Farkas

Hi Gents,

Since moving from a house to a flat in 2021 most of my stuff has stayed boxed up. I’ve just started opening some up.
 

Already it’s raised the question…

”Can you have too many KTK?”

🤔

Obviously the answer is

“NO, don’t be stupid.”

Here are mine 👇 (so far)

stashed away again for now


with a few more floating around

There are some amazing threads already on GMIC about these hard earned little beauties so I don’t expect to add anything new on this one but over time I intend to post pics of each.

I’ll be concentrating on the makers marks.

Maybe we’ll spot something interesting. 🤞

cheers

tony

🍻

On 02/12/2022 at 08:10, chechaco1 said:

Such a cool photo, lots to see.,.

Just seen this interesting piece of history you’ve got there…

I’d agree the item displayed in the old photo looks the same as yours, I can see numerous bits of detail that, pattern wise, match each other.

The main logo, the lined border, the bold writing in the top half and that in the bottom half as well as the area lower right where the signature is.

There is also nothing I can see to be visible on the group photo certificate that does not match details on yours.

A real bonus to have found that period photo. Congrats.

tony 🍻

On 06/07/2023 at 02:05, Terry37 said:

Hi Peter, I was not exactly aware of the changes, but do have some tabs for both titles. I would not think any regiment would like giving up their heritage, but beauracrates don't seem much concerend about that!

 

I am not aware of there being Canadian VADS, but would sure be interested to know and what badges they would have worn, as I am a big Vad collector. Do you know?

Lovely stuff Terry.

Congrats.

tony. 🍻

On 27/06/2023 at 20:39, Asil76 said:

Hi,

Any help at all to identify the title of this soldier, I can’t see a rank on his uniform, so I’m assuming he was private. Not sure the scan has helped in trying to find out about this young man.

 

Thanks for any help you may be able to give.

I just received this today 👇 so I’m in the mood for this !

First , my guess is 

“From Cecil to Margaret”

For the unit on the title?..

I’m gonna narrow it down a bit...

It’s not :

cavalry - straight bars

its not :

yeomanry - had a Y

territorial or volunteers.  had a T or V

Artillery & Engineers - had more than one row or were straight & small

Its not 4 letters or less

eg RAMC, KSLI or KRR

Very unlikely 5 letters but possible.

I think its 6 or 8 letters and most likely a regiment with format such as...

E Surrey

N Lancs

or 

N Stafford

Of course, i may be totally wrong 👍

tony🍻

On 10/06/2023 at 22:53, godefroy said:

Its "GAS"

Nice one 👍

On 29/04/2023 at 14:03, Carlo said:

After some research I found an excerpt from the catalog of Johann Menner from 1903 where this medal cost from 5 to 7 crowns.
While in the 1910 Heinrich Ulbricht's Widow catalog the same medal costs 3 crowns, the same price as in the Schneider Brothers catalog of the same year. Instead in the catalog of H.Schall & Son of 1908 it is 3.70 crowns.

 

Based on these prices (all referring to medals without ribbon) I believe that this box can be dated to around the early 1900s. What do you think?? Could be??

I missed your reply til now 🤷‍♂️

The pattern does seem to put yours in that first few years of the 1900’s...

The dual Monarchy had just introduced notes linked to / backed by gold. The new gold standard was popular and from what i can see AH did not suffer inflation until the war... but maybe the economy could have impacted prices?

tony

PS sadly my kaiser is without his crown...

Nice selection 👍

this thread might have what you need 👇

its in this section on next page 

tony 🍻

Hmmm...

i thought i’d nailed it but seems not yet.

There was among many others a Worcestershire Artillery Volunteers , totally separate from the Yeomanry, they would have been in the Royal Garrison Artillery in the late 1800’s. The RGA V was not a mounted unit. Though I’ve just learned some (eg drivers) dressed as mounted, I don’t think it would have been of this rifles style. As you say, the volunteers had white metal buttons etc.

There was an Artillery section amongst the Worcestershire Yeomanry as early as 1838.

However I believe there were rifle and artillery in other Yeomanry units so that doesn’t prove anything yet.

I’m still pinning my hopes on the Worcestershire link because of that collar and crown but now the Artillery buttons do raise questions...

The photos i fancied seeing were...

the lining

Inside/back of the collar 

the epaulettes

any tailors label

I still do 😊 but now it’s all about the buttons. Are they Queen Victoria Crowns, I assumed they were but maybe not? Can you somehow get pics of the buttons backs for me pls, we might get a date for them (at least) from that.

Selfishly I’m almost hoping the buttons are post 1922. 👇

Last but not least, often an officers kit has a name label tucked away in a pocket 🤞

tony 🍻

zzz

Hi Dante,

it’s been possible to narrow it down a bit, maybe a bit more research for it to be confirmed… I may have missed others.

First, I think it be looks great from what i can see. The plain collar threw me at first, the collar style didn’t match the cuffs as I expected. The Lacey arm cuff usually have a gold laced collar. However I’m used to seeing patrol jackets not coats. 

The Hussars have loops, the Rifles wear loops too and I now know so did lancers, yeomanry & others in the past

(maybe some still?).

The Rifles often have red on their collars.

My first thought was rifles.

The Army changed their rank method more than once…

collar and cuff lace 1855-1880

shoulder and cuff lace 1882-1902

Various shoulder and cuffs from 1902 

The sleeve - The lace on this one is that of a Captain.

The collar- a rank crown on the collar was used by higher ranks and, to the best of my knowledge, used for a Lieutenant on collars from 1855 up until1880 but has not been used for ranking Captain.

The collar with red piping is not common.

I only found 2 or maybe 3.

The Natal Hussars

The 1st Surrey Rifles (possible match)

The Worcestershire Yeomanry.

(Later : The Queens Own Worcestershire Hussars)

The Worcestershire Yeomanry not only used this style of frock, they used this collar and I just found out they also used a ‘Crown’ as their regimental insignia on uniforms. Having already settled on the Worcestershires, then finding out this…That clinched it for me.
In my opinion- The crown on the collar is not a rank one but their regimental one.

My best guess…
I think this frock coat would have belonged to a Captain of the Worcestershire Yeomanry and it dates between 1871-1892.

tony 🍻

PS.

Are you are lucky enough to be the owner of this?

If so, can we see more pictures please!

On 11/06/2023 at 21:45, preemxx said:

I am very sorry for the long absence, unfortunately I did not find anything else at home, thank you very much for your time and help, but if I find any things from my great-grandfather, I will post them here

You are honouring the memory and service of your family, no one else will.

There is no rush preemxx, don’t lose interest or hope, we won’t!

 🍻 tony 

———//

Hi Gents,

I had another look for him tonight.
There are a lot of matches for his name on this site 👇

Preemxx, try to take a look at the list on the site, perhaps you’ll be able to find one with names of children/relatives that you recognise as family 👍

On 22/05/2023 at 10:05, preemxx said:

His name was Stanisław Szczepaniak Krupowski, if i remember correctly, he was born in 1899, maybe it will help.

I'll try to find more photos and data when I'll return home

I may be wrong but I’m tempted to say on his service record he is known as ‘Stanisław Szczepaniak’…

Turns out that Krupowski/a is an area in Zakopane, it seems to have often been adopted as an additional name but then not used consistently in some other cases I’ve been seeing.

The two cards addressed to ‘Stara Polana 15a’ use it but the other does not. Possibly it was of use locally but not when elsewhere, also possibly they are addressed to his father or someone other than him?

———//

This 1917 card is surely taken during/after training as a new recruit, I doubt the uniform is even his…

This great photo with his unit shows him in a more basic uniform.

He noticeably still lacks any medals at this point 👇

This equally great photo 👇 from 1918 shows a different environment and he is in a prominent position this time…

He is ‘front & centre’ with the officers…

That’s it for now…
It’s 5.58am & ZZzz time now.

tony 🍻
 

On 17/06/2023 at 23:56, Graf said:

Nice cards

Thanks Graf 🍻

—————//

Hi Gents

i have been posting cards of a similar style each time, 4 studio shots or 4 postcards etc.

I’ve looked back and though with related cards it makes sense, on other posts they look a bit ‘samey’.

So i think it may be more interesting if I mix it up a bit instead from now on 😊

👉 If you have any requests for the next ones or if you want to see the reverse of anything I post… please ask 👍

Cheers

tony 🍻

Hi Gents,

I bought this because it had a nice ‘bravery medal’ ribbon on it. I didn’t look to close at the medal itself, which was particularly dark. The suspender looks unusually long too.
 

I gave it a little rub tonight and it’s a white metal 🤷‍♂️ I don’t think it’s silver which would normally clean up really easy…

also there is no (A) or other stamp on the rim…

Reverse…

For comparison 👇

I had a couple of white metal examples of bronze British ww2 stars which it was suggested were a tailors sample… maybe this is also.

Any thoughts welcome as always.

tony 🍻

There was a

James McKenzie

Service number 3736

Royal Scot’s Fusiliers. (The 21st foot)

I couldn’t find rank.

Wounded 18 August1855

Received Sebastopol clasp

Couldn’t find more than one (locked) source with this but it must be there…

tony🍻

On 25/02/2023 at 21:26, Rocket said:

Thank you for the kind words. It's good to know he should hopefully receive some kind of recognition for his sacrifice.

 

May I ask I his first name Rocket?

I’d also like to add my condolences and my wish (prayers I guess) that he receives the recognition he deserves without excessive delay. 
 

tony

7 minutes ago, Graf said:

Lovely detail...

tony

On 07/06/2023 at 09:27, Graf said:

Hi Tony Very nice cards

Cheers Graf 🍻

Hi Gents

tony

Hi Gents

i picked this up a little while ago...

It’s a nice looking and solid badge but i have no idea if it’s original or dodgy.., and no idea if it’s a common thing...

I’ve noticed the detailing is not perfect 👇

Any thoughts or information about it appreciated Gents

cheers

tony

Hi Andreas,

not sure if this helps much…

this is the area shown on your map 👇

On your map the lines are sea

The chequered and the smooth areas are land, the two used to highlight the difference between nations/states(?) just as the same borders are highlighted in the map above using different colours.

If you want to date his match case, it’s possible you might find some of the place names used are outdated and that could narrow it down… just possibly 👍

tony 🍻

On 06/02/2023 at 10:49, nickstrenk said:

Finnish Business Association Cross of Merit

I have found it.

I love that ‘found it’ feeling… 👆

I actually posted this under the title ‘Australian militia belt buckles’ and started writing this part 2 but

Abandoned —-/👇

I decided to start cleaning them up yesterday. I googled the motif…

‘NIL DESPERANDUM VICTORIA’

It turns out that ‘Nil Desperandum’ is a place & well used phrase & the ‘Victoria’ in this case is not the Queen but Victoria in Australia.

It’s a militia piece… correct pair below

                 👇👇

At this point , as I’m writing this, I’ve just found a different identification for it 😡 edited the first bit and been reading about Australian Victorian Artillery ever since!!

Need to do more work to finish this… 🤷‍♂️

tony 🍻

—-/:—//

1 hour ago, Graf said:

Nice find Tony Congrats

Cheers Graf,

I’m pretty chuffed with myself even though there is some serious scrubbing to do! 
And a bit more work confirming what’s what.

Thanks as ever for your encouragement 😊

tony 

Hi Gents,

I bought this bunch of buckles pieces  recently…

The listing looked like this 👇

and I thought they were just (possibly failed ) sand castings, a few different designs but unlikely any were original.

Then I saw this picture…

Do you see the error I saw?

(Answer given at the bottom )
This mistake meant not just cast copies but a bit more of a story. So, now I had the excuse,  I took a punt, 40 quid was the price, how could I not…

Apart from this single complete blank one

there are 7 of this type of buckle.👇

There are also 6 of these 👇

& 12 of this design. 👇

A total of 25 needing a tongue to pair with from these 👇 The vendor said these were part of a bigger batch found & are not paired…

This is a variety of tongues

There are 29 in total.

There are 19 of these 👇

There are 3 of these 👇

& 7 of these 👇

So that’s the backstory…

now to the reason for the title….

((Part 2 to follow
I’m scared I’ll delete all this somehow)) 

tony 🍻

(( There is a spelling error on the upper one. DRIOT instead of DROIT.

2 of the 7 have this error.))

Hi Megan,

thanks for your help 🍻

yes I’d say the 8 is indeed that, correctly matches ribbons I have & is with ww2 MID oak leafs & rosettes.

On 09/06/2023 at 13:33, Megan said:

 

A silver maple leaf on its own could be the ribbon bar ornament for the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (WW2), indicating overseas service.

👆that i know I wouldn’t have got myself!

Thanks again,

cheers

tony

Hi Gents

cheers

tony

Hi Gents,

I was looking for some swords to go on medal ribbons and found a job lot I couldn’t resist taking a punt on…

turns out there are quite a few Canadian bits in it, a couple are enamelled and there are some tiny maple leafs in there too…

below are the uniquely Canadian bits, 4 older looking maple leafs, 7 newer looking ones and in the bag still some tiny ones that I’m guessing are for miniature medal ribbons. Also 4 crosses and a bar.

Amongst the multitude of others are leafs, palms, swords, rosettes & more.

Lots of it Brit/commonwealth..

plus some Belgium I only recently would have recognised 😊

So Gents there are two points to my post.

First, as always, any thoughts or comments are welcome…

Second, if you see anything your ribbons are missing, something you need or simply want, let me know 👍👍

cheers

tony