dpast32

And yet again, you have my deepest THANKS here ! I would have been checking back here a bit earlier, except for my coming across an online Pub. which appears to have been 'tailor made' for my particular project here !! After a fair amount of searching, I happened across the following noted Title. "The Red Army's Forgotten 15-Month Campaign against Army Group Center, 1942–1943" - By S. Gerasimova, 2016. ( Amazon.com, Kindle E-Book, $5.00 USD ) It pretty much is centered around all the skirmishes, battles, offensives, & counter-offensives which transpired during my period of interest !! I initially was somewhat concerned that I'd have some trouble trying to locate any specific reference to the May - June 1942 period, but locating the above Title has definitely solved that issue. I still can't believe I picked it up for just $5.00 USD !! Best, Dom ADDENDUM: Please be advised that upon my receiving this Pub., it appears as if the Title has been changed to; "The Rzhev Slaughterhouse: The Red Army's Forgotten 15-month Campaign against Army Group Center, 1942-1943" [ Kindle Edition - By Svetlana Gerasimova, & Stuart Britton ]

THANKS My Friend ! Now that is an extremely interesting fact ! It appears now that I'll be able to research & document the relevant action[s] as far as I wish to take it ? ( Too bad they haven't made them available online yet ? ) From what little I've gathered so far, it appears that the 335th / 205th only had recently arrived in Theater, sometime around early February of 1942, primarily in response to both the ever increasing number of German casualties, along with the Soviet's consistent, intensive offensive actions in & around that, & of course other portions of the Front Lines. From what I see, this young Landser was living probably quite comfortably somewhere along the French Coast, & suddenly being transferred into what was becoming an ever increasing 'cauldron' of death for both bsides engaged within that particular area. As I might have said earlier, I usually 'try' to stick with German, & related Axis Polizei Documents & similar items. But, when I happened across this particular Wehrpass, I thought that it was basically an 'exemplar' of all the Axis, & even Soviet Soldiers who 'gave their all' for their respective Countries & beliefs. This Soldier's story can in a way, be demonstrative of all their stories, & that is exactly what appealed to me. Of course, if I become across any particularly interesting with his saga I will notify you, & otherwise keep you updated, if you wish of course ? THANKS ! Best, Dom P.

And, I THANK YOU AGAIN My Friend !! Your very kind Replies are definitely much appreciated ! At least now, between the various Maps you provided for me, I now have an quite precise location of the area in question. As you're already aware, trying to determine where anything was, or is in Russia these days is an ordeal to say the least ! I've been attempting to find any topic related publications relative to both the location, the units, & of course the time frame, yet haven't had much luck so far ? I have come across numerous Books dealing with the Russian '1941 Winter Offensive', but unfortunately for me, the period of early to mid June 1942 appears to be at the very extreme edge of the action[s]. One particular fact I have learned was that his Regiment / Division 'may' have e assigned as part of the overall Army Security Forces, protecting, & thereby keeping open the Smolensk ~ Moscow Highway. That of course would have been an extremely important tactical task, as that Highway was deeply involved in the overall resupply efforts of army group Center. I am however only at the beginning of my hunt, so it appears as if this may indeed be a long, involved hunt ! THANKS AGAIN 'hucks216', & hopefully I may be able to report back here with some success, although it just might take a little while ! Take care, Best, Dom P.

KIA to Heer 335 Infantry Regiment, 205th Division in Russia Quote Good Morning Gentleman, I'm attempting to research & document & Fatal Casualty from the 2nd COMPANY, 335TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 205 INFANTRY DIVISION. HE WAS KIA ON 15 JUNE 1942, NEAR NOWO-NIWY RUSSIA. ( Below is an overall description from where I obtained his Documents. ) If anyone can tell me 'anything' regarding the actual operations going on with Gefreiter Franz Riepertinger's Company / Regiment on or about the date he was killed. I've added all 14 Pages of his Wehrpass, along with 2 Copies of his 'Casualty Card'. [ 1 of which was so kindly provided by our own 'hucks216'. ] I was also advised that his Casualty Card notes that he was killed due to suffering an G.S.W. to Head. ANY comments as to the actions of his 335th Infantry Regiment, on or just prior to 15 June 1942 will be very much appreciated ! And as always, any & all replies will be very much appreciated ! THANK YOU ....Best regards, Dom Pastore Jr. / 'dpast32' RE: Item Description: Gefreiter Franz Riepertinger in July 1939. After his 6 month RAD service, Riepertinger started his military service with 9/Inf Rgt 689, part of the 337th Inf. Div. serving at the west Demarcation Line. Later Riepertinger served with 2/Inf. Rgt 335, part of the 205th Inf. Div. on the French Coast until February 1942 when it was sent to Witebsk, & March 1942 to Welish. Gefr. RIEPERTINGER was KIA on 15 JUNE 1942 near NOWO-NIWY [ or NIVY ] RUSSIA. Riepertinger earned the Iron Cross 2nd Class & the Eastern 'Ost Front' Medal @ >>> END OF DOCUMENTS As always, any & all replies will be very much appreciated ! THANK YOU Best regards, Dom Pastore Jr. / 'dpast32' RE: Item Description: Gefreiter Franz Riepertinger in July 1939. After his 6 month RAD service, Riepertinger started his military service with 9/Inf Rgt 689, part of the 337th Inf. Div. serving at the west Demarcation Line. Later Riepertinger served with 2/Inf. Rgt 335, part of the 205th Inf. Div. on the French Coast until February 1942 when it was sent to Witebsk, & March 1942 to Welish. Gefr. RIEPERTINGER was KIA on 15 JUNE 1942 near NOWO-NIWY [ or NIVY ] RUSSIA. Riepertinger earned the Iron Cross 2nd Class & the Eastern 'Ost Front' Medal

Good Morning Gentleman, I'm attempting to 'revitalize' this conversation, at least a little, as I was truly hoping to pick up at least some information pertaining to these apparently somewhat uncommon examples of British Crimea Medals ? My particular specimen came from the Collection of Tom Nier ( USA, very long time OMSA Member & Author ), who had mentioned it here on the GMIC back in December 2009. He had advised me that he had picked it up, & also promised it to me if he ever parted with it. So, fortunately I now possess this Medal, yet have relatively little knowledge of its relative current value ? ( Other than what I just paid for it. ) And although I have gathered an overview of this 'sub-issue' of the British Medal, I would DEEPLY APPRECIATE any additional information anyone here may be able to provide. I did access all the information contained within the aforementioned 'late October - early December' 2009 Posting on these Medals, yet find myself still wishing for more notes & data concerning these U.K. Awards presented to their Sardinian Allies. And, in addition to learning something more about these, I would also love to determine 'if' what I just paid for my example was indeed 'fair market value', or did I allow the fact that it may have a possible family connection cloud my better judgement by not wishing to pass it up ? THANK YOU Gents, I will, as always be most grateful for any Replies received. Best regards, Dom Pastore / 'dpast32'

Well, I'm pleased to report that based upon every single advanced collector I've checked with, each & every one agreed that this example was almost assuredly period engraved, & in the style of which it should be. So now, I move to really difficult part, attempting to research the recipient, which I'm truly hoping turns out to be somehow related to me ? ( Even if he isn't, well it remains an interesting medal in its own right. ) Soooo, do we still have any Italian members here ? I did initiate just a cursory search on Ancestry.com, but unfortunately came up with nothing at all. I think I may need someone more local, as hopefully they'll know exactly where to look. Although I've looked, along with others, yet none was able to come up with even a limited roster of Sardinian Troops who received the British Crimean Campaign Medal ? Of course in addition to locating a list, I'm also trying to determine an approximate total of awards to the Sardinian Contingent ? My Medal is named to Sergeant Martino Pastore, 2nd Regiment, of Sardinian Grenadiers. I have read that the number was 15,000 which arrived in the Crimea, although I haven't yet confirmed that fact. And ohh, while we're on the subject, if anyone here is looking for a copy of the formerly quite expensive, "Historical Dictionary Of The Crimean War" by Arnold Guy, well let me know, as I just ordered my own copy yesterday for the grand total of $12.80 postage paid !! ( USD ) When I was searching for a copy, they all were running around $80.00 +/-, & I decided I guess I didn't need a copy after all ! Then, as I scrolled down a little, I found one seller who had it for $8.00 + shipping !! ( Now that's for me !! ) So, if anyone has any information relevant to these Sardinian issues, I would deeply appreciate hearing from them. THANK YOU Gents, I 'hopefully' look forward to some replies. Best regards, Dom P.

THANK YOU My Friends for your kind replies. They are much appreciated. I am pleased to report that I now own this Medal, & consider myself most fortunate to have had the opportunity to obtain it. As advised by a reply here, it was indeed awarded to an member of the Sardinian Expeditionary Corps, who was; MARTINO PASTORE, SERGENTE, DEL 2 GRANATIERI DI SARDEGNA" , which translates as; 'MARTINO PASTORE, SERGEANT Of The 2nd REGIMENT Of GRENADIERS". Hopefully, as I delve into this, I'll manage to determine some connection to my extended family ? THANKS AGAIN, Best regards, Dom Pastore Jr. / 'dpast32'

Hello Gents, I sincerely hate to be 'pushy', but I happen to have an extremely rare chance at an 1853" Crimea Medal, officially ( well hopefully ) named to one of my relatives !! My problem is, these medals are totally out of my realm, both in knowledge & in relative value. Included below are the relevant scans, & hopefully, & most thankfully, someone here could give me an idea as to its current value, & anything else of significance ? THANK YOU VERY MUCH !! Regards, Dom P.

Good Morning Gentleman, I just pulled this Medal out of my storage area, & since I haven't looked at it for years now, I thought I would inquire here to see if any relatively recent information has become available on them ? I did read years ago that only approximately 310 +/- 'Military Medal' Decorations were made during thevWW2' era, however that was via my 1981 edition of Tamplin & Abbot's "British Gallantry Awards", which is of course, now 40 or so years old. I'm interested in whatever, more recent information may have surfaced, if any ? LINK: https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/18710265/person/700368700/media/69c24276-ddff-42e3-93cd-cba4d0082626?_phsrc=tez10830&usePUBJs=true Suffice to say that it was an interesting & quite 'out of the blue' situation in which I obtained it, although I remain extremely happy that I did ! Just briefly, the American G.I. was decorated for carrying his severely wounded Sgt. throughout enemy held lines on the night of 24 - 25 December 1944, during the Ardennes Campaign. His unit was attached to the U.S. 3rd Armored Division's 'Task Force Hogan', which had been totally cut off & surrounded in the Belgian Town of Marcouray. After they destroyed all their vehicles, secured their wounded to await German capture, they departed in groups of a few men each, & managed to exfiltrate back to Allied held lines in the vicinity of Soy, Belgium. However, shortly after their departing at dusk, they came under enemy artillery fire & small arms fire, resulting in the recipient's Sgt. being struck by SFW in the mouth & facial area. Although being Ordered numerous times to be left behind by the injured Sgt., PFC Anibal AUGUST, No. 31247473, U.S. Army, proceeded to literally carry him to safety. ( RE: 2nd Platoon, Battery B, 486 AA - AW Battalion, 3rd Armored Division ) Henceforth, he was awarded the M.M. for his actions. If anyone's interested enough to hear the details surrounding my obtaining this somewhat uncommon award, please just ask & I'll provide an overview of my 'happening across it'. THANK YOU Guys very much !! Best, Dom P.

Hello Folks, As I attempt to nail down 'my' Guys final tour of duty, I've determined that upon being re-activated from Retirement, he was initially assigned to HMS Columbine, then from December 1914, through to his Demobilization due to age on 27 July 1917, he appears to have been assigned to HMS Pembroke 1, with the Rank of P.O. 1st Class. I have learned that 'some' Sailors of P.O. Rank were seconded to certain 'Auxiliary Vessels', primarily performing close, off shore patrol duty, along with similar, related functions ? Is there any way in which I might confirm such duty, other than via his Service Record ? ( Unfortunately, his Record only notes HMS Pembroke for that particular time frame. In addition, the hand written script on his Record is quite difficult to dechiper. ) If anyone happens to have any pertinent information related to this subject, I would deeply appreciate hearing from them. THANK YOU !! Best regards, Dom Pastore Jr. RE: P.O. 2nd ROBERT J. STEELE, NO. 95097 1 ) Discharged from the Fleet Reserve on 3rd October 1910 due to Age as he turned 50 years old. 2 ) However he was brought back into service on 02 August 1914 at HMS Columbine as a Petty Officer 2nd Class, becoming Petty Officer 1st Class (Original System) on 18 October 1916. 3 ) During the War, he served initially at HMS Columbine through to 09 December 1914, then at Pembroke I from 10 December 1914 until 19 July 1917, before being finally Demobilised, due to age on 27 July 1917. ©>>> END of DATA

THANK YOU Guys very much for the kind replies !! I also, along with probably numerous members here have additional Groups which need reuniting, but as with the above noted unbelievable happening, I honestly don't feel that anything similar will occur anytime soon ! But, I guess I shouldn't say never, right ? My new focus will be on locating the WW1 Trio belonging to Lieut. / Captain George Craig, Border Regiment, who's MBE I currently possess. I guess I should keep searching for him too. Also, I thought that I would include the relevant page for my recent find. Liverpool Medals HOME / BRITISH MEDALS AND DECORATIONS / SINGLE CAMPAIGN MEDALS / EGYPT 1882 HMS ACHILLES WW1 SERVICE Egypt 1882 HMS Achilles WW1 Service Egypt Medal, dated 1882, no bar, Robert Joseph Steele, A.B. HMS Achilles, later a Chief Boatman in the Coast Guard and returned from retirement for WW1 service. Out of Stock SKU: J7413Category: Origin: United Kingdom Very Fine Description Egypt Medal, dated 1882, no bar, Robert Joseph Steele, A.B. HMS Achilles, later a Chief Boatman in the Coast Guard and returned from retirement for WW1 service. Officially engraved: R. Steele. A.B. H.M.S. “Achilles”, Star contact marking over a long career, it was almost 40 years since he first entered the Navy when he returned during WW1. Total Navy Service: 15 years including WW1, Coast Guard Service: 16 years. His Obituary during 1924: Steele – At 35 Bon-Accord Street, Aberdeen, on the 27th August, Robert J. Steele, Late R.N., aged 63 years. Funeral on Saturday, 30th Inst, at 2.30. PM, to Allenvale Cemetery, All friends respectfully invited. Robert Joseph Steele was born on 4th October 1860 in Crumlin, County Antrim, Ireland. He first entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class aged 15 on 22nd February 1876, aboard HMS Iron Duke. Having been through 7 ships in 2 years he finally became an Ordinary Seaman on his 18th Birthday onboard HMS Arab, 4th October 1878. He was on board HMS Achilles from 4th September 1880 until 22nd December 1882 when he earned this medal. He saw further service on the Excellent, Lord Warden, Dolphin, Temeriare and the Neptune before transferring to the Coast Guard as a Boatman on 1st January 1888 at Port Isaac. He would then spend the next 15 years or so on various stations throughout Scotland with the Coast Guard. Promoted to Commissioned Boatman at Leith, 6th April 1894. Promoted to Chief Boatman, 14th May 1900, Portsoy Scotland Reduced to Commissioned Boatman on 6th February 1901. He finished off his service in the South of Ireland from June 1903 until 13th February 1904 when he finally enrolled for the Royal Fleet Reserve on 6th August 1904. Discharged from the Fleet Reserve on 3rd October 1910 due to Age as he turned 50 years old. However he was brought back into service on 2nd August 1914 at HMS Columbine as a Petty Officer 2nd Class, becoming Petty Officer 1st Class (Original System) on 18th October 1916. Through the war he served at HMS Columbine through 1914, Pembroke I from 10th December 1914 until 19th July 1917 before being finally demobilised.

THANK YOU Guys, I appreciate the comments ! As I said earlier, finding, or actually purchasing that particular Medal was the furthest from my mind when I posted my question checking to determine if I could actually confirm my man was presented his two Medals, not just entitled to them ? Then, within the next 15 or so minutes, I became the new owner of that 'missing' Medal ! If I had any inkling of buying one, I surely would have at least looked into their current market value, uni to have an idea as to what's fair, & perhaps more importantly, what is not. Well, I didn't have any time to do that, so I simply had to pay the Dealer's asking price, be it either high, low, or at current market value. I can't recall if we're all to mention prices paid here, so unless someone advises me that it's acceptable, I can not state what I ended up paying, which IMHO, did appear a bit high, especially considering this example's somewhat heavy wear in various areas. ( It was explained away as being due to long-time & frequent wearing, which indeed may be the truth. ) Of course, now I'll start the search for an suitable example of his final missing award, the 1882 Khedives Star, which most thankfully was almost always presented unnamed. I still do have to say that I always find it odd how so many Groups become separated during their lifetime, & sadly, very few actually become reunited. I guess these people simply don't consider us collectors !! ( Just kidding. ) Honestly, I would just love to know what his duties were during his few years upon being reactivated at Pembroke from 1914 - July 1917 ? I have been advised that due to his remaining of the 'Old Standard', that would have precluded him from certain types of duties which stationed there ? Perhaps he we assigned t as part of their 'Training Cadre', training new Recruits, & or similar, related duties ? Although I've read over his Service Document numerous times, a good many notations are somewhat difficult to read, due perhaps to the handwriting style, etc. I just 'assumed' that based upon his age, he never did see 'Sea Duty', actually serving aboard any RN Vessel ? However, I don't recall at the moment, but someone did report that he did have such 'Sea Service', as evidenced by his full WW1 Trio, as opposed to just an BWM, & or Victory Medal ? If anyone can elaborate on this fact I will as always, be extremely interested in hearing from them ! Well, I guess that's it for now, from an extremely happy fellow Collector. THANKS AGAIN Best, Dom P.

Good Morning Gentleman, I am extremely pleased to report that after 32 years, I can say that I have finally located one, of the two missing awards from my WW1 1914-15 Trio. I picked it up at a local Gunshow way back in 1990, & thought it was simply another Trio. Well, it turned out the recipient had entered the R.N. as an Boy 2nd Class in 1876, & served continuously in either the RN or later in the HM Coast Guard until finally being Demobilzed due to age on 27 July 1917. ( RE: Robert Joseph STEELE, No. 95097, formerly of Crumlin, County Antrim, Ireland / Born: 1860 - Died: 1924. ) During my research, I determind that he was aboard the HMS Achilles during the 1882 Egypt Campaign, & was therefore entitled to, & awarded the two requisite Medals, 1882 Egypt w/o Clasp, & of course the 1882 Khedives Star. Well, neither of those were to be found when I bought his Trio, so for all these years I've been searching for them, primarily of course the Egypt example, as that was the named one. Sooooo, flash forward to yesterday morning 16 February 2022, when for some unknown reason, I Posted a Query on my other UK Collector Forum, & was planning to Post here also. However, within 2 - 3 minutes of my Post, I received an reply to my question, & therefore didn't need to ask again here. OK, so now, as always, I thanked those who replied, & just almost sarcastically mentioned the improbability of my actually coming across the recipient's two long missing medals, almost in jest !! Well, about 2 minutes later, comes a Post from another member alerting me to the fact that 'my Guy's named 1882 Egypt Medal was indeed being offered for sale, & appeared to still available !! Needless to say, although I personally felt it to be somewhat overpriced, I simply could not pass it up, price notwithstanding. I mean that particular situation simply does not occur frequently, at least in my experience. So know, all I need to do is search around for a similar condition 1882 Khedive Star, [ unnamed of course ] & my long separated Group is now actually complete !! Honestly, I still have a hard time believing it, but I can assure you it's true. OK, I just wished to share this very uncommon happening with my fellow collectors. Hopefully, it will serve as an lesson of sorts, not to ever give up & admit defeat. Somewhere out there 'your' missing medal[s] could be waiting for you to reunite them with their siblings. How my Trio ended up in Rhode Island, USA, while the other Medals apparently remained in, or around the Cheshire, UK area is beyond me, although we're all aware that these situations do occur somewhat frequently. Take care Gents, & keep hunting !! Best regards, Dom Pastore Jr. / 'dpast32'

Good Morning Gentleman, As I was looking for for a pair of Binoculars yesterday for something, & I happened across this particular set,which I never was able to document, other than some speculation on my part. Other than 'thinking' the nomenclature observed on them 'appears' to indicate their being of Hungarian origin, perhaps from the 1950's - 1960's era ? Based upon a 'Google' search, the lettering appears to 'possibly' refer to some form of either National Guard, Territorial Army, or Militia issue, although I can not definitively say for certain. I can state that they do appear to be of superior quality, exhibiting exceptionally clear lenses, which 'may' possibility indicate East German manufacture, although I find no markings indicating such. I would truly LOVE to gain an idea as to where, or by whom they were manufactured, the Agency who had, or may have used / issued them, along with of course their dates of production, & era of issue ? Other than the observed Markings, one of the lenses has an 'Range Finder', which of course would indicate the necessity of calling in artillery fire. Soooo, if anyone could please tell me anything about this elusive pair of Binoculars, I will be extremely appreciative !! THANK YOU !! Best, dpast32

Hello Gents, Although I've discussed this particularly early Post WW1 M.B.E. Group here not all that long ago, I've finally took the initiative to dig it out & photograph the medal's Reverse & Obverse to show the naming & other details, which I never included in my intial Post. Just for the record, it's the M.B.E. as awarded to Lieutenant George Craig, 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment, for his actions on 03 May 1921 while leading his Lewis Gun Detachment during an IRA ambush at Tourkmeady, County Mayo on 03 May 1921. Both Lt.'s Craig & his immediate Superior Lieut. Geoffery Ibberson both recieved M.B.E.'s for their actions that day. Lieut. Ibberson, who was severely wounded during the prolonged action, & ended his career as an Major. [ Ibberson's personal papers pertaing to the event may be found amongst the I.W.M. collections. ] As I indicated earlier, I personally feel that the naming as found on its reverse was most definitely done at the behest of the recipient, probably, although not verified the engraving was done sometime around 1945 +/-. I have traced this medals provenance / 'chain of custody' back to at least April 1967, & possess the relevant documents alluding to that fact. At that particular time, the medal was in the process of being researched by an U.S. based collector / researcher, & specifically refers to the naming, & also confirms his final as that of Captain, H.M. Forces. Plus, at the time, it was owned by a very well noted U.S. collector, researcher, & prolific author of medal collecting articles. [ As may be found in 'J.O.M.S.A.', the semi-monthly publication of 'O.M.S.A.', the U.S. equivalent of the U.K.'s 'O.M.R.S.'. Soooo, based upon all the available evidence, I do honestly believe this M.B.E. to be genuine & correct, although we're all aware that it was not 'officially engraved', so to speak. This particular action has been extensively written about, & IIRC, there were 3 books published about it. My renewed interest in this particular group was sparked due to my recently coming across an online publication of the revised edition of a book detailing this event, written by the son of the original author, who has since passed away. Apparently, due to the events 100th year anniversary, the authors son decided to make his 'new' edition available to all, free of charge. Please see the following Link if interested in this most recent account of the day's events; https://www.cltme.ie/newbook In closing, I ask that if anyone here has ANY information, & or any comments relevant to this award, I would deeply appreciate hearing them !! THANK YOU Gentleman !!

Hello Folks, Please be advised that I'm also adding a few photographs of Lieutenant George Craig's M.B.E. here, as I haven't included any within any of my previous Posts about him. As far as the 'naming', although no M.B.E.'s were officially named, I have no doubt whatsoever as to the originality of this particular example having been privately engraved by the recipient. Included along with this group was assorted documentation, much of which dates as far back as April 1967. These earliest documents are from the Border Regiment's Museum at Carlisle Castle requesting confirmation of Lt. Craig's M.B.E. [ In addition to numerous other supporting documentation. ] If anyone here may be able to discern any other facts regarding this M.B.E. from viewing the photographs, I of course will be deeply interested in hearing from them ! Also, just recently, an '100th Anniversary' edition of yet another publication pertaining to the 'Tourkmeady Affair' of 03 May 1921 was published & actually made available free, online. As always, if anyone has anything relevant to either Lt. Craig, and or the Tourkmeady Affair, I will appreciate hearing about it !! THANK YOU Best, dpast32 Just in case anyone's interested in looking through this 100th Anniversary edition of the 03 May 1921 Tourkmeady ambush, herewith is the Free Download Link; LINK: https://www.cltme.ie/newbook dpast32

THANKS 'Great Dane', I appreciate the reply. No, your question is in no way stupid, as it simply relates to the obvious. I too am not all that well versed in British Orders, so therefore just wished to be absolutely certain exactly which Case 'should' have been issued with the recipient's M.B.E. [ Military ] I just dug this group out after having not looked at in since shortly after obtaining it. I honestly couldn't recall which of the 2 it was in when purchased, so where better to confirm this here ? And, based on my searching, I really haven't come across very much reference at all on the M.B.E., & or their accompanying cases of issue. Hopefully, once I've had a chance to go through this group's notebook, I hopefully had recorded which of the cases it was in when purchased. Best, dpast32

Hello Gents, I've discussed this particular early Post WW1 M.B.E. Group here not all that long ago, but have finally took the initiative to dig it out & photo the 2 Award Cases that accompanied it when originally obtained. I'm fairly certain that 1 of the 2 Cases is the correct issue for the medal, but because they were both included in the lot, I'm really not sure as to which is the one that was with it when initially presented ? Just for the record, it's the M.B.E. as awarded to Lieutenant George Craig, 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment, for his actions in leading an Lewis Gun Detachment during an IRA ambush at Tourkmeady, County Mayo on 03 May 1921. Both Lt.'s Craig & his immediate Superior Lt. Geoffery Ibberson both received M.B.E.'s for that days action. Now also bear in mind that I obtained this Group from an long time collector, & that may indeed be the reason for the 2 Cases being present ? I have my own suspicion as to which is correct, but will rely on the Forum to confirm for me. THANK YOU guys !! Best, dpast32

Dave, [ 'dpk' ] I'm truly pleased for you & very glad I could help in some way. Since my Retiring a few years back, I've spent much time attempting to document my many medal & militaria groups. My 'real' problem is that a great portion of my substantial personal library still remains in big Tupperware bins out in my garage. I used to just love heading down to my basement, pick out the proper bookcase, & then simply grab the particular text related to my current interest. Unfortunately though, in 2010 we suffered what was referred to as; 'the flood of the century', which turned my beautifully finished basement library into 11"+ of brackish flood water. Luckily we managed to sane most of my books, but finding any particular title now remains quite a challenge !! Exactly which of the 55 bins is it in ? And guess where they usually are ? In the bottom bin, in the stack of 3, which requires at least 2 'he men' to get down there !!! Therefore, I've by default, pretty much lost my immediate access to many of my presently OOP, or extremely expensive titles ! But, fortunately we all now have the Web, which is now my primary source of reference. Good Luck my Friend with your current 'project'. dpast32

It was my pleasure dpk, I'm glad I was able to help. Many, many times others here have come to my rescue when I was at an literal impasse for any information to move ahead. That's indeed why this particular Forum is on my 'short list' when attempting to solve my U.K. & Commonwealth related issues ! Good Luck with your 1911 Coronation search, hopefully you'll get an early hit ! dpast32

Just for the record, I just wished to advise everyone that I did locate a copy of T. P. Brewster's "For Faithful Service' - A History of the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal" , directly from OMRS. I had actually located a copy on eBay earlier today, but unfortunately, the seller doesn't ship to the US, so I had to pass it up. I least I did get my copy, alter the overseas shipping cost me almost as much as the item's price ! dpast32

Good Morning Dave, As always, I deeply appreciate your continued comments & input in regards to my search. Honestly, I had an inkling that 'he' wasn't my search subject, yet I felt it might be worth Posting it for others review. Also, the 'naming' issue isn't all that conducive to locating someone amongst the numerous assorted L.E. Agencies in which the Specials served, as we ultimately have to work even harder & dig even deeper to fully confirm if it's 'our' suspect. But, I guess no one said it would be easy, right ? In addition to 'dpk' as noted above, I too was somewhat surprised to find so me newly added U.K. related Records available now on Ancestry.uk. They appear to have added a nice assortment of employment & organization related Files, which of course are very welcome indeed. THANKS AGAIN Dave ! dpast32 And, for 'dpk', below is the relevant Link via Ancestry.uk in which I located this above Police Record. It may be found at; https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/61651/ Hopefully you have access to Ancestry.com, & if you don't, well I'll try to perhaps access it for you, & somehow forward it out to you. Let me know, Best, dpast32

While we're on the subject, does anyone know where I might be able to purchase a copy of Paul Brewster's 2019 OMRS Publication on the Special Constabulary Medals ? [ Re: "For Faithful Service' - A History of the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal" ] THANKS dpast32

Hi Guys, Here's an 'possible' candidate for the SCLS with 1939 Clasp to Ernest Wright ? It probably isn't, but there are a few interesting points. Also, I'm not certain as the the actual naming aspects of this particular Series. Was the recipient's middle initial included, if indeed he had one ? THANKS Best, dpast32

THANKS again Gents for your continued assistance, it's most appreciated. 'dpk' I also appreciate your Ranks List as I'm sure it will come in handy in my research. And 'Dave', I too now fully agree with your assessment of the '39 Cenus Record, for what I had initially believed to be an 'K', is in fact an 'R', which of course would indicate the Army Service Corps. When purchased, I had initially thought that perhaps due to his relatively advanced Rank of Superintendent, he might have been somewhat easier to document, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Soooo, I did learn an not roo expensive lesson here. The only really sure way to document, or identify an SCLS Medal is with it being obtained as part of an identified group, or perhaps with some accompanying information included with the sale. Personally, I've always been fond of U.K. / Commonwealth Law Enforcement awards, especially the earlier 1887 / 1897 Met. Issues. I myself served for over 31 years 'on the job' here in the U.S., & perhaps my loyalty to the profession has carried over to my collecting interests. THANKS AGAIN Gentlemen, I truly appreciate all your kind assistance. Best regards, Dom Pastore Jr. / 'dpast32'