dante

Welcome your views, Thanks

Welcome your views, Thanks

British police foreign mission insignia's come a long way since the 1990's use of little nylon union flags (the ones from Scout shops, 15p a throw).

Is the UK police role n Iraq purely a training one, or do they have advisor & monitoring roles, executive powers?

The aim was (Police and Prison) Training, advising (mentoring) & monitoring sadly not enough were on the ground, in all a very effective bunch of lads and lasses who put themselves out.

Iraqi Correctional Service

These badges were designed by UK staff

Tactical Support Units

Iraqi Border Police

Iraqi Correctional Service

These badges were designed by UK staff

And some Iraqi Insignia

Iraqi Border Police

Police were based in Az Zubair Police achadamy, Basra Palace, Camp Abu Naji, Nasiriyah, and As Samwah, the Prison staff were based in Basra Palace (on the Military side), Camp Abu Naji, Nasiriyah and shared the police training facility at Az Zubair (spelling as per ID card). No met police to my knowledge served in Iraq

I believe that apart from the 4 prison staff only one policeman will be entitled to both the IRSM and Telic medals along with 2x DfID staff who were TA and have previously served in Iraq, The initial prison team have just completed a tour in Afganistan

The Police teams worked under the CPA and then transfered to the FCO, The prison teams were embeded with the military under a FRAGO in 2004 , but in late 2005 came under the FCO, all should get the Iraq Reconstruction Service Medal, 4 HM Prison Officers have been en given the Op Telic (Iraq Medal).

Couple of Badges worn by UK Police and Prisons staff in Iraq

You're welcome, Paul. I am sorry to hear about the Order of Michael the Brave. But then, this means that the published list of Knights of the Order of Michael the Brave was correct regarding the absence of Major Aurel Mavru.

Carol, if you know of any Order of Michael the Brave groups please let me know thanks again , Paul

Its not just the shape, its how it is made. The inside top on original EM examples are cardboard, the sides are cane tied together. he has interior photos there. Plus, I just checked his list of hussar regiments http://www.kaisersbunker.com/gtp/New/husar0.htm and the two Leib hussars were not in the Guard Corps. Yours is marked for the guard corps I beleive, which is not correct either. As I said, I was offered something like this, he explained to me that it was probably a real busby, just not a german one, He called it a "prussianized" busby of some sort, probably british. So, that e-mail saved me over $2000.

Thomas you may have saved me as well many thanks, Paul

Paul, I am afraid that I cannot help you very much on the evaluation. The 1st class of the Queen Mary Cross appears to be a rare award and hence of high value. I have seen such pieces fetching several hundred euros at auctions, but they were not on bars. I do not know how the value of an order or a medal is influenced by the inclusion in the bar in general (I do not collect medal bars) or in this particular case when we speak about a neck badge. The Orders of the Star and of the Crown are more frequent, but not that cheap and there are three of them on the bar. You have also been offered the certificates and that would be a plus for the value and for the price.

But I would add another thing. The change in regime in Romania after WWII made the royal awards obsolete and even dangerous for the bearer. There was therefore a short time window to make bars out of WWII awards and an even shorter one with occasions to wear them publicly. This means that authentic bars are rather rare and this is an attractive point for fakers. There have been reports of fantasy bars made out of genuine but generally damaged awards. The awards on your badge on the other hand seem in good condition. Better images would have helped, as would other opinions of people who handled Romanian medal bars.

Furthermore, researching Romanian awards is rather difficult. Military archives include information on the awards and awardees, but this information has not yet been published (with the exception of a good, but apparently incomplete book on the Military Order of Michael the Brave) and accessing the original files seems rather difficult. Here is a link to the Military Archives if you would like to give it a try.

Coming back to the lot you were offered, where is the Order of Michael the Brave? This is indeed a prestigious and very rare award which if authentic could make up for a large part of the price the seller asked.

Carol, thanks for your kind response,csorry it must have been his mistake, no Order of Michael, just what is here, Paul

Thta may be old, but I am pretty sure it is not German. I was offered something like this and compared it carefully to the originals on this web site http://www.kaisersbunker.com/pt/pelzmutze.htm and it was not even close. The inside should be cane and otehr materials, and the hair on the one that you posted looks like it came off an old coat. Mr. Lumsden can comment better, but that looks like a replica skull too.

Welcome your views, Tony has said the same, the shape ihowever s the same as on the website and while I agree the pelt is strange it was not unknown to have brown fur, if the skull is a copy then I will return it if it is not (and it looks like its been on there for ever) I shall keep it (it was cheap) thanks again, Paul

The certificates in the images you've posted appear to be original. In general, WWII certificates for the lower classes of the Romanian orders are made of thick paper, with the stamp-signature of the Minister of Defense and the hand-signature of the Human Resources Manager (Directorul Personalului). Certificates for higher classes or higher ranked orders are hand signed.

Carol many thanks, so is it worth purchasing? is it rare? and is it researchable? and whats it worth?

Better picks

Citations

Better picks

Carol, please find attached, Colonel Mavru Aurel, Cross of Queen Marie 1st class etc thoughts please

Carol, many thanks, Paul

Carol, please find attached, Colonel Mavru Aurel, Cross of Queen Marie 1st class etc thoughts please

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Came from an old collection, feels and smells good considerable age, but is it ok ?, if not like to see and compare, thanks, Paul

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Came from an old collection, feels and smells good considerable age, but is it ok ?, if not like to see and compare, thanks, Paul

Paul, there is no MAVRU AUREL in the published list of the Knights of the Order of Michael the Brave. The list however is not complete, so if the name is correct there still is a chance that you have stumbled upon an unlisted knight. But this means that you will have to look carefully at the awards and the certificates. "Reproductions" of Romanian orders are unfortunately known to exist... So do not be afraid to ask for images at this stage.

Carol, many thanks, Paul

I'll check the name this evening. Meanwhile, can you post some images of the awards and the certificates that come with them?

Have not purchased yet, need to find out a bit more, they are asking $1500 for the group plus documents