chinese medals in the past, I'm detirmined to learn from my mistakes.

Could anyone tell me if this is an original?

Many thanks!

BP

Ah, well. I have enough information now to keep myself happy - confirmation that Ribaucourt was, indeed, a soldier in the Belgian contingent which is certainly a good start ;)

I should be in Brussels for about the next month, I might be able to pay them a visit - would I be prevented from seeing the records if I am not a relation?

That's excellent information! I don't suppose you could tell me where/how he was injured?

I've been looking for ages, so thanks so much again for your help!

BP

That's a good collection! I tried to find some Turkish badges for my collection & there were a few on epay a couple of months ago, but they went too high for me.

Ho hum.

A few more:

Insignia of the Dutch Batallion in Korea

This insignia was adopted for the Dutch contingent, commanded by Major Den Ouden. When it was worn, it was cut to a shield shape. This particular example is unissued, but has guidelines on the reverse for how it should be cut.

Like many other contingents in Korea, the Dutch batallion's insignia is still used by UN peacekeeping missions today.

Brassard of a Captain of the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR), 25th Brigade

This brassard was bought with a job-lot of 1st Commonwealth Division insignia and was worn by a Captain (you can see where the rank pips have subsiquently been removed), probably towards the end of the conflict.

Letter sent home by a soldier of the Belgian Contingent

Not usually my area, but it was cheap! This was originally sent from a Field Hospital in Japan (curtosy of the Red Cross) to an address in Jette (a suburb of Brussels) in Belgium in 1951. I have so far been unable to find any information about Pvt. Ribaucourt 5/5/940.

Bullion insignia of 1st Commonwealth Division

Unlike the Queen's crown version above, this is the earlier King's Crown version which was made some time before 1952. It was very common for UN soldiers - particularly American, British and Canadian to buy similar bullion insignia on rest leave in Japan.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free!

BP

Hi,

I haven't been to this forum for a while, so I thought I would add a few of my recent acquisitions.

Colombian Batallion Cigarette Case

Front:

"Batallon Colombia" in capital letters. The design beneath it is the insignia of the Colombian Batallion in Korea, and subsiquently used to this day by Colombian peacekeepers.

Back:

"Campaña de Corea" with map of Korea and key cities picked out. This is common to cigarette cases made by this same company (T.I.P. trade mark).

This cigarette case was brought back from Korea by a soldier in the Middlesex Regiment who bought/swapped/nicked it from a Colombian soldier. It isn't very common to see Colombian stuff.

Belgian Brown Beret

A new unit was formed especially for the Korean War. They are quite unusual for a military formation in wearing a brown beret if you think about it. The cap badge is of this same unit - the scroll reads "Belgium" and is still worn by its successor unit (3rd Para bn.) today. This version was made in 1951 for sousofficiers/onderofficiers (NCOs) and the beret is dated 1952.

No information on the wearer.

1st Commonwealth Division formation patch

These are the Queen's Crown version - worn post 1952. The specimen on the right has been "backed" with a piece of muslin/cheesecloth by the owner at some expense.

North Korean Flag

This is a small flag unusually, it is of cotton construction and sewn rather than printed. It is also only one sided (which is odd!). It was brought back by a Pfc. Gustav "Gus" Brown of the US Army who found it in a village he entered and pocketed it, however, I don't have any information on his unit and since records in the US seem to be deliberately complicated, the prospects don't look good. If anyone can help me however, I'd be very grateful.

Le Patriote Illustré magazine

Le Patriote Illustré was a popular Belgian magazine from the turn of the centry to the 1970s. These issues focus on the Korean War and the Belgian Batallion. These are the only issues from Korea that I have loose - I have the whole of both 1951 and 1953 in albums from a friend.

I hope you enjoy these!

All best,

BP