Claudio

A selection of fine Russian Imperial uniforms...

Finns served, like Mannerheim, in the Russian Imperial Army, since before 1918 Finland was a Russian province (Grand-Duchy)... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Finland

Finnish major, Cavalry, early uniform type...

Order of the German Eagle, 1933-45

Finnish army, Waffen-SS, US-Army (paratrooper), last rank (postumously) major! Respect...

A whole group of decorations and documents of a Finnish Officer who served in two wars in the Finnish army (Winter War 1940 + Continuation War 1941-44) and later served as officer in elite troop with the US Army in Vietnam... missing in action! What a story... and what a great soldier!

SS-Untersturmführer Original uniform... Nordland!

Finnish SS Nordland Standarte!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_SS_Volunteer_Panzergrenadier_Division_Nordland

Another beautiful complete Finnish General uniform...

More beautiful decorations... I love the style and quality of Finnish orders and decorations. They really put a lot of thinking and new design ideas... not like today's Germany "bravery" crosses... for example! BTW Finns and some Baltic states adopted the svastica as their symbol well before the Nazi Party in Germany... very likely AH copied from them, apart from the fact that it's a thousand years old symbol...

Decorations belonging to a Finnish General...

Early style Finnish uniform of named and well decorated General...

A nice picture of the Standarte of the Finnish Jäger... I love this flag! Finnish soldiers have been trained by the Germans in WWI... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Jäger_troops

Brothers in arm: Generaloberst Eduard Dietl and Fieldmarschal Mannerheim... very nice big picture!

Dear forumites, I'd like to show you some interesting pictures of a great miitary museum in Finland: http://www.mpkk.fi/en/museum/. It's very nice to see so much dedication to keep up the history of their own military forces and the struggle against Russian (Zarist and later Communist) imperialism. First image... me in front of the museum... a Finnish Stug with Hakenkreuz! Claudio

Hi Rick! He could have been over-dressed, but many medals on this bar he really deserved to wear, since he participated most of the campaigns. Let's try to identify this court mounted medal bar... 1st attempt... you're more than welcome to fill in the blanks!! 1. Sweden, Order of the Sword, Knight 2. Finland, Order of the White Rose of Finland, Knight’s Cross 2nd class 3. Finland, Civil Guard’s Iron Cross of Merit 4. British Empire, Cape of Good Hope GSM, 1880-97, 1 clasp, Bechuanaland 5. British Empire, Queen's South Africa Medal, 1899-1902 (1899), 4 clasps Wittebergen ???, Natal, Wepener ???, Cape Colony 6. British Empire, King's South Africa Medal, 1901-02 (1902), 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 7. British Empire, Zulu Rising Medal, 1906 (1907) clasp ? 8. British Empire, 1914/1914-15 Star 9. British Empire, British War Medal, 1914-20 10. British Empire, Victory Medal, 1914-18 11. France, Victory Medal, 1914-18 (could also be the Belgian Victory Medal) 12. Russia, Order of Saint Anne, 3rd class (?) 13. Russia, Order of Saint Vladimir, 3rd class (?) 14. Russia, Order of Saint Stanislaus, 3rd class (?) 15. Finland, Swedish Brigade Medal 1918 16. ??? 17. ??? Good luck with the remaining medals... (just two...). Ciao, Claudio

Hi James, I am pretty convinced that the two last enamelled decoration must be some kind of Mexican or Chinese decorations. I tried to make a search on internet but I couldn't find anything. Maybe our collecting friends from Mexico or Asia can help us with this. Ciao, Claudio

Hi Vinland30, The medal bar is not mine... I just took a picture at the Swedish Army museum in Stockholm: since the complete uniform and the medal bar of this officer is there on a temporary exposition, I guess the group probably came just on loan from the family or from a private collector. Ciao, Claudio

Thanks for your explication and translation! ;)

The badge at the button's hole looks like a Roman Empire kind of eagle... Here's a better picture of it. Ciao, Claudio

Dear colleague! Thanks for your kind reply. I already thought that he might have been a cadet of a Zarist military accademy. I'll try to make some close ups of the cross, but it might be difficult. Can you read and translate to me what is on the reverse of the picture? Many thanks in advance. Ciao, Claudio

Hi Rick! Interestingly enough Mr. Thord-Gray never served in the Swedish army... Ciao, Claudio

Dear forumites, My brother found this picture in Switzerland. He thinks it might be an Hungarian soldier... I rather think, looking at the collar insignia, that it should be Russian pre-1917. There's also something written by hand on the reverse of the picture that looks like Cyrillic alphabet; it would be really great if somebody could translate it for me. Any valuable inputs or comment on this picture are really very appreciated! Many thanks in advance!!! Ciao, Claudio

No, I don't think, but maybe he got the Finnish order because he fought the reds in 1919. Finland got the indipendence during the same period... Ciao, Claudio

Hi everybody! I found him! Ivor Thord-Gray (April 17, 1878 - August 18, 1964) was a Swedish adventurer and soldier. He had quite a very exciting and eventful long life... very well traveled guy! Wow... he's been everywhere: in Africa serving as prisoner guard then in the Militia after with mounted police, in the far east (also Philippines), served in the Chinese revolution, joined the Mexican revolution, fought for the British Army in WWI on the Western front and after with the Russian "white" army against the "reds", later immigrated to USA and became US citizen. The Swedish article on Wikipedia mention that he was for a little period also with the French Foreign Legion in 1909 in Tonkin (China)... http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29973 1897-1901 (not 1895) Cape Mounted Rifles Artillery (Pte) 1902-1903 South African Constabulary (Cpl) 1903-1905 Voluntary unit Transvaal/1907 Northern Mounted Rifles/ (Cpt 1904) 1906 Royston´s Horse (Lt not 1901 but 1906 - Cpt 1906) 1913 CO Pancho Villas Artillery (1st Capt) 1914 COS 1st Mexican Army (Col) 1914 2/C 5th Northumberland Fusiliers in UK (Maj) 1915 CO 13th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers training in France (Maj) 1915-16 CO 11th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers in France (LtCol) 1916-17 CO 1/25th and 2/25th (Overseas) Bns London Regt (LtCol) 1917 Bde Cdr "Theodore Roosevelt" Div. Dissolved 1917 in when President Woodrow Wilson didn´t back up the project. 1918 Canadian Expeditionary Force to Russia (LtCol) 1919 1st Siberian Assault Division (MjGen) 1935 COS to the Governor of Florida USA (MjGen) 1960 Fil Dr (PhD) Uppsala University, Sweden Incredible!!! Such groups are really unique! He's even mentioned in 3 article and different languages on Wikipedia (English, Spanish and Swedish!): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Thord-Gray in English http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Thord-Gray in Swedish http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29973 Ciao, Claudio