bigjarofwasps

Leaders from Wisconsin infantry battalion prepare for mission with Iraq visit by Capt. Benjamin Buchholz 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry CAMP SHELBY, Miss. — Five senior leaders from 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry flew to Iraq in late June to meet the unit they will replace, clarify mission details and see firsthand the living conditions the unit’s 600-plus soldiers should expect. The unit will serve as an armed escort for civilian and military convoys traveling from Kuwait north through the entire country of Iraq, protecting supplies that allow security operations and the transition to peace to succeed. The unit will conduct operations in Iraq from a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Kuwait that has many of the same amenities as an Army post or a small town in the United States: a post exchange, shoppette, weight room, dining facility, internet cafe, theater, pizza parlor, coffee shop, and even a volleyball court — sand, of course. The soldiers will live in air-conditioned tents rather than barracks. Lt. Col. Todd Taves, the unit’s commander, along with Maj. John Oakley, Maj. David Aponte, Capt. Frank Iovine, and Command Sgt. Maj. Rafael Conde participated in actual convoys, received updates on the activities of anti-Iraqi forces in the area, and coordinated a smooth in-processing for the unit’s personnel and equipment when they arrive in August. The visit provided the battalion with information to help tailor training to the unit’s specific mission. The unit will now devote more time to driving up-armored HMMWVs with convoys and less time to room-to-room searches, FOB defense, check-point operations and the many other tasks the unit might otherwise have been assigned. As the battalion’s command sergeant major and senior noncommissioned officer, Conde’s primary task on the visit was to assess the FOB’s living accommodations for the troops. He was pleased with what he saw. “Other than the heat, which was like hitting a wall when we got off the plane, my biggest concern is the food,” said Conde, “and not because it’s bad. Just the opposite: it’s too good. The FOB serves four meals a day, buffet-style, and if we don’t have a good physical fitness program we’ll return to Wisconsin a little too healthy.” The other amenities all met Conde’s standard. Because so many local groups, schools, families, and communities have asked what they can do to make the deployment a better experience, the battalion will identify a local charity in Iraq and organize donations to that charity on behalf of the battalion’s supporters. Contributions to these efforts will indirectly improve the quality of life for the battalion soldiers because they will help win the hearts and minds of the Iraqis among whom the Wisconsin soldiers will live for the next year. For information on donating to the 2-127th’s local Iraqi charity, email Capt. Benjamin Buchholz, battalion civil affairs officer: benjamin.buchholz@us.army.mil. # # # # Note to Editors: The Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry is headquartered in Appleton with units in Waupun, Ripon, Green Bay, Fond du Lac and Marinette. The battalion was mobilized June 6 and departed Wisconsin June 9 for several months additional training at Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, Miss. The infantry battalion was augmented by soldiers from the Onalaska-based 32nd Engineer Company and from Troop E, 105th Cavalry of Antigo and Merrill. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current News Releases are available at: http://dma.wi.gov/news.asp -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Photos to accompany this story: http://dma.wi.gov/MediaPublicAffairs/docview.asp?docid=2352 CUTLINES (photo credits: Wisconsin National Guard photos) 1. Demonstration: A reaction force of soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry secures the entry control point at a mock-up Forward Operating Base at Camp Shelby, Miss. The soldiers are training at Camp Shelby as they prepare for their deployment to Southwest Asia in August. 2. Convoy Training: Soldiers from Company A of the Wisconsin National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry prepare for convoy security training at Camp Shelby, Miss., July 15. The battalion's mission will include security for military and civilian convoys traveling from Kuwait to destinations throughout Iraq. 3. Insurgent: Wisconsin National Guard soldiers apprehend a suspected "insurgent" who breached perimeter defenses at a mock-up Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Camp Shelby, Miss. The soldiers are from Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry. They are about midway through training at Camp Shelby as they prepare for their deployment to Southwest Asia in August. 4. Briefing: Senior Wisconsin National Guard officers get a briefing on the status of training for 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry soldiers at Camp Shelby, Miss. The battalion is commanded by Lt. Col. Todd Taves, second from right in desert camouflage vest.

Spc. Michael J. Wendling, 20, of Mayville, Wis. Wednesday, September 28 2005 @ 08:13 AM EST Contributed by: tomw Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -- The news passed through the stands Monday evening at the Mayville High School JV football game - Michael Wendling, who played on the football, basketball and golf teams and joined the military while still a student, had been killed in Iraq. Among the words murmured by stunned people as the football game unfolded before them: explosion, Iraq, Humvee, Mayville. "In typical small-town fashion, it had drifted through the town," said Mayville High School Principal Lee Zarnott. "Unfortunately, bad news travels fast." Wendling, 20, a specialist, was killed Monday with Sgt. Andrew P. Wallace, 25, of Oshkosh when a roadside bomb exploded as they drove past it in Iraq. They were members of Fond du Lac-based Charlie Company of the Wisconsin National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment. Their deaths bring to 47 the number of Wisconsin service members killed in Iraq since March 2003. A high school friend of Wendling's, Spc. Jeremy Roskopf of Brownsville, suffered shrapnel wounds to his legs. Roskopf and Wendling signed up for the National Guard together while they were in high school. They played on the Mayville golf team, which won the conference championship their senior year. Wendling, who was on the dean's list at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee when his unit was activated, frequently kept in touch with his family via e-mail and talked about what it was like to drive the large, heavy Humvees in Kuwait and Iraq, said his father, Randy Wendling. "He said they don't go very fast, but he seemed pretty excited about what he was doing," Randy Wendling said in a phone interview Tuesday. The Appleton-based 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment was activated in June and trained at Camp Shelby, Miss. The unit moved to Kuwait in mid-August and has been based in northern Kuwait, providing security to convoys traveling from Kuwait into Iraq, said Wisconsin National Guard Lt. Col. Tim Donovan. Wendling's father said the roadside bomb hit his son's Humvee near Basra, in southern Iraq. Wendling was the driver, Roskopf was the gunner who stands in the middle of the vehicle and Wallace was the team leader, who normally sits in the front passenger seat. Randy Wendling said he saw his son shortly before the unit deployed overseas last month. He spent his home leave going to Brewers games, visiting with family and friends and golfing. His son was upbeat in his e-mails and enjoyed serving in the Wisconsin National Guard, the elder Wendling said. "He talked about where they were based and what it was like, what they were going to be doing, how hot it was there," said Randy Wendling. In his last e-mail, received a couple of days before he died, Wendling asked about a care package his family sent him that included bedsheets and beef jerky and told his folks that his company was very busy. Stu Strook coached Wendling in junior varsity football and golf and remembered a guy who wasn't the most talented athlete but someone who worked hard to improve himself. It was common to see Wendling hitting buckets of golf balls, even after matches, until dark. "I would call him a grinder. He worked hard. He had a good heart," said Strook. Wendling also liked to eat. He wasn't fat, so sometimes his teammates wondered where he put all the food. Strook recalled returning from a golf match one day when the team stopped at Burger King. Wendling ordered a Whopper Value Meal with fries and a drink. Nothing unusual about that, except that Wendling went back for four more Whoppers - quarter-pound burgers - and ate them all, to the astonishment of everyone watching him, Strook said. "Mike was a personality, I guess you would say. He had a great sense of humor. He was a kid who liked to have fun, and kids liked to be around Mike because he was so much fun," said Strook. Wendling had not declared a major at UWM, but his father said he was leaning toward getting a degree in the sciences. His high school marketing teacher, Rod McSorley, said he thought Wendling would have become an engineer. A couple of dozen marketing students from Mayville organized a trip to New York their senior year. The group took in the sights, visited Madison Square Garden and saw "The Lion King" on Broadway. A photo of the group taken on the Staten Island Ferry is pinned to a bulletin board in McSorley's office. McSorley said he was looking at the picture of Wendling and his classmates mugging for the camera as he talked to a reporter Tuesday about his former student. "When we visited New York, we visited ground zero, and that was important to him. He was close enough to 9-11 to embrace its importance," said McSorley. "He had very good family values. That wouldn't surprise me (that) he had the feeling of giving back." http://www.legacy.com/PE/Soldiers.asp?Page...rsonID=15240017

Sgt. Andrew P. Wallace, 25, of Oshkosh, Wis. Wednesday, September 28 2005 @ 08:17 AM EST Contributed by: tomw Oshkosh Northwestern -- An Oshkosh soldier killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom is being remembered for his love of family and country and for his dedication as a teacher and wrestling coach. Sgt. Andrew Wallace, 25, was killed by a roadside bomb, while he helped escort a convoy of supply trucks in Iraq, his father, Pete Wallace, said Tuesday. Wallace said his son joined the Army National Guard in part to help pay for college costs, but he also had a deep and lasting patriotism for his country. “He was proud to serve his country and he knew the risks that came with it,” said Wallace, who lives in the Dodge County community of Fox Lake. “Everything he did, he did with enthusiasm. He enjoyed sports with enthusiasm and he loved his country with enthusiasm.” He said his son was in good spirits when he last talked to him via cell phone about a week ago. “He called me at work,” Wallace said. “He preferred being out on the missions instead of being back in the base.” Wallace served with the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment based in Appleton. Also killed by the roadside bomb in Shaibah, Iraq, was Spc. Michael Wendling, 20, of Mayville, who was driving the Humvee that he, Wallace and another soldier were riding in near Basra at the time of the explosion, Wendling’s father, Randy Wendling, said Tuesday. Wallace was the team leader who normally sits in the front passenger seat. The third soldier, who was injured, served as a gunner. Major Gen. Albert H. Wilkening of the Wisconsin National Guard said he has ordered flags of all Wisconsin National Guard armories, air bases and other facilities lowered to half-staff in memory of Wallace and Wendling. Wallace, a physical education teacher since 2003 who taught at Oshkosh North High School and Emmeline Cook Elementary School, was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in June. His father said Wallace was a member of the National Guard for about six years. Pete Wallace recalled the last time he saw his son, which was June 9 for a sendoff at Volk Field at Camp Douglas in western Wisconsin. He said family members gave him hugs, plenty of love and told him to stay safe before he departed. “He wanted to come home as a veteran,” Wallace said. Wallace’s father said funeral arrangements are pending. Overall, 46 Wisconsin military members have died during the war in Iraq and so have more than 1,900 U.S. troops nationwide. Local soldiers who died include Pfc. Brent Vroman of Omro, who was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and Army Reserve Capt. Benjamin Jansky of Oshkosh. Wallace’s death was a shock to those who knew him, including wrestlers at North, where he was an assistant wrestling coach. “He was there for us all of the time and whenever we had a problem we could go to him. He was easy going and fun to be around,” said senior Nick Wolff, a member of the North wrestling team. “He taught us to respect everybody no matter what happened to us.” Wallace was a 1998 graduate of Ripon High School where he played football, baseball and wrestled. His father said Wallace also was a WIAA football official and had been an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers. Lucas Seelow, a senior at North and a member of the wrestling team, said Wallace put a smile on the faces of wrestlers. “He liked the sport and enjoyed being out there with us,” Seelow said. “He was at school at 6:30 each morning to help anyone who wanted to lift weights and to give his support.” Gary Westerman, former head wrestling coach at North, said Wallace’s enthusiasm was contagious. “Andrew was the ultimate kid at heart. He was never in a bad mood and always smiling and had positive things to say,” said Westerman, who is a physical education teacher at a Kimberly Middle School. “He was an all-around great guy and a great friend.” Westerman said Wallace was proud to be in the military and often talked about it. He said Wallace and his wife had just purchased a house in Oshkosh. “He was real excited about that,” Westerman said. “He couldn’t wait to have me over.” Phil Marshall, principal at Emmeline Cook, said Wallace kept in contact with school staff via a Web site. “He would take pictures of all the missions he was on and would post them on the Web site so we could get a look at what was going on,” Marshall said. “He sent e-mails to staff updating what was happening in Iraq. It was really a comfort to us to have contact with him on a regular basis.” Marshall said Wallace was an extraordinary person. “He made an impact on everyone in school from students to staff and parents,” Marshall said. “He always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude. The lack of that energy has left a big hole here.” http://www.legacy.com/AZCENTRAL/Soldiers.a...rsonID=15235097

Student serves country with National Guard in Iraq Marian College junior Ross Oestreich plans to return to Marian in August after one year away from the college. That year away, serving with the Wisconsin Army National Guard in Iraq, has left Oestreich an unquestionably changed man. “You learn in deployment what’s really important to you,” says Oestreich, a Specialist with the Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry (2–127th), based in Appleton with units in Waupun, Ripon, Green Bay, Fond du Lac and Marinette. The 2–127th was mobilized June 6, spent much of last summer in training at Camp Shelby, Miss., and then went to the Middle East in August. Oestreich, 20, an Administration of Justice major, is in the middle of a six-year contract with the National Guard, signed while he was a senior at Waupaca High School. He spent the summers of 2003 and 2004 in, respectively, basic training and specialized airborne and infantry training in Camp Benning, Ga. He now is in the U.S. on a 15-day leave, which ends April 1. During his leave, Oestreich, the son of Jeff and Beth Oestreich of Waupaca, spoke to two classes at Waupaca High School, and heard questions and opinions that, to him, show a lack of understanding of the situation in Iraq. “It’s pretty emotional for me, but I try to hold myself back and realize that they just don’t know,” he says. “I’ve always been a really, really open person — sometimes too open for my own good. Right now, this is my vacation; I’m all smiles.” Oestreich’s unit, which is based in northern Kuwait, is attached to an Army transportation company to provide security for military and civilian convoys throughout Iraq. He is a member of the 2–127th’s Charlie Company. “Wherever the convoy’s supposed to go, we’re supposed to supply security for it,” he says. As a result, Oestreich’s unit has one of the more hazardous jobs in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Military convoys are attacked by insurgents using small arms, Rocket Propelled Grenades, and what are called Improvised Explosive Devices (“They’ve gotten more advanced with their bombs,” he says), and civilian convoys have been hijacked. While some areas of Iraq are quite friendly to the U.S.-coalition forces, others are not. “There really is no typical day,” he says. Escorting a convoy can take eight or more hours “if nothing happens,” and that time can double in the event of insurgent attacks or vehicle crashes, which are commonplace due to the poor skills of Iraqi drivers. The worst day of Oestreich’s deployment was Sept. 26, 2005, when two soldiers in the 2–127th, Andrew Wallace of Ripon and Michael Wendling of Mayville, were killed by a roadside bomb. Wallace’s and Wendling’s funerals were marred by the appearance of protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., who believe that God is punishing the U.S. for condoning human rights for homosexuals. “Our morale couldn’t have been any lower for us,” said Oestreich about learning of the protests. On another day, Oestreich provided emergency medical care for an injured soldier from another unit before the soldier died. Going through such traumatic experiences hasn’t changed his perspective about why he wanted to join the military. Being in the military has been Oestreich’s ambition since he was five years old. Ross’ father, Jeff, served in the National Guard for 27 years, including a deployment in Germany during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s, and “really got me into it,” says Ross. “The benefits are great — they basically pay for everything when I come back for school.” His interest in serving was cemented after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He chose the infantry because “that’s where I’m most utilized — I picked the infantry because I wanted to do the most I possibly could.” The one theme that comes through even a brief conversation with Oestreich is his loyalty to his fellow soldiers. “They’ve seen more of me than my brothers in real life have,” he says. “I’m kind of sad that the experiences I’ve had with these guys wasn’t with my own blood. Veterans do get a new respect and realize how fragile life is.” Oestreich has seen “almost all” of Iraq as part of his Guard duties. He describes the weather as similar to Las Vegas or Arizona, with high temperatures in the 80s and 90s now and as high as the low 130s in summer, but with no humidity. Lows drop as low as the high 30s. Clouds appear during the rainy season, and “it was pretty weird because otherwise it’s sun, sky, sand — there’s nothing else.” Oestreich’s leave has been a transition for him, particularly seeing the family and friends one ordinarily might see only at holidays. “You see change very, very slowly — things are what I perceived them to be before I left,” he says. He claims to have been “more nervous about coming back here [to Marian] on leave than on the first day of classes. My palms were sweating when I was driving here.” Oestreich expects to remain in Iraq until August, the end of the standard overseas deployment period. He wants to enter the Reserve Officers Training Corps when he returns to Marian this fall, and get a teaching certification. He is considering making the military his career. “I figure the only way officers can be officers is to be in it with the guys,” he says. “You know what the guys have gone through so you can lead them better. This experience, no matter what I do, is going to help my military career.”

The Gold Sovereign by Michael A. Marsh published by Cambridge Coins in 1980. This is comprehensive and detailed study of the British gold sovereign from its introduction in 1817 to 1979, with 32 plates. It includes tables of quantities minted (both UK and Commonwealth mints) and includes a rarity rating of each coin.(000905) **Re published in 2002** *** A very good book, well worthing getting hold of, as is the book `The Sovereign`, featured above ***

The Sovereign The World's Most Famous Coin A History and Price Guide. Authors: James Mackay, Daniel Fearon and Brian Reeds Publisher: Hilden Publications An excellent book, and one which all collectors of gold sovereigns will wish to own. There is an existing book about the gold sovereign, which is in its second edition, and which has been a valuable resource for collectors and dealers. This new book is the most complete work about sovereigns we have seen. It combines an interesting history of gold sovereigns starting even before the very first sovereigns of Henry VII, through to the present day, with a comprehensive price guide to modern sovereigns from 1817 to date. Contents The chapter headings give a clear guide as to the contents: Introduction The First Sovereigns Mentions the first coins of King Croesus, and explains the history of English coinage leading to the development of the gold sovereign by Henry VII. The Sovereign Since 1817 Illustrates and describes the design and production of sovereign during their golden age. All aspects appear to be covered including notes on the designs, engravers, dies, forgeries, sovereign balances (weighing scales), coining presses and more. The Branch Mints Tells the story of the branch mints in Sydney Melbourne and Perth, Australia; Ottawa in Canada; Bombay in India and Pretoria in South Africa, with contemporary photographs. The Role of the Sovereign Discusses the primary purpose of the sovereign and explains the "Gold Standard", mentions sunken treasure, an interesting case of "legal" counterfeiting, the modern gold market, the revival of gold coinage, the Exchange Control Act and the Exchange Control Order. The Sovereign Price Guide Contains advice for collectors, a grading guide, and a very comprehensive price guide giving prices in up to ten different grades for all sovereign from 1817 to date. Further Reading 80 Pages. Well illustrated.

http://www.deepimage.co.uk/wrecks/egypt/eg...ypt_history.htm http://www.deepimage.co.uk/wrecks/egypt/eg...linearticle.htm http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/1001egypt.htm http://www.deepimage.co.uk/wrecks/egypt/eg...pt_mainpage.htm

Hi Steph, Very interesting thread. I particularly like the SAP Silver Cross for Gallantry medal. Could you tell us a bit more about it. The criteria for it, how many have been awarded, etc. Any citations?

I found this link, which might help age the ring? http://www.jewellerycatalogue.co.uk/gold_j...ay_hallmark.php

I suppose we`ll never know, but it is nice to try and speculate. There are a few facts that we can be sure of..... At some point in the last 90 odd years its made the journey from Australia to Great Britain. I`m not sure but I assume you`d be able to ascertain when the ring part was made by the hall marks. Is there anyone out there with knowledge of this sort of thing that could shine some light on it for us?

" ... spring of 1942 he had actually received 24,000 gold sovereigns from the British to take to the hills; but he only departed that summer after exasperated SOE agents threatened to denounce him to the Axis ... case both British and German. EDES was also notorious for its lack of administrative cohesion. SOE commented on Zervas's `disregard of even elementary organisation' and noted that `he hopes for the best ... " " ... political hearing, and he was not to know that, after a brief interdepartmental spat, the Foreign Office had vetoed any SOE plans to utilise him. Even assuming that he could recruit an Albanian Legion, the British ... failure in raising a revolt would largely have depended on `St George's cavalry': the quantity of gold sovereigns in his kitbag. The British Government essentially ignored him while trying ... " " ... spring of 1942 he had actually received 24,000 gold sovereigns from the British to take to the hills; but he only departed that summer after exasperated SOE agents threatened to denounce him to the Axis ... case both British and German. EDES was also notorious for its lack of administrative cohesion. SOE commented on Zervas's `disregard of even elementary organisation' and noted that `he hopes for the best ... " " ... clandestine radio in Athens in the spring of 1942) SOE tried to turn him into a mercenary, offering him 24,000 gold sovereigns (worth $200,000 at the time) to take ... " " ... debated as a political issue. It was later made to appear in some quarters as a sinister reflection of SOE's atti- tude to the Greek King that it took such prompt action to assist ELAS ... operation was one of some confusion. They parted on good terms with Ares, giving him 250 gold sovereigns, and a letter to the EAM Central Committee, a mysterious entity which they were anxious to reconnoitre ... " " ... printed money, causing inflation to soar, a problem that worsened as SOE began to flood the country with gold sovereigns meant to underwrite resistance activity. With the harvest reduced ...

" ... himself up economically, recalled that he had worked for payment in English gold sovereigns, which used to be a common medium of exchange in Greece. As soon as he was able, he converted these extremely vulnerable ... same phrase with which a shepherd expresses the incorporation of stolen sheep into his flock. Given that gold sovereigns were long a popular medium of exchange, "turning them into money" is as impenetrable ... " " ... Chetniks, EDES had no desire to make a bad occupation worse by attacking the Axis."" Greece was far less susceptible to disintegration and hence revolution than was Yugoslavia, a second cause ... causing inflation to soar, a problem that worsened as SOE began to flood the country with gold sovereigns meant to underwrite resistance activity. With the harvest reduced by as much as a third ... " " ... French Revolution which Napoleon claimed to champion, and particularly upheld the legitimacy of the deposed sovereigns. They declared that they were not fighting against France, but against the preponderance which Napoleon exercised . The allied ... gold sovereigns, known as 'the cavalry of St George' from their design of George and the dragon, played the same role as the Persian king's gold archers in city-state Greece ... " " ... transfer to his credit at the Westminster Bank, Foreign Branch Office, London, 3,000 gold sovereigns, which were the subject of this action. In August 1939, the plaintiff contracted to supply 500 ... Roumania to the Greek Army and other business. In October 1940, Italy declared war on Greece. German troops began to gather on the Roumanian frontier, and Germans in civilian clothes ... " " ... Londos' sister in Kolonaki. There, Londos would send them dangerous, and coveted, gifts: gold sovereigns and even fresh fish. It seems that despite George's earlier misgivings ... Greece. When the mild remonstrances of Tsouderos in London were brushed aside, George and Kanellopoulos became furious. These were enemy countries; Bulgaria was even one of the three occupying powers ... "

" ... disruption of communications. Inflation continued to accelerate . The only currency to retain confidence was the gold sovereign , which had been shipped into Greece in large quantities by the British authorities to finance resistance activities ... Greece under its control. Although PEEA was careful not to claim that it constituted a rival government, it clearly posed a threat to the government-in- exile, whose influence within Greece ... " " ... told him to go to Greece - he would like it. He went and stayed. He held the post at the university until his death a few years ago. Greece was in the throes of rampant inflation ... mattered was the gold sovereign. Anything worth buying would be paid in gold sovereigns. One went to the Bank of Greece laden with bank notes and changed one's drachmas into gold. I recall ... "

Material damage was enormous, to Greece's transportation by land and sea, to railroad stock, harbors, airports and factories, that were used during the occupation, and were destroyed, just before the retreat of Nazi forces. Material losses amounted to hundreds of $billions. In addition, in March 1942, the Nazis "forcibly borrowed" 10,530,120 gold sovereigns from the Central Bank of Greece, as an interest-free loan. The value of that loan today, with 3% interest amounts to a hefty $17 billion. The damage to Greek economy, to the educational system, with elementary and middle school buildings requisitioned for stationing troops and military supplies, and disruption of Health Care delivery, were enormous.

1941 February Secret transportation of the Bank's gold reserves to its branch in Herakleion, aboard the destroyers "Vasilissa Olga" and "Vasilefs Georgios". 22 April King George II, the Prime Minister Emm. Tsouderos, and the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece, ?. Varvaressos and G. Mantzavinos respectively, flee Athens heading for Crete. 27 April The Germans occupy Athens. May Amendment of the Bank's Statute, stipulating that the Bank will be considered as based at the headquarters of the official Greek Government abroad. 23 May The fall of Crete marks the country's total occupation by German, Italian and Bulgarian troops. Each of the three occupation forces circulates its own currency unit: the Reichsmark, the Mediterranean Drachma and the Bulgarian Lev. Adventurous efforts to transport the gold reserves to a safe country. Flight of the country's leaders to Alexandria. June Relocation of the Bank's Administration and gold to Cairo. July - August The gold is transported to Pretoria. 1 August Reinstatement of the drachma as legal tender. 19 September The Governments of Italy and Germany appoint commissioners at the Bank empowered with the exclusive right to conduct the monetary and exchange rate policies. Requisitions, appropriations of the national product and mandatory offer to the occupation forces for purchase in inflationary money. 22 September The Bank's Administration and the Greek Government arrive in London. November Starvation of the civilian population. The situation is aggravated further during the winter of 1941-42. The daily death toll from starvation exceeds 100. December Advances amount to 3.5 billion drachmas per month. Uncontrollable inflationary pressures. On the initiative of the British Government, an ad hoc inter-alliance committee is set up, to record war damages and post-war needs. Greece is represented by K. Varvaressos. 1942 January Occupation expenses amount to 6-7 billion drachmas per month. June Occupation expenses rise to 200 billion drachmas per month. July A German financial committee, headed by Hermann Neubacher, arrives in Athens to solve the monetary problem. 1 December Compulsory use of securities in all transactions, aimed at limiting currency in circulation. 1943 November Emergence of hyperinflation. Transactions based on barter. Occupation authorities funnel English gold pounds and French gold twenty-franc coins into the Athens money market. Conference in Atlantic City, USA, for the founding of an inter-alliance organisation, the UNRRA. December Gold becomes the only medium of exchange and store of value. 1944 1-22 July At the international conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, 44 nations agree to establish the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Greece is represented by K. Varvaressos. 18 October The expatriated Government returns to Greece. Speech by Prime Minister G. Papandreou at Syntagma Square, Athens, celebrating the country's liberation. 3-9 November The Greek Government, the Bank of Greece and British experts agree on an economic stabilisation programme. 10 November The country's fiscal and monetary system collapses. Inflationary bulge at full blast. 11 November Launch of the new drachma, equivalent to 50 billion old drachmas. 1945 8 January Failure of the stabilisation programme. Resignation of the Bank's Co-Governor and reinstitution of the rank of Deputy Governor. 1 April UNRRA aid to Greece. 8 May End of the war in Europe. Germany surrenders to the Allies. 4 June Second stabilisation attempt: the Varvaressos Programme. 31 July President Truman signs the Bretton Woods Agreement Treaty. August Confrontation between K. Varvaressos and private sector agents. 2 September K. Varvaressos resigns from his position as Vice-President of the Government. Abandonment of all stabilisation efforts. September marks the beginning of a period of monetary anarchy, mass strikes, social upheaval and intense political crisis, which lasts until December. December Conference of the victors in Paris to determine war reparations. Greece is granted only 152.7 million US dollars (in kind) as compensation, instead of the 15.7 billion US dollars it had claimed.

In March 1942, the Nazis "forcibly borrowed" 10,530,120 gold sovereigns from the Central Bank of Greece, as an interest-free loan. The value of that loan today, with 3% interest amounts to a hefty $17 billion. http://www.demokritos.org/TRIUMPH.htm

http://www.ushmm.org/uia-cgi/uia_doc/art/x10-11?hr=null

There was one on Sky a few months back, I only caught the end of it. But again they were dving in a lake in Austria- at the bottom they found bundles and bundles of counterfeit pound notes. They had some old German guy with them, I think he was the guy that had made them, he said they were so well preserved, by the water. I assume that the Bank of England had them destroyed short afterwards? I`ve just bought a copy of a book called Rommel`s Gold by Peter Haining, I`ll let you know if its any good. Chris, putting the anti-climax aside was the programme any good? There was another good one on Sky a few weeks ago, called Nazi Gold which was rather good. I also have a DVD that I bought off Ebay again called Nazi Gold which is very interesting!!

http://www.demokritos.org/TRIUMPH.htm

http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/documents/seven.htm

http://history.powys.org.uk/school1/builth/purse.shtml

Gold standard The gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is a fixed weight of gold. Under the gold standard, currency issuers guarantee to redeem notes in that amount of gold. Governments that employ such a fixed unit of account, and which will redeem their notes to other governments in gold, share a fixed currency relationship. Supporters of the gold standard system claim it is more resistant to credit and debt expansion. Unlike a fiat currency, the money backed by gold cannot be created arbitrarily by government action. This restraint prevents the artificial inflation by the devaluation of currency. This is supposed to remove "currency uncertainty", keep the credit of the issuing monetary authority sound, and encourage lending. Nevertheless, countries under the gold standard underwent debt crises and depressions throughout the history of its use. The gold standard is no longer used in any nation, having been replaced completely by fiat currency. It is still in private use by private institutions in the supply of digital gold currency, which use gold grams as money.

Dutch to use looted gold to aid its Shoah survivors AMSTERDAM (JTA) -- Holland wants to use its $10 million share of an international gold pool to help its own Jewish community. "Part of this gold was stolen from the Jews in our country," said Joop van Kemenade, chairman of the Dutch government committee investigating restitution of Jewish property. His comment was to explain why Holland doesn't want to contribute the funds to a newly created international fund for Holocaust survivors. The United States and Britain launched the international fund at last week's Nazi gold conference in London, held under the auspices of the Tripartite Gold Commission. The conference was geared in part to determine how 5.6 tons of residual gold, currently worth between $55 million and $60 million, should be distributed by the commission. The United States, Britain and France created the commission after World War II to distribute looted Nazi gold back to its rightful owners. Stuart Eizenstat, the Clinton administration's point man on the Nazi gold issue, has offered the Dutch the option of spending $10 million from the new fund on projects for Dutch survivors, provided that Holland agrees to participate in the fund. Nine countries have so far committed more than $15 million to the fund. The United States pledged $4 million, rising to $25 million if Congress approves. And Britain said it would contribute $1.7 million. Luxembourg, Croatia, Greece, Poland and Austria -- which all have claims to the Tripartite gold -- said they were ready to transfer part or all of their claims to the new fund. Brazil and Argentina also said they plan to make donations. France, like Holland, has indicated that it would not contribute its share to the fund -- some $21 million -- but instead give it to its own Jewish population. Whether the United States, Britain and France will agree to the Dutch plan is uncertain, but Dutch Jewry is already debating how to distribute the funds.

Divers start search for looted gold An international team of divers has been given the go-ahead to search for sunken treasure taken from Greek Jews by a Nazi officer. Searchers believe $2.4 million worth of gold, jewels, and other valuables were aboard a ship scuttled in 1943 by a Nazi SS officer who demanded payments from Jews to avoid sending them to death camps. The officer never kept his promise, and nearly the entire Jewish community in Greece was wiped out during World War II. The team of 12 divers has begun their search from the port of Kalamata, 175 miles south-east of Athens. Permission was granted for a five-day search, which will concentrate on the area around Skhiza Island off the south-western tip of the Peloponnesus, port authorities said last Thursday. Underwater searches -- and even scuba diving expeditions -- are prohibited without permits in most areas of Greece to avoid the theft of antiquities. The reputed treasure was assembled by Max Merten, an SS officer. Searchers believe Merten sank the ship, apparently intending to recover the loot later. Merten returned to Greece in 1958 and was arrested. He was convicted as a war criminal, but was released under a government amnesty. The Central Board of Jewish Communities, one of the search organisers, got information on the wreck's possible location from a Greek man who claimed to have been imprisoned with Merten. Fifty percent of any treasure recovered will belong to Greece. The rest will be divided between the Jewish board and the informant. Claims also may be filed by survivors of those who died on the ship.

Peter, I think you have to make payments in Iraqi Dinar, in order to get in on the action!!!! Maybe they killed all the crews of the ship, whole villages wiped out etc,etc. Interestingly no one has ever said " Hey, what ever did happen to the 1 ton solid gold Budda, we used to have?". When I`ve read the book, I`ll get back to you..... Gordon.