JimZ

Hi Ed, All I can say is that IF the ribbons were not manufactured there.... they were imported locally by them. Considering the fact that the gents in question had an extremely wide choice of variety of BRITISH ribbons by the reel when I was a kid (including those that would have never been awarded to locals) and also had a reputation amongst the Vets as being the sole supplier to whom they would ever go to replace their ribbons, I would find it hardly surprising if they actually did manufacture them! Of course... I do not know if they had Indian Medals as I am not aware of those medals... but if the medals in question are BRITISH then there is a good chance of finding original Mint lengths of ribbon. If they are Indian and not British, then I doubt I can help...! But I can try. Remember that as a British colony, Malta was exploited for its good workmanship and cheap prices at the time. Until we of course we decided we knew better (and kinda shot ourselves in the foot) and "threw" the Brits out (who may I add that after around 160 years or so were all too happy to leave!) Rest assured however, that if I had any doubts that the guys in questions did not have genuine items I would not even have proposed them. After all, I started out collecting British items way back when.... Jim

Great video about the single invention that changed the face of warfare! I loved the quote - "If u want to make a pile of money, invent something that will enable the Europeans to cut their throats with greater facility!" How very true!!! Thanks for sharing it! Jim

In May I'll be in Malta where there is an embroiderer who used to be subcontracted with manufacturing badges, ribbons, caps etc for the brits until the 70s. If you still have not got them by then I can try to help you out so long as you show me exactly what ribbons you will be needing. I know that the guy still has supplies as the Maltese Vets used to get their ribbon replacements until recently. A pity indeed that these medals are missing their ribbons! Jim (If u can resize your posted pic it would help as its mucking up the margins of the page.... at least on my computer )

Between meetings I came up with something to toss the ball back in the court. Hopefully for longer than the last one. Regards Jim Question: I was an officer, a gentleman and some might say, a hero. Under enemy fire I disagreed with retaliation. I could not agree. Reason prevailed and my name is remembered. 1) Who am I and what was my rank? 2) Where and when did we come under enemy fire? 3) Briefly a) how did the situation develop; b) Who did I disagree with? C) What solution was reached? 4) Many years after my heroic stand, how would one enemy representative refer to me?

Ciao Andrea, Dunno if its only my computer but the links do not seem to work! Salutoni! Jim

Tell me about it! I still have uniforms and caps, helmets and other trinkets that I will one day sell off with all proceeds going towards my Soviet ODMs. Although I am happy to sit on them, they live in my parents' home and quite frankly they want me to clear them out. Lets say I am taking my time doing that as I would not have place for them in my own home..... and in any case, being overseas does not make things easier .... at least those are my excuses Take care. Jim

Cheers Carol! Sorry Frank Incidentally most of his pics show a much older man. But still very recognisable. Let me work on a question and I'll post it shortly! Jim

His wikifile http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Oberth Jim

1) I daresay its Hermann Oberth 2) Born in Sibiu ROmania on June 25th 1894 3) He got his PHD in Babes-Bolyai University in Romania 4) Die Rakete zu den Planetenr?umen or translated into By Rocket into planetary space, the title sets a target of using rockets to land on planets in space. The moon being the nearest celestial body became the first major goal in the space race. Jim

Could not agree more... they look cheap.... feel cheap and are cheap! Nothing like good old solid brass!!! Jim

I tried to get the scrols with "Tutela Bellica Virtutis" translated and what I got is : "Protection, warlike, valor" - Perhaps some of you who may have studied Latin can correct this. Jim

The article I used to get the correct facts from can be found on : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyudmila_Pavlichenko Jim

Hi Nack thanks!! I have some cap badges running around so when I find them and am near the caps again I'll drop you a message so that you can help me match the proper badges. I will hope to sell them eventually just to get rid of them as they are in boxes for many years now and its a pity. I am not at all surprised that there are mismatched items - As I said.... if it was militaria it was good at the time!!! Jim

Hi Carol, I was coming over to switch off my computer and I see that you already guessed my Lyudmilla. Well done!!! Said it was not a complicated one Now I am really off to get my beauty sleep! Nite nite! Jim

Ok.... let me not procrastinate and do tomorrow what I can still do today But it's not a complicated one I am Russian and at 24, I had to stop my history studies to pick up a rifle and its attachments instead. One of 2000 others like me, only around 500 of us survived the war. I was wounded in 1942 and after that I would never go back to the front lines as I would go on to become an instructor training others to follow in my footsteps. I served in Odessa and Sevastopol remarkably killing over 300 enemies. Those who did my same job were amongst the fallen. If only they knew who I really was..... After the war I would resume my studies and work as a research assistant with the Soviet Navy HQ. I would also active on the Soviet Committee of the Veterans of War. I would die in my late 50's but my face would grace envelopes and my name given to a cargo ship. 1) Who am I? 2) Where and when was I born? 3) What was my job description when I joined the army? 4) How many enemy kills are attributed to me and how many of these did my exact same job for the enemy? 5) What was my highest rank? 6) What is the highest decoration I would receive? Good luck Jim

Thanks Frank. Parachuting track record and "first woman to...." kind of narrowed it down to a few women .... connected with space! As its rather late here and I have to make an early start .... I'll post a question as soon as I am near a computer tomorrow! Jim

Hi Frank - cannot resist this one... I guess you refer to Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya - twice Female HSU recipient being daughter of Yevgeniy Savitsky, Deputy Commander of Soviet Air Defences, a World War II ace, and also himself twice Hero of the Soviet Union. She was the first woman to perform a space walk She was the first woman to fly 2,683 km/hr in a MiG 21 She Logged 450 jumps by the age of 17 including a jump from 14,252 meters, falling 14 km before opening her chute at 500 meters She was officially born in Moscow, Russia - You however hint that she was not born there - perhaps Germany if the 33rd fighter regiment was based there.... even Wittstock.... but this is just conjecture. Her husband is Viktor Khatkovsky an engineer and a pilot at Ilyushin Aircraft Design Bureau One hell of a woman no matter her connections!!! Jim Biography Svetlana Savitskaya's career as a cosmonaut owed much to not only her natural ability but the influence of her father. Yeveniy Savitsky, was the Deputy Commander of the Soviet Air Defences, a World War II air ace, and twice Hero of the Soviet Union. On her parents' insistence, Svetlana took up music, English, and swimming in addition to school classes. She was fond of reading, and also went in for figure skating and running. She decided to become a pilot at age 16 and applied for training at an amateur flying school without her parent?s knowledge. She was rejected due to her age for flight training but began parachute training. Her father discovered her secret when he found a parachute knife in her school bag. With her father's support she was able to try for a record stratospheric sky dive at the age of 17. She jumped from 14,252 m and fell for 14 km before opening her parachute at 500 m. By her 17th birthday in 1965 she had completed 450 parachute jumps. At age 18 she began pilot training and enrolled in the premier Soviet aviation engineering school, the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). By age 20 she soloed in a YaK-18 trainer. The British Press called her 'Miss Sensation' in 1970 when she became World Champion as a member of the Soviet National Aerobatics Team at the world aerobatics competition at Hullavington. By 1972 she graduated from MAI and became a flying trainer at DOSAAF (Central Technical Flying School of the USSR Voluntary Society for the Promotion of the Army, Air Force, and Navy). However she pushed to be allowed into test-pilot school. After acceptance, she went on to establish many world records in turbo-prop and supersonic aircraft, including the record of 2683 km/hr female record in a MiG-21 aircraft. She qualified as a pilot on 20 types of aircraft. After completing her test-pilot training, and membership in the Communist Part of the Soviet Union in 1975, she became a test pilot for the Yakovlev design bureau in 1976. She was selected as a cosmonaut in 1980, as part of a female team selected to upstage pending female astronaut flights on the space shuttle. She became the second woman in space in 1982, seven months before Sally Ride became the first American female astronaut in space (see the flight log below for details of this and her subsequent flights). She also became the first woman to walk in space. Her later command of an all-female crew to Salyut 7 on the occasion of International Woman's Day was cancelled due to problems with the space station and a limited number of Soyuz T spacecraft available for docking with the station. Svetlana continued as a Civilian Engineer, at Energia NPO while remaining an active cosmonaut. She was made Deputy to the Chief Designer, Energia, in 1987. She became a Member of Parliament in 1989. In 1993 she left the cosmonaut corps without having made another spaceflight. Svetlana is married to Viktor Khatkovsky, an engineer and pilot at the Ilyushin aircraft design bureau. Her favourite composers are Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, and her favourite poet is Mikhail Lermentov. Like other Russian female cosmonauts, she seems to have flown mainly due to her family connections and for propaganda purposes. This in no way diminished her obvious talents and suitability as a pilot cosmonaut. http://www.astronautix.com/astros/savskaya.htm

Some further detail on the various maltese regiments can be found on: http://www.regiments.org/formations/forces/mt-forces.htm An interesting site for all those interested in regimental histories! As for the above badges, the RMA badge remains my favourite Jim

Following Maltese independence in 1964 and into the 1970's most things "Royal" were lost! The RMA become known (or was formed into) the Task Force later to become the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM). The badge of the RMA lost its crown to become the badge of the AFM:

The RA badge is borrowed by the Royal Malta Artillery in 1889 where it loses the battle roll "Ubique" (Everywhere) and the Motto "Quo Fas Et Gloria Duc unt" (Where Duty and Glory lead) is changed to "Tutela Bellice Virtutis". The badges is also superimposed over the Maltese 8 pointed cross. As Malta is a british colony the Royal Malta Artillery also carries the crown.

Reviewing some badges in my collection I thought it would be interesting to present the following pics for those of you into cap badges or Regimental Signs and badges. First up the Royal Artillery badge.... which most are familar with:

Hoi Claudio! Lovely group as it seems rather uncommon to come across the medal bar, ribbon bar and buttonhole ribbons for the same group! Great stuff!! I suppose the 3 place ribbon bar was the older one being replaced by the 5 place ribbon bar when the later medals were awarded. That right? Regards, Jim

Truly interesting pics and info Carol! I wonder what it was like to see these veritable "aircraft carriers" in action!! Jim

Yeah ... if one looks hard enough .... its always out there somewhere in cyberspace! Glad you enjoyed.... and there's more on another link in the same sub forum....just that its 1984!! Jim

That's all for now folks! I should have a stack of pics on other cds but I do not have them handy! Still enough stuff to get this thread started.... Anyone wanna build up on this or throw any more light on these patches... please feel free. Jim