Farkas

On 04/09/2023 at 00:15, WJT said:

I came across this plaque many years ago from Italy. It was said to be found in a shipyard that had scrapped AH submarines after WW1. It was also said that the plaque was removed from an AH conning tower. Stories are always good but history is better. Might anyone know about a plaque like this. it is 10 inches tall, very heavy metal. Thanks if you can

Regards

Bill

 

Lovely thing Bill,

the details on the front are so crisp.

Just checking- is it in one piece?

Have you tried to decipher the marking on the back? Could be a date or something more helpful..,

tony 🍻

On 03/09/2023 at 14:48, gjw said:

Hey all, just thought I'd post my DDR Medal collection....got more coming!

 

Best Regards 

 

Greg

 

 

Lovely work Greg!!

On 03/09/2023 at 01:20, Farkas said:

Also i found a few examples of 4 lug badges, some old, some new & some cast and surely some not original but it would seem to me there is the likelihood of genuine 4 lug badges.

After further review- i no longer think the four lugs examples i found are original pre 1958 style. The details in the fingers vary slightly on each design. Of my examples are some possibly fake or from the short period they used Anodised Aluminium (58-61ish) before their amalgamation, and others that are genuine later Royal Highlanders badges.

I thought that i had found another Seaforth Highlanders badge in my box,

but... it had four lugs which seemed too much of a coincidence given the subject

So that is what led me look further & soon i worked out mine and the others are in fact part of the later Royal Highlanders badge. 👇

—-///-/

On 29/08/2023 at 13:06, Watchdog said:

As I say, I can find no reference whatsoever to the Seaforths having a different pattern cap badge for pipers but I am aware of "folklore" that suggests a variant of the standard badge exists with four lugs rather than three or the later two.

Finding 1 out of 2 isn't bad 😊

but shame I didn’t find the four lug badge of folklore fame!

In my opinion anyone that said they found one (the chances are...) didn’t, though of course it’s possible.

The original officer version, though almost identical to OR’s, was visibly in two pieces. That leaves the newer post 1961 badges like mine, that have 4 lugs as the most likely true identity...

 🤷‍♂️ who knows for sure though eh... not me!

But Its been fun looking, Ive identified my badges and learnt a bit which is the point. 😊. 

Cheers 

tony. 🍻

On 03/09/2023 at 05:11, Graf said:

Nice work Tony

Cheers Graf 🍻

—-//—

Well, here is the badge of mine i was thinking of... 

Two piece construction.

it’s 50mm top to bottom.

its 35mm side to side.

The pipers badge is based on 👇 which is the ‘Guidich An Righ’ clan badge for ‘Mckenzies of Seaforth’.

I don’t know if mine is the correct badge as it has a pin back not lugs as i would normally expect.

However the design is the same variation of the ‘Guidich An Righ’ as that shown on the chart, ☝️, with the stags head lower and overlapping the border...

Cheers 

tony 🍻

On 24/11/2022 at 14:14, AleksiL said:

I recently acquired these Finnish ribbon bars, and i have been trying to Find out the provenance, i have stumbled upon 3 jaegercolonels who might be the original owners. Ragnar Wahlbeck, Håkan Wahren, Aksel Vuokko.

 

I need help on this!

 

 

Thank you!

I can’t help but i like them 👍👍

On 29/08/2023 at 13:06, Watchdog said:

Thanks Tony,

 

Yes you are correct about the glengarry being the plain so called "Cameron pattern".

 

As I say, I can find no reference whatsoever to the Seaforths having a different pattern cap badge for pipers but I am aware of "folklore" that suggests a variant of the standard badge exists with four lugs rather than three or the later two.

 

I appreciate the input.

 

Regards

 

Mark

I had to have another look for badges with 4 lugs... my photo album 👇

then i found this 👇 

So there is a specific pipers badge.

——-//—

Also i found a few examples of 4 lug badges, some old, some new & some cast and surely some not original but it would seem to me there is the likelihood of genuine 4 lug badges.

A few examples...

Cheers

tony

PS the weird thing is I think i might have one of the 1900-58 badges 🤷‍♂️ I’ll have a rummage this week...

7 hours ago, VC89 said:

Nice group and for a nice price too.

 

But only the first one is an official decoration from Belgium (Military Decoration 2nd class, given to non-officers for long service in the army). It's the version from the reign of King Albert I and presumably awarded after 1919 till some time after Albert's dead in 1934.

 

Second one is a non-official belgian medal for the occupation of the Rhine/Belgian Forces in Germany (FBA-BSD), see this topic for more info: 

 

 

3rd one is a Polish one (Can't remember which one but the RP on the medallion is typical for Polish medals)
 

Last 2 looks Belgian non-official medals. I've seen the 4th somewhere but can't remember where.

 

Overall: not a bad buy for only £20

 

Kind Regads,

Vincent

Thanks for the information Vincent 🍻

&

Yes! 👇

Cheers

tony

Hi Gents,

i only spotted these fellas just as the auction was ending, got them for £17 + £3 postage.

I didn’t have time to look into them but i hope for £20 it was worth a punt.

5 miniatures with ribbon...

Numbers 3 & 4 caught my eye the most.

I’ll post some pics when i get them but in the meantime... any information or observations are most welcome and appreciated Gents.

cheers

tony 🍻

On 21/08/2023 at 14:23, Martin 0024 said:

Thanks Tony,

 

I have looked through various books on the matter of post war British Military badges, and, in fact, I wore the star as a qualified B3, B2, B1 driver myself in the 90s. I never saw an encircled drivers badge, but I have read about one. My memory fails me as to where I read it, but it was discontinued shortly after introduction. Why, I cannot remember and so I am vexed by this oddity!

 

Even the various posters that were once rather popular do not give a hint as to what it could be. As you also say, wearing badges is and was strictly controlled, back then even more so, so it has to be an official period qualification badge. Frustrating.

I don’t suppose it was a combination of trades?  I had wondered if this was a drivers patch over a carpenters wheel patch. 

The more I look at it though, the circle looks irregular and more like a wreath?

As you say - Frustrating!

tony🍻

On 13/08/2023 at 02:20, fieldgear said:

Hi Team - thanks to the 30 or so people that have viewed this so far. If no-one has the actual tripod and circle, has anyone got period publications, pamphlets etc that might give some clue? Thank you!

It a great looking thing 👍👍

It seems he wrote a manual…

tony🍻

On 10/08/2023 at 02:07, TracA said:

Here we have a Taisho Enthronement Commemorative Medal. I believe that this medal is somewhat or fairly common. The simple description, per Peterson 3rd edition p. 56 and Rich Catalano’s The Imperial Ordinances for War and Commemorative Medals of Japan and Manchukuo (4th edition) p. 54, is as follows:

 

The medal is 30mm in diameter, of silver color. The ribbon is 37mm of watered silk, a white background with a 12mm red stripe down the center and a 2mm red stripe 3mm from each edge. Peterson p. 56 states that “[i]t was designed from the drapes of the outdoor pavilion used in the Ceremonies.” The obverse design has a gilt Imperial chrysanthemum crest, attached as a separate piece, crossed branches of cherry and tachibana blossoms, two long Imperial banners, five fish above a water jug/vase at the top of each banner, and in the background two crossed staffs (?) [neither Peterson nor Catalano note the fish, water jug/vase, or staffs]. Reverse design: inscription only. Obverse inscription: under the water jug/vase on each banner are the kanji 萬歳 for “Banzai”. Reverse inscription: 12 kanji in four rows of two, three, four, and three (from right to left): 禮大  章念記  年四正大  月一十 for “Enthronement Commemorative Medal Taisho 4 [1915] November”. The simple box is made of wood with a gilt inscription on the lid: 大禮記念章 for “Enthronement Commemorative Medal”. The medalbed is recessed and of blue color.

 

I have no idea if Catalano translated the entire Imperial Ordinance establishing this medal. If he did, then there is no mention of the fish, water jug/vase, or staffs.

 

Some questions:

• Could it be that the five fish are meant to represent koi?
• What could be the meaning of the water jug/vase, if there is any?
• Meaning of the staffs, if any?
• If the fish water jug/vase, and staffs were not specified in the Imperial Ordinance, then I wonder how and why the designer of the medal came to include them.

I find it to be an aesthetically pleasing medal. A bonus for me: my medal box came with a handwritten inscription on the bottom.

 

All the best,

 

Tracy

 

Obverse:

 

 

Close-up of the fish and water jug/vase:

 

 

Reverse:

 

 

Box lid:

 

 

Inscription on the bottom of the box: right column is 大正五年三月六日 for “Taisho 5 [1916], March 6”. Left column is 陸軍少尉豊田徳市 for “Army Second Lieutenant Toyoda Tokuichi”

 

Hello both,

a great description of a lively medal, 👍

it made me find mine, the swivel bar is a bit bent and the ribbon is a bit torn…. but that’s the way I like them 😊

If I may, here’s a couple of pictures

I’d never thought about it’s originality 🤷‍♂️  (to me) it has great detail, then I saw the fish on yours! Yours have crystal clear tails and my fish have no tails at all! 

Pictures may not show it but they are very blobby, I hope you’ll tell me it’s just wear but either way, compared to the the first ones detail? it was lovely seeing it like that.
 

best wishes

tony 🍻

ps

I don’t know their history together before me, but they came from Japan together and live together now so seemed rude to leave his friend out.

👍

On 05/08/2023 at 18:28, Watchdog said:

Looking for a new project I settled upon the often distinctive cap badges worn by pipers in many regiments and realised I had a gap in my knowledge.

 

Pipers in many units have traditionally worn either an officers pattern or totally distinct cap badge. I have quite a few examples in my collection but now realise that I am not sure whether the Seaforths were one unit that bucked the trend and their pipers wore a standard pattern badge.

Does anyone here know the answer and if so is able to show an example of what was worn if not the standard badge together with any corroborative evidence?

 

Please help, it's driving me nuts!

 

Regards

 

Mark

Hi Mark,

as you have chosen this challenging subject, you will know the regs for a Scottish pipers glengarry ( so correct me if I’m wrong 😊 ), they were ‘plain not diced’…

So this picture of/with Seaforths shows one with a plain glengarry, a piper,  his cap badge looks to me like the regular OR pattern and the same as some of the others worn in the photo.

Also I have a cap badge book and that lists no separate piper badge either…

Hope this helps 👍

cheers 

tony 🍻

On 05/08/2023 at 16:58, robbo159 said:

Could you please inform me if in 1955 in Egypt doing national service would they have been issued a patch to say that they had served. My dad was in the middle east land forces 

Hi Robbie,

i haven’t heard of anything like that.

Various regulation patches would have been issued and worn on uniforms while in service but not one issued after for ‘commemorative purposes’ as such.

Ard you asking about a patch you have?

or curious/wanting to learn of one?

tony 🍻

* There is a National Service Medal now available that he would be entitled to.

On 15/08/2023 at 16:25, Martin 0024 said:

Hello all, new here and diving in with the first question...

 

The driver of the FLT is a Ordnance Corps Cpl under command of HQ Land. He is a driver qualified tradesman, but the badge, the star for driver trade, is within a circle. None of the literature I have at hand identifies this badge and I assume he is an Instructor MT. Has anyone seen this and can offer positive ID please.

Hi Martin,

welcome to the club 🍻

Good question… the usual design I’d expect is the more simple star like this 👇 

The book the picture is taken from states ‘Drivers badges were all replaced by a star in 1950’ and has no mention of the ‘encircled star’ design in your picture.
A separate ‘QI’ instructor patch would be worn on the left forearm if applicable.

There are an abundance of little star patches used by various militaries…

so I suppose it is possible this isn’t a British issued patch. I don’t think the 🇬🇧 army has ever been that ‘flexible’ with dress regs, but maybe it was a stop gap 🤷‍♂️

I’ll have another look though before I give up…& maybe, as so often happens, in time another Gent will have the answer.

Let us know if you have any luck yourself 🤞

cheers

tony

Hi Gents,

Why didn’t I just leave it at that…🤷‍♂️
 

I couldn’t though.

On the rim of a thin KTK a simplified makers mark is understandable but there is plenty of space on Grahams wound medal for Grossmans usual mark.

I’ve been looking for others so I kept looking for GW and I found one.

In theory, it has to be him.

The GW is his makers mark.

Unless the business had ceased trading by 1916 and it was up for grabs?

I can’t get any results for him or his business on Google, even with ‘Wilde’ and ‘Wildt’.  I guess there are some in German but it just isn’t matching me with them.

Any thoughts Gents?

tony 🍻

Hi Gents,

tony 🍻

12 hours ago, 1812 Overture said:

This demon needed 4600 yuan to purchase at that time

How much of that is paint tho?? 👀

Whats the story 1812? 🍻

Hi Gents

The GW is identified as

Grossman Wien.

There is still an MKT to try and find…🤞

tony 🍻

Well Gents,

I’ve looked into this for ages now…

there is no recognised maker known to use GW. There are a few German makers including Wellner who it could match, after all KTK were made for veterans in the 30’s and GW could be one of them but there is one reference claiming to identify it.

I still wouldn’t bet the mortgage on this because it was/is only one reference in a ‘for sale’ ad, however it is an Austrian maker and who am I to discount it.

On 06/08/2023 at 12:55, graham said:

I have a GW 18 on an A-H wound medal:

 

Graham, thanks for this 👆, it was the 18 that led me to it, it was also a wound medal, apparently marked GW&18 and representing Grossman, Vienna.

Though other Grossman marks exist and no records of this one does…

I’m going with Grossman.

cheers

tony 

On 06/08/2023 at 23:32, Graf said:

  Thank you

I am like you I pick up on the way some interesting objects That is part of the collecting

Absolutely,

I’ve got a sentimental inclination, which is why (luckily for my wallet) I happy with the small items.

Examples...

When I bought this little shaving kit i just fancied it. Embossed initials JAT.

When it arrived it unexpectedly had the badge with it and when i enquired i was then told it had belonged to a WW2 RAF Pilot, who knows eh but maybe?

Of note, some of the razor blades are American.

—-///——

Cheers

tony 🍻

Hi Gents,

i knew i had one medal tucked away somewhere...

i have a note with it just saying ‘veteran organisation medal’, it’s nice to see from the previous posts that this had more significance, won not awarded, and gave its recipient a proud smile no doubt.

Now i just have to go through my pin badges with a new eye too.

cheers

tony 🍻

Hi Gents,

Photobomber top right ☝️

tony 🍻

On 30/07/2023 at 13:18, 1812 Overture said:

On the Chinese trading website, I once saw a Carr's Legion Cross made of gold with a wreath around the cross.. But it's very expensive, it's already on sale now

Any chance you saved a picture 1812 ?

tony 🍻

12 hours ago, Igor Ostapenko said:

It’s can to be Austrian hallmark ? 
( may be Italian ?) 

 

THANK YOU ! 

Hi Igor,

I can’t really see too well but looks like a pattern in a single diamond shaped stamp, i’d expect more for a hallmark, possibly this is only the jewellers makers mark? I know the French were keen on diamond shaped ones but that’s all I can say without a better look…

if you can post a better angle of it that would be 👍 & What medal is it Igor? 
 

cheers

tony