Hugh

Thanks for your comments. I bought the grenade in Lazarus Department Store in Columbus, Ohio in 1973. I have no idea how it got there, but they had a really different gift / home furnishings section. I have always thought it must have come from a Royal Artillery mess somewhere. Hugh

Here's what 50 years of collecting will do to you. Sorry for the flash glare; I'll reshoot them when I add the new acquisitions. Hugh

This is a stretch (remember, I don't read Thai), but if you get no input from anyone else, try this. In my Thai book, this medal appears in what you might infer would be the 3rd senior position. Without scanning the page, I'll illustrate it thusly: 1 2 3 (your medal) 4 5 6 On the other hand, the caption on the left side of the page (Imagine that this is in Thai) says ckklsoguwehbh % 6. An extremely fertile imagination might think that this suggests Class 6. This discussion is surely outrageous enough that it will provoke someone to do proper research and come up with the real answer, and we'll all have a good laugh. (And where are you getting all these Thai medals, anyway?) Hugh

Thanks for the input. I'll shoot the back when I take the frame apart. Best, Hugh

Apologies for shooting these through the glass. Taking the frame apart was just too daunting. I'd have to add / rearrange all the new medals. Hugh

And here's the 6th class. I'd be grateful for comments by Paul, Richard, others on the vintagfe of these guys. Thanks Hugh

Here's the 5th Class Kite. The enamel really does make a difference on this one.

Thought I'd take the liberty of adding a ferw of my own. Here's the Japanese portion of my collection JA_Medals001_edited___Copy_5.bmp

Alliance Francaise is an organization for the propagation of the French language and culture abroad (La mission civilizatrice). It was a delightful place to visit and meet people during my government-sponsored stay in Saigon many years ago.

I see sticks, but no flags. Is it possible that these are some form of the old pace sticks? If so, why would there be so many of them? (Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons) Hugh

If jeff (or someone else) doesn't enlighten us, take it out of the sleeve, and scan the writing. I can get it translated eventually. Hugh

It doesn't appear in my book, which dates from 1990, so I'm guessing it could be a Jubilee medal for the King (50 years?). Jeff - is it in Blass? Hugh

I haven't actually walked in to Spinks in years, but it seems a shame not to give them a look - 69 Southampton Row, Bloomsbury. Not cheap, but good stuff over the years.

Copies at OMSA? If so, where? Hugh

Only data I have is in the aforementioned book all in Thai - not much help. The photos show 12 variants. I know some members have great concerns about scanned published data, so I'll refrain. Hugh

Thanks for your catholicity (small c), Megan. Many of us like these off-beat countries. (And some of us have actually been there. Actually met the King of Malaysia once, on the golf course. He wasn't wearing one of these. Hugh

My example of the Crown 3rd Class appears to be just 50 mm, horizontal point to point. Don't have 4th or 5th. Only have Special Cordon of White Elephant, so no help there. Hugh

We have a Thai friend, but I haven't wanted to burden her with translations. I'll ask her this specific question next time we see her. Hugh

Maybe Jeff can dig something out of the Blass book. By the way, Jeff, know where I can get a copy? I've got a pile of Thai medals, but no reference in any language that I speak.

Sorry my Thai book is no help on this one. I've looked at the excellent pictures in the book, as well as the oners that I have, and I can see no differences. There is a difference in the captions alongside the pictures, but without a reader of Thai, that's no help either. (First line of ech looks identical; probably says something like "War medal"). I can scan the page if that helps. Hugh

Thanks for all this, Ed, especially the earlier medals. It's the first I had seen of the first 2 - 3. Very helpful.

It's the Coronation Medal in silver (was also issued in gold). My book is all in Thai (which I don't read), but I'm fairly confident this is the medal for the current king, Bhumibol. (Rama IX)

My geography has gotten shaky after almost 40 years, but English is almost certainly Landing Zone English, a major base in II Corps (?). Bong Son is the Bong Son plain. Don't remember Two Bits. Hugh

When I moved back to Saigon after my field time, we used to sit on top of the Caravelle Hotel, drink beer and watch Puff and the B-52's at play.

An interesting thread. When I was in country ('69 - '70), Ben Het and Dak To were taking a beating on a regular basis, especially the Special Forces camps. On the other hand, II Corps was called the Peace Corps, although Nha Trang must have been a VC training camp for their rocket forces. They'd fire a few rounds every few weeks, and I think if they managed to hit the air field, they were considered successful graduates. Lot of familiar place names in this one. Hugh