Brian Wolfe

Here's a couple of photos of the naming. Brian

Hello Everyone, A nice pair of Metropolitan Police Coronation Medals came my way a few months ago and I have just completed the court mounting of them. They are named to Warrent No. 71791 PS and Insp. C.Brown. The 1902 medal is named to Police Sergeant C. Brown. The 1911 medal is named to Inspector C. Brown He joined the service on 31/05/1886 and retired out as an Inspector on 03/01/1912. He served in V Division (Wandsworth) in 1886 as a PC and research shows he would have been awarded the 1887 Jubliee Medals as well as the 1897 clasp. In 1902 he was served in Y Division (Highgate) as a Police Sergeant. 1911 found him in X Division (Kilburn) with the rank of Inspector. An interesting career spanning the reign of three monarchs. Regards Brian

Many thanks Clive. Regards Brian

Hello Chris and Bernhard, Good points and not ones I am prepared to debate, due to lact of expertise, so I bow to yours. It's much like current events, there is a lot of propaganda to sift through and still the anwswer may never be clear. Regards Brian

Hello Bernhard, One of the great things about discussions of events and politics from over 100 years ago is that one has a chance to cut through the propaganda and political double talk of the past. Many of the members know me as an Anglophile though I also have German ancestory. Having said that, I read from your comments that "now" you do not feel as though the Boers made a brave and righteous stand against empirical expansionism driven as much for financial gain as anything else. I trust that due to the age of this topic's events it is not fuel for a political tirade from anyone but rather the grounds for a discussion of historical accuracy. Also not to take away from the actual combatants, many of them who died fighting for what they believed to be a just cause, do you not feel that this was a case of the British public and military machine being mislead by those with monetary gain in mind? Perhaps I should open this question up in a more appropriate secion of the forum specific to this time period. Any thoughts on this topic? Regards Brian

Hi Mervyn, As a young boy I would attend the cinema with my parents and when any news reel, adventure movie or documentray depicting the "real" africa was shown I'd sit there holding my breath with awe and wonder at such places and people. Reviewing your resent acquisitions brought back the memory or those days. Thank you for posting thiese postcards and making my Sunday morning even more enjoyable than usual. Regards Brian

Hi Mervyn, On the Moh's scale glass rates 6 to 7, quartz is around 7 while obsidian only rates 5 to 5.5. I would think glass would be more difficult to nap than obsidian. Perhaps one of the members who has had experience with making arrow heads will comment. (Moh's scale rating of 1 to 10 is based on Talc = 1 and Diamond = 10) Regards Brian

Hello Malarky, You have a very nice collection and your English is excellent. I too started collecting Japanese medals about the same time as you and I must say your collection is as excellent as your English. I hope you will continue to show your new additions as they arrive. Regards Brian

The container has done its job admirably. I once asked, at the local post office, just how much good "Fragile" stickers and tape did. They just laughed at my question. I suppose that, in fact, answered my question. At least the contents were undamaged Stuart. Have you posted this particular pillbox cap yet? Regards Brian

The rank of Sgt. was on the St. John medal only so I am thinking it was not a police rank he had at the time the SC medal was awarded. Brian

Hi Bob, Not a problem at all. Regards Brian

Hello Mervyn, A fasinating weapon from an equally fasinating culture. A culture still living in the stone age within our living memory. Well, the living memory of you and me. I agree that there may be enough interest in ancient weaponry among the membership to support a section for such items and discussion. Many of the military tactics that worked successfully in the recent past had their roots in the tactics employed in the distant past. Thank you for posting this interesting artifact and broaching the suggestion of a new section. Regards Brian

Last, but not least, the membership bars showing the two dates where the new design came into use. I think this is an interesting grouping and it's one of the jewels of my SC collection. Regards Brian

Here is a closer view of the St. John Ambulance Long Service Medal and the membership badge.

Hello Everyone, Once you have pretty well a complete "type set" of the Special Constabulary Long Service medals, plus the different clasps, what do you collect? Well, for me it was groups which included the SCLSM. One such interesting group is the one I offer for your enjoyment today. As may be seen in the photo the group includes the Defence, SC Long Service and a St. John Ambulance Brigade Medal (S.J.A.B.). Along with the medals came a literal chain of annual membership bars to the St. John Ambulance Association badge. He was a member, according to the "chain" from 1939 (1940 probably marks the first full year of service) until 1961. An interesting feature of this chain is that it shows the change in design of the membership bars occured with the 1950 bar, which predates the reign of Elizabeth II. I would have thought any change in design to coincide with a change of monarch but I guess the plans were in place before Geo. VI passed away. This group is named to William C. Holley with the S.J.A.B. medal named to Sgt. W.C. Holley, Hants. From what I can find out "Hants" stands for Hampshire. If this is incorrect perhaps one of the members can set me straight. I hope you like this intersting little grouping. I left them in their drawer for the photos as the robbons are very fragile. Regards Brian

Somehow I missed this post the first time around but I'm happy I saw it this time. Great uniform Mervyn. Re: Specials section, I do have some items to post with the hope of kick-starting the section up once again. I'll see what I can do later today. Regards Brian

Hello Valter. Thanks for posting this interesting medal bar, I wish I could help you with the identification. Perhaps you should post this on the Imperial German section so some of the more informed members can see it and perhaps tell you what is missing. Regards Brian

An interesting post. I have heard of these but never saw one. Thanks for enlightening me. Regards Brian

Hi Michael, The medal I have posted to Boardman is his only entitlement, from what I was told. It was the other gentleman with the IGS. That is interesting that he is shown as deceased in 1903. Regards Brian

Yes, that's the one. I see today that Nick has corrected this problem. I'll know as soon as I try to send this. Regards Brian

Hello Darrell, Thank you for you kind offer it is most appreciated. It seems like the PM function is down at the moment and the two attempts to send you a message "failed". So they either didn't get through or you now have two PMs. My mailing address is, Brian Wolfe 171 Eby Crescent New Hamburg, ON N3A 1Y8 Canada Thanks again. Regards Brian

I think it was the IGS, perhaps Timo will weigh in to confirm this or correct my memory. Brian

Sorry about that last photo post, I was trying to post both views but messed up. Here's the rest of the naming. I hope you like my new addition and the short history. This is one of the treasures of my British collection. Regards Brian

The next two photos are of the naming on the medal. Brian

Hello Everyone, The story of this medal, as far as my collection is concerned, started about a year ago when I purchased a four clasp QSA from fellow GMIC member, Timo (aka Noor). The medal I purchased was to a member of the Manchester Regiment. A few months ago Timo contacted me regarding an email he had received from the collector who had sold him the same QSA in the past. I didn't ask permission of this fellow to use his name so I will not do so. It seems that this collector had sold the QSA and later found a second medal to the same recipient and wanted to see if he could arrange a reunite. Timo contacted me as he had sold the medal to me and, not wanting to prevent a reunite, I agreed and he put me in touch with the original owner. The second medal was the only other medal the recipient of the QSA I had was entitled to so this reunite would be the total entitlement, making the reunite even more important. The collector offered a trade for another QSA with exactly the same four clasps as the one I had, plus it was to the same regiment. The condition of the one offered was far above the condition of the one I was willing to trade plus this new medal was the only medal the soldier named was entitled to. I could not have asked for more, better quality, documentation and the one medal was his complete entitlement. The greatest part was that I was able, as was Timo, to be involved in a reunite. Collecting does not get better than this. Thanks once again to Timo. Here is the history of the recipient, I think you will find it worth your time to read. 2206 Pte. H. BOARDMAN. MANCH : REGt. H. Boardman enlisted in the Manchester Regiment on 9.6.1888 at the Depot, Ashton-under-Lyne, on an 8 year Short Service engagement, using the alias James Shelmerdine. He stated he was 18 years 11 months old, a labourer, born at Manchester in July 1869 and that his father was Charles Shelmerdine, 19 Kennedy Street, Manchester. Some time later his records were altered to show James Shelmerdine as an alias and his real name as Boardman. His medal rolls show the initial H, but an entry on his records, show his initial as J. To confuse matters further, he had a tattoo on his left forearm of "RGB", suggesting yet another different Christian name. He was posted to 1st Bn. until 21.2.1890 when he was transferred to the 2nd Bn. in India, where he stayed until 16.2.1896 when he returned home for discharge to the Army Reserve. As a result of the Boer War he was recalled to the colours on 26.12.1899 and served in South Africa. For some unknown reason he was sent home for discharge on 5.6.1901 having completed over 13 years service. He was awarded a 5 pound war gratuity by the Captian commanding D Coy, The Depot, Manchester Regiment on 26.7.01 and was awarded the QSA with clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal and Wittebergen. He was later awarded the clasp South Africa 1901 in the 1903 supplementary roll. Following are some photos of this fine medal. Regards Brian