Rich

Thanks for that information and clarification, Bill; much appreciated. I can only then assume his other medals were never mounted - if issued.

The officer is wearing a Colonial Medal with one bar for overseas campaign service. Most likely for Morocco during this time period.

I have just received the service papers for FARMER from the archives. Very impressive results; took a long time but free and worth the wait. It shows he re-enlisted several times. He was additionally entitled to the WW2 Victory Medal (obviously), the Navy Occupation Medal with Asia bar, the China Service Medal (was aboard the USS Besugo, which patrolled off the Chinese Hainan Island during the Korean War) and the National Defense Medal. Plus a Combat Action Ribbon (retro award) and Submarine Combat Badge with one star. Is it possible he never bothered to get these awards mounted and just kept his 'top five' to wear? Could he have got through 6 more years including the odd parade without getting them added to his rack? Otherwise one would assume he'd have had to get them remounted in one row of 3 and a bottom row of 5? Also, if anyone has a period mounted bar with the above four medals mounted on them I'd be very interested in them, to complete his entitlement. Thanks Richard

Thank you for posting this interesting website. Much appreciated. Very interesting if they have a blue ribbon for rescuing animals and red for (presumably) rescuing people. Does anyone know if there is any list of recipients and the reasons behind their awards?

Hello all Is it possible to research (ideally online) awards of the SOCIÉTÉ ROYALE ET CENTRALE DES SAUVETEURS DE BELGIQUE? Thanks very much Richard

Interesting document, thank you for posting it.

Thought I'd share this interesting lot. A "Mort Pour La France" casualty award of the Medaille Militaire and Cross of Military Valour awarded to a paratrooper of 3rd Company 9th Chasseurs Parachutistes who was killed in action on 29 April 1958 at Souk Ahras, on the Djebel El Mouadjene massif. It seems the 3rd Company, under a Captain Beaumont, were landed by helicopter and were surrounded and had to fight a very intense action during the afternoon and early evening against overwhelming numbers of Algerian rebels/freedom fighters crossing into Algeria from Tunisia. The Company lost 27 killed and 28 wounded during the course of approximately 3-hour long engagement; the battalion itself lost a total of 33 dead and 68 wounded during the engagement. Seems to have been quite a famous action. It is told here, in French: https://www.algerie360.com/bataille-de-souk-ahras-il-y-a-58-ans-tombaient-au-champ-dhonneur-639-martyrs/ Richard Some research.

Hello all I have this rather lovely St Helena document named to a Corporal of the 12e Legere regiment. When I did a search for his muster book entry he came up as being in the 44e infantry 1810- 28 March 1812. The details for this man in the muster book match up with same date of birth and notes his promotion to corporal on 16 June 1812. Indeed, it seems to have been a unique name (or unique in those that have been scanned so far). The muster books also show he was made a prisoner of war by the Russians on 27 November 1812. Now this poses a few questions that I'd be grateful if someone could help me with. 1) What determined the unit put onto the diploma - was there a policy such as first unit, last unit etc? 2) Would he have another muster book entry for his service with the 12e Legere (I assume these were Voligeurs?), or any other service records? 3) I cannot find a trace of the 12e Legere having been at the fight on the river crossing in Russia where the chap was noted as having been captured. The 44e infantry were a part of the Grande Armee, but it shows him as having left that unit in the March. 4) Can anyone work out what the writing in the third column of the muster sheet states? Photos attached. Thanks very much Richard

Hi Hucks Thanks very much for the information about Thurau and his unit and also for checking the German database. I am assuming they were pretty much being used as infantry for much of this period. Would you have any idea what 158 were doing specifically around the time he won his EK2? They were very much an 'example of' rather than a collecting theme. I always work under the assumption that unnamed awards with paperwork have probably been paired up after so many years, at some point along the line. I'm not a Third Reich militaria expert - although I have a working knowledge and have handled plenty of German stuff over the years - but I am aware of the huge issues with very good fakes on the market, so as long as all are original items I'm happy enough. I am assuming there is probably a wound badge certificate at a minimum out there too (assuming he'd sent these award documents home for safekeeping). Interesting to see that both qualified for/received the Ostmedaille within days of each other. Thanks Richard

Hi Tony - thanks for taking time to look. Very kind of you. Yes, I think it might be job when I am on leave!

Hi Hendrik Thanks again for your advice; yes, I feel it might take a bit of digging to find the man out of the many. I will have to spend time looking at the Matricule Registers! Cheers Richard

Hi Hendrik Thank you for replying and also for the war diary. That's an amazing find. He has a common surname, similar to 'Wood' in English, so there are many of them!. Here is a photo of the diploma and medals. I only have the photo the vendor listed: Paid less than 20 euros so I cannot complain. It has the original two medals; I assume he also qualified for the later Croix du Combatant. Best, Richard

Hello all I have just purchased a commemorative diploma and two medals to a WW1 soldier, Emile BOUSQUET of the 63rd Chasseurs Alpines. No middle name(s) or region is shown on the diploma. When I went onto the GrandMemorial I found 190 entries, some of which link to regional websites where i would once again have to put in all his details. I also looked on Family Search, Geneat (guest privileges, not a subscriber) and Ancestry (worldwide) but without much more success. https://www.culture.fr/Grand-Memorial/Resultats-de-recherche?grand_memorial_search[lastname]=bousquet&grand_memorial_search[exactLastname]=1&grand_memorial_search[firstname]=emile&grand_memorial_search[exactFirstname]=1&grand_memorial_search[townAll]=&grand_memorial_search[startYearAll]=&grand_memorial_search[endYearAll]=&grand_memorial_search[townBirth]=&grand_memorial_search[startYearBirth]=&grand_memorial_search[endYearBirth]=&grand_memorial_search[townRecruitment]=&grand_memorial_search[startYearRecruitment]=&grand_memorial_search[endYearRecruitment]=&grand_memorial_search[townResidence]=&grand_memorial_search[townDeath]=&grand_memorial_search[startYearDeath]=&grand_memorial_search[endYearDeath]=&grand_memorial_search[documentType][]=registre+matricule Is there a simple way to search for him by his regiment, as there is on the British equivalent? Or do I have to go through them all, hoping to find him? Thanks very much Richard

Andy, that is excellent detective work and very kind of you to take the time to look. I had not thought of that. It could well be she (re)married the surviving Mr Motschmann and hence the Cross was in her new married name It is such a pity that the certificates did not bear the name of the person in whose name they were awarded. Best regards Richard

I should imagine that would require looking at the original decree surrounding the award, in order to be certain. Is that available in the public domain? In the case of the British and Commonwealth, for example, soldiers who died of war-related injuries in the years immediately after the war were treated as military deaths and received the usual plaque and scroll in addition to the campaign medals.