bigjarofwasps

Ladies/Gents,

Can anyone advise me on whether officers in the Victorian era wore medal ribbons on their tunics when conducting routine duties? I've seen photographs when they can be seen wearing their campaign and jubilee medals (I assume for the purpose of the photograph). But would medal ribbons have been worn on everyday uniform?

BJOW.

Also can anyone confirm for me which battalion on the Grenadiers was involved in the Bloody Sunday riots of the 13th November 1887 in Trafalgar Square? And finally was the 3rd actually billeted within the Tower in 1888 or in a barracks elsewhere?

Thanks for the offer Gunner 1, but my research will be like a needle in a hay stack. As I don't even know how many medals the guy had only that he had medals and I was just curious to know what opinions for medals he may have had. But you might be able to help me out with another avenue...... Have you any idea which battalion of the Coldstream Guards, was stationed at Wellington Barracks in 1888?

Cheers guys that's great!!!

Thanks Paul, so that would be at least two medals then, with the Egypt medal and the khedive's star? With possibly a LSGC,DCM or perhaps VC.

I came across the below paragraph whilst researching something else and am curious as to what enlistment for general service mean? Does it suggest that a man enlisting could be sent to any arm of the army, unless they requested enlistment in a specific regiment/corps?

The men of the AHC had been initially recruited from soldiers in infantry regiments. This was in accordance with the Royal Warrant of 22 February 1875, which specified that the ranks of the Corps will be filled by Non-commissioned officers or soldiers volunteering from the ranks of the army, or by recruits whose enlistment for General Service may be authorized by the Secretary of State, with a view to their undergoing a course of probation at the Royal Victoria Hospital Netley, (later replaced by the Depôt and Training School Aldershot), preparatory to their being transferred to the Army hospital Corps, if deemed eligible for service therein.

Ladies/Gents,

Can anyone hazard a guess as to what medals a Guardsman in the 3rd battalion is likely to have been entitled to, between 1877 and 1888?

What's the likelihood of a man being posted between the various battalions on the GG during this period?

Gordon.

Islamic State: Turkey arrests six people suspected of producing a new currency for insurgent group.

Police in Turkey have arrested six people suspected of illegally minting coins to be used as currency in areas controlled by Islamic State (IS) militants.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-08/turkey-arrests-six-on-charges-of-illegally-minting-coins-for-is/6838410

ISIS release pictures of their new gold coins they say will 'break capitalist enslavement' - so why are they still paying their deranged gunmen in US dollars? 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3215910/ISIS-release-pictures-new-gold-coins-say-break-capitalist-enslavement-paying-deranged-gunmen-dollars.html

The Times Newspaper of the 1st December reports on a subsequent trail of a Mr. Cunninghame Graham an M.P and John Burns  an engineer, which was held at Bow-street Police-court, so I would suggest that Officers from C Division may have been involved? Three Officers are reported as giving evidence during the trail -  Inspector Collis, S Division, who was on mounted duty in Trafalgar-square on the Sunday afternoon in question, gave evidence that he was in charge of eight men. Also Superintendent Sheppard of B Division and Superintendent Brennan, L Division also gave evidence.

My understanding is that `meetings` have been taking place for sometime, prior to the 13th November, so I would assume that Officers had been on standby for these `meetings` should things get out of hand. These Officers, I further assume would have come from pretty much any/every Division in the form of mutual aid?

As to confirming an Officers involvement in the riots, I would assume court records would list cases regarding those arrested on the 13th, but whether these survive to this day I do not know.

With the impending mission creep into Syria as well, may cause issues with regards to clasps and the like?

Operations in against IS in Iraq have been ongoing for well over 12 months now, is there any word on whether a medal is likely to be awarded for it?

Cheers guys, thought that might be the case.

I've noticed that there are various devices, which can be put onto the Bronze Star and that the Bronze Star is awarded for Bravery and Meritorious service. There's the V device for bravery and just a plain ribbon for merit. Duplicate awards are announced with oak leaf clusters.

My question is this, if someone has been awarded it several times, lets say three times for merit and once for bravery. Am I right in thinking that they'd have the V and two oak leafs? Could this thus be construed that they'd been awarded the Bronze Star for bravery three times?

Thanks Dave, that's very interesting!!!

Is there some sort of time lapse placed between awards. By that I mean for example day one of deployment, your out on patrol and something happens, which results in you being recommended for a Silver Star. Then next day something else happens of equal merit, would that result in two silver stars or would the be added together for a DSC? What if they were a few months apart and the silver star has already been awarded, would it be withdrawn and a DSC used to replace it, or would two stars be awarded.

Judging by the examples above it would appear that, their awards were for separate tours and those which aren't, the various awards were issued for increased acts of heroism?

Am I thinking too hard about this? Surely this type of thing must have manifested itself as some point? How did the powers that be address it?

We're all familiar with the exploits of the likes of Audie Murphy, Joe Hooper & David Hackworth. But I wonder is there anyone of a similar ilk from modern times? I wonder who the most decorated soldier for Iraq Campaign for instance is. Are any contenders known? Does anyone know of any examples of guys winning several awards during one deployment?

Cheers guys, this is all very interesting (and amusing stuff). I wonder if there's any examples of guys being awarded several Purple Hearts for `lame` wounds?

Ladies/Gents,

Am trying to get my head round how this concept works within the US military.

I recently read a book, whereby it told the story of two US infantry guys who got injured by an IED in Iraq in 2007. Having been hit, they were extracted back to an aid station, treated and then taken by helicopter from the aid station back to a hospital in Baghdad. Their Purple Hearts being pinned to their blankets. Is this normal practice? I assume that the wounded are awarded their Purple Hearts whilst in hospital? To that end are they awarded unnamed at first then later on reissued with named ones? Or are they issued unnamed and privately named later? I further assume that awards made to fatalities are issued named?

Which brings me onto gallantry awards, are these issued unnamed (off the shelf as it were), and privately named later, as I've hear stories are guys being issued medals in the field. I would assume these would be issued unnamed? Would they be reissued with a named one at the end of the tour for example? I assume that fatalities have theirs issued named to their next of kin?

Finally I assume that the off the shelf awards are the same as those that can be bought for a few dollars off Ebay? That being said, should someone be awarded a medal unnamed off the shelf could they not just then procure a numbered example and either wear that unnamed or indeed have that privately named to themselves?

One last thing, is there a way of telling officially named medals, are they all done by the same process, like British awards are?

Can anyone suggest a dealer who sells numbered Silver Stars, I've scoured the net & Ebay but can't seem to find any for sale?

Came across this, it would appear with they MOD continued to issue gold sovereigns during the second Gulf war..

The sovereign in the picture is a 2003 example.

http://news.coinupdate.com/longest-british-reign-observed-on-new-collection-of-coins/

Longest British Reign Observed on New Collection of Coins.

Can you let us know when your books out? As I for one would very much like to buy a copy.

It was a few years back that I was researching him. If memory serves me well, there was nothing in the local paper (Kingston Upon Thames) about it. My next enquiry was to confirm where his ship was at the time of the incident, which again I think was Scotland. But I never got round to looking into it further.....perhaps one day.

What a very interesting story. Of particular interest to me is "Coderre was sentenced to death in civilian court, however this sentence was later commuted to a term of imprisonment when Coderre was judged to be insane." I have a sole entitlement BWM to a sailor who was murdered by one of his shipmates. The offender was drunk at the time, I have often wondered whether he was hanged or not.

His service papers state

NL26119/17 Report of the C of E held 14^th May 17 as to the death of this man from a fatal blow struck by F H Hayes AB L**** who was drunk at the time.
 

Duly noted, many thanks!!!

Many thanks for your very interesting reply Linden!!