gavinmedals

Mike, I have only just seen your posts, very impressive. I have been toying with the idea of collecting QSA's to Town Guards, as a side to groups, however this display has certainly provided some food for thought. Thank you. Gavin

Hi thank you for posting the links, both gents were impressive. Of interest on the same youtube spot is also clip of Steve Stevens, DFC. Enjoyedtheir stories. Gavin

Hi, in looking at the group it is defence force, i.e army, air force or perhaps navy, although the latter is less likely. I do no believe the group is related to the SA Police based on the medals. The group you are looking at consists of from left to right the following: Pro Patria medal, General Service medal, Southern Africa medal, SADF good service medal for 10 years. The conditions of award are reflected in the relevant section of the Medal Yearbook. The combination would suggest service in a defined operational area, and certainly operations acrooss the border. Research opportunties are very limited, if not impossible currently unless there is some provenance such as award certificates, as the medals were not officialy named but numbered. The provenance would also be essential to confirm if it is in fact a group. While the combination is certainly possible it could just as easily have been put together. In saying that i do not want to underestimate what the medals represent, which is a war which in some respects the intensity and scope was not always clear on the international stage.

Hi, if not already tried it, i would suggest that you check Dix, Noonan & Webb and the Spink auction archives as well. You never know. Best of luck with your search.

I am sure if you post the details, one of us can do a look up for you.

Hi Caz, there is a published role: Natal 1906 by D Forsyth. Cheers Gavin

Absolutely agree.

Hi Chris, Keith Payne's group is described at the following website: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Payne#Honours_and_awards Mervyn, from the above he did not receive the MM cheers

Hi, I believe that Audrey is a member of this forum under the name Aud. A quick check of the members list will allow you to contact her viaPM. Hope it helps. Cheers Gavin

Excellent, as I no longer have any attributable crosses left in the collection. Thanks for sharing these.

Paul, thanks for the info, just wondering whether it would be better to weigh the MC without the ribbon as this does vary to some extent?

They scare me too. So I generally admire them in period photos only. I have looked at one or two of my reference books on the Knights Cross, and it may help to also post the dimensions and the weight of the cross. However one area of concern, although difficult to tell for sure from the pic, would be that the swastika seems shallow relative to the rim. I would be wary

In this final post the award document signed by the then State President, Viljoen and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pik Botha is illustrated, a copy of the letter from the South African Embassy in London that accompanied the order and finally the permission for unrestricted wear granted to Lord Barnby from Buckingham Palace. A very brief biography of Lord Barnby: Francis Vernon Willey, the 2nd Baron Barny was born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1884. He was educated at Eton; Magdalen College., Oxford. He was mobilized in 1914, serving in Egypt and Gallipoli in 1915. He was recalled in to the position of Assistant Dir of Ordnance Stores and controller of Wool Supplies under the War Department in June 1916. After the war he held a number of executive business positions including amongst others serving on the Board of Directors of Lloyds Bank. He was created the second Baron in 1922. Clearly still much research to undertake on him and unfortunately I do not own his full group just this South African order. Regards Gavin

As a continuation to the illustration of the order awarded to Lord Barnby, I enclose photos of the obverse and reverse of the neck and breast badges of the Order. Unfortunately the rosette is missing in this lot. In this case the old SA Coat of Arms emblem is still present on the neck badge of the order. The final post in the series of three will illustrate the award document and some other associated letters. Regards Gavin

I was trawling through some of the older topics and thought I would share an example of the Order of Good Hope in the class of Grand Officer that was awarded to Lord Barnby CMG, CBE, MVO, TD, in this thread. Hopefully this will help show some of the interesting associated items such as the award box, certificates etc associated with this South African order. While I do not have the most up to date figures some references show that there were 29 awards of the order in the Grand Officer class. The first post illustrates a photo of Lord Barnby and the award case for the order Regards Gavin

Hi Dave, thanks for clarifying that. I had just read Mervyn's comment and was about to ask what happened. Have a Merry Christmas.

I would also be interested to understand what happened, especially as I passed on bidding for three great groups over the last two weeks in anticipation of a hot contest on the 28th November.

Great groups and well done on keeping them together with all the ephemera. There must be a lot more behind the medals with the Chindit link. I am sure it will be a group that will continue to reward as you find out more.

Great display, congratulations on the result. Gavin

Very interesting story associated with the medal. Do you know more about the citation for the MM as your reference sounds interesting. Certainly a project to try and get a reunite with the MM. Gavin

Unfortunately I have certainly not come across another example of this badge in my travels etc. So it is an important photo and reference on this item going forward I would suggest. Gavin

As already mentioned a great group of medals and illustrating the dangers of being a policeman. I am curious on the last paragraph of you article. I am not sure whether the executed men's bodies were repatriated to Israel and if so why would they be buried with military honours if that is the case?

One or two more that I have found paging through the latest edition of Medal News: The London Medal Comapny There is also a website called medalnet that could provide some leads.

Hi, I am not resident in London, however would suggest a reference to the Medals Yearbook. A few of the dealers that are listed in London are as follows (no means an exhaustive list and as London is a big city I have no idea where they are relative to each other: Norman W. Collett Great War Medals Spink and son - auction house. Stephen Wheeler A search on the internet should provide their addresses.

thanks for the posting William. Some great pieces. Gavin