Jerry B

I bought mine the first week the display was on after visiting it the day it opened. I look forward to it arriving after the display ends 11/11/14. The display is well worht a visit if anyone gets the chance to make it there.

A broken trio, only his war medal to gnr Emlyn Abraham RA #124673, though he went to France in 1915 with the RWF, then transferred to the RGA or RFA, then as far as I can follow his MIC he was commissioned in 1916 as a2nd LT with the RWF, then resigned his commision within 7 months, not sure what happened after this but un 1922 he was commisioned as LT into the RA (T) after changing his name to Emlyn Abraham Williams and perhaps in the 30's was a Captain with the RE, though not too sure on the latter. I assume his 14-15 star would be to him as RWF, and obviously his war medal is RA (clearly and correctly named to him) and as would his Victory medal I think. A bit of a mystery and I would really like to fill in some of the gaps. He has two MIC's both noting the other so both are correct for him, though I can't understand all the notations on the first one. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-94129800-1413042968.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-48598100-1413042939.jpg

The collar arrived to join its brother. As regards the Haka, I was an extra in a TV drama and during the filming they had a number of the 70's all blacks players on set and they performed an inpromtu Haka off camera and they still did it with feeling. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-73555000-1413035959.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-25324700-1413035981.jpg

Peter, rich people are called eccentrics, only the poor get called raving loonies!!!!

New Zealand Pioneer Battalion Badge, there were two makers, JR Gaunt prior to sometime in 1917 and then Firmin until the early post war period. This example is that made by Gaunt with a good makers mark on the reverse and the correct lug fittings, the fakes are on a slider. I also have a collar in the post to me again made by Gaunt. In 1914 Two Maori Companies were formed, A Company from North Auckland, West Coast North Island and South Island; B Company from the Centre and East Coast of the North Island. They left New Zealand called the Maori Contingent, though their formal name was the New Zealand Native Contingent, in February 1915 and took part in the Gallipoli Campaign from July 1915. After Gallipoli the Contingent was split up for a brief period with the men being posted to Territorial units but this was found to be unacceptable and the Unit was reformed as the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion on 20 February 1916 and served in France. Initially the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion had two Maori Companies but from September 1917 became an all-Maori unit and was renamed as the New Zealand (Maori) Pioneer Battalion. The battalion was finally disbanded in March 1919. These changes were reflected in the regimental badges, and the example shown here is the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion badge as worn from February 1916 to September 1917. The original badge and the final badge both incorporated the motto Te Hoko Whitu a Tu (The twice seventy (140) warriors of Tumatauenga, God of War). The New Zealand (Maori) Pioneer Battalion or Native Contingent and Pioneer Battalion was a battalion of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force that served during World War I. The battalion was first raised in 1915 and served at Gallipoli and the Western Front and largely served as pioneers.[1] "Of these by the end of the war, 2227 Maori and 458 Pacific Islanders had served in what became known as the Maori Pioneer Battalion. Of these, 336 died on active service and 734 were wounded. Other Maori enlisted (and died) in other battalions as well." http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-38601500-1412681818.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-86059300-1412681839.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-44054100-1412681859.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-60510300-1412681881.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-96258900-1412681901.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-17018-0-39595900-1412681921.jpg And the collar, sellers pics until it arrives.

Hi Mervyn, I hope I did not raise anyones hackles over this and I can see Jocks point of view, the old landed gentry were sometimes chinless wonders and in many ways Viscount Tredegar fits the stereotype and then some. As regards any increase in value, it will be some time before this one leaves my collection, but never say never as things change and happens.

Thanks Kris. For me that is one of the reasons why this one ticks so many boxes. I have lots of military items as you know, but few of them have this level of documentation with them, most if your lucky have a name from which you might find an MIC for him or an entry in an army list. As I posted at the start, WWI caps are hard to find and expensive when you do, staff officer caps the same, then add in he was in the welsh Guards which also adds to it with me being welsh, he was associated with members of the RWF another big area of interest to me, then when you consider he was from about 10 miles from my home and I have been to his house (well two actually and both of them in wales) and also because there are pictures of him in uniform, though sadly not wearing this cap and books and articles written about him. A rare item and one of the best in my collection for so many reasons. I have a few well researched and documented items but none with this level of documentation available with it.

Indeed Jock, an interesting history behind it, but at the end of the day it is what it is and he was what he was, long gone now.

Hi Jock, In the great war he was ill and could have just called it a day, but instead took up some sort of a position in which he still contributed something. He was originally an officer with the Welsh Guards until illness forced him to leave the trenches and he only, as far as I can find out, used his influence on behalf of others not for his own gain. Sure his status got him another job as a high status courier, but he could have just stayed home and taken no further part in the war if he had wanted. In WWII he was a working member of the inteligence community in charge of dropping messenger pigeons into occupied territory until his mistakes, none of which were considered that serious as he was merely admonished on two of the charges whilst the other was thown out. One of his charges was that he let loose secret info to some visiotrs to his office at the secuirty services, which was dropped and the other charges were that he had a map on his office wall that had some pins in it showing locations where pigeons had been dropped, but as that was his job and it was well known that is what he did, so how some pins in a large scale map of europe on the wall of an office in the security services would help anyone as it was well knwon that he was involved in dropping pigeons into those areas and the scale of the map was such that no accurate location could have been garnered from it. Which is why in the end his charges did not result in any serious action being taken against him after the formality of his courts martial. I agree that he was not the greatest example on how to serve your country in times of war, but I still think he did more than he had to and more than many others did. If all you know about him is the sensationalist write up from the mirror book advert piece, then I can understand your opinion, but I read his biography and though he was a spoilt rich kid with too much money he at least tried to do his bit in two world wars.

Don't hold back Jock, say it as you see it. More money than sense seems about right. He served in both world wars and though largely inefectual, at least he tried to do his bit.

I read the transcript of his courts martial and it seems that largely it was no big deal and he was merely admonished. Interestingly he was the Honorary Colonel of at least two regiments, one an RA TA unit and the other the 1st Mons regiment.

Thanks Bob. For me the best pick up of the year, though I have picked up so many fine caps this year that it is hard to chose just one.

Thanks Paul. A period article on the company, Hamburger Rogers & Co.

Adding one more picture of the bn markings as part of it was missed on this very rare pre great war other ranks forage cap. I very carefully removed the badge for a photo and interestingly it has the long slider seen on badges during the early Edwardian period that were phased out about the same time as this cap was issued in 1909.