Farkas

I don’t doubt you E, I know better 😊 but how do you know?? It’s wizardry to me 🤷‍♂️. What do you see to differentiate between an acceptable unofficial/private purchase piece and an undesirable one? tony 🍻

Thanks Pete, when I saw there was a reply from you I held my breath… I’m glad they have the thumbs up. That’s something I was pondering over. Below👇 A uniform I have for a Colonel of the RAMC , mess dress (but minus badges and all but the 2 epaulette buttons.) At first he was an officer of the Indian Medical Service, the Colonel would then have become RAMC once promoted to a staff officer (something like that) It seems to date 1910-20’s so he would have been IMS during Victorian era… I tempted to fit it (maybe just the waist coat) with earlier QVC I.M.S. buttons I have.. I’ve managed to assemble quite a nice selection of Indian Medical Service uniforms & pieces. Related set of 2 complete Victorian uniforms with cape, sword belt and crossbelt &pouch A group from 1930’s - a named greatcoat & 3 white mess pieces Also from the 30’s named mess dress tunic. I’ve got buttons. It’s not been so simple trying to source the missing badges but happily it has led me to some nice finds… Cheers Gents tony 🍻

That about sums me up, two of those that I wrote off ‘just because’ right at the beginning 😊 Pete, Thanks for your guidance once again 🍻 cheers tony

Hello Gents, just a little heads up. Ive often looked through the medal rolls etc at the national archives but not paid proper attention to what the page says… I’ve seen the £3.50 charge and assumed that there was a fee whatever. But no, it is FREE & EASILY accessible. To ‘sign up’ you simply give your email address and they then mail you to confirm it. & That’s it 🤷‍♂️ After that it’s free for you to order up to 100 documents per 30 days, they immediately email you a pdf file https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5867164 Wish I’d realised this sooner 😊 cheers Gents tony 🍻

Hi Gents, I bought these 2 the other day, described as RAMC pair. i noticed this was a bit different though Something else I have to read up on now. cheers tony 🍻

Hello Gents, I’m aiming to get pictures of a few bits of some IMS uniforms I have posted on here but I’m still reading up on what’s what for now. Just sussed something… I knew they were, Queen Victoria,King Edward vii and King George V buttons and I didn’t focus on them yet. I thought they were bad quality designs. Queen Victoria , VRi, with a different crown King Edward Vii , ERVii is ‘ER1’ (normal crown) King George V , GRV is ‘GR1’ (different crown) They are in fact correct, each were the ‘first Kings Edward/George of India’… That was new to me. Cheers tony

The books are good for identification but not for pointing the difference between genuine and fake as you pointed out. I see replies on here that demonstrate the need for an experienced eye. I spent hours looking up some German badge posted on here, it looked nothing like any example I found, the quality was poor and I would have bet it was a copy. Someone else luckily chipped in before me… it was genuine, they knew the maker and all the differences were normal 🤷‍♂️. It’s strange because when I look back at the pictures now I think they look terrible 😊 cheers tony 🍻

I can see why you didn’t part with those 3, Fathers own and friends Airborne… priceless pieces. tony 🍻

I’m pretty sure this was claimed to be from the Falklands period, that was what I was after. As long as it’s not any newer I’m happy 😊 tony 🍻

Good to see you back Terry, I was starting to worry 😊 🍻🍻

Thanks ever so much… cheers tony 🍻

Hi Gents, this is on eBay at the moment… it’s got 63 watchers its on £360 / €411 with 4 days left Is it genuine Gents, I would never have thought so because it’s not the ‘best looking thing’…🤷‍♂️ but with so much interest I’m curious. tony 🍻 PS I’m not thinking of buying it 👍

Very interesting, nice one Glenn 🍻

Thanks Graham, 👍👍

Hi Chris, there was a Hong Kong police section called the ‘PTC’ between 1958 & 1968. Then renamed PTU. Police Tactical Contingent. I haven’t checked if they wore shoulder titles but I reckon that’s a likelihood knowing us Brits… tony 🍻

Hello Gents, I’ve got a few pieces of uniform named to different IMS officers, the earliest is Victorian, that lead me to find out a little more but of course I found more questions than answers… So, is anyone out there interested in the IMS? or RAMC in India? cheers tony 🍻

Hi Gents, a friend is considering buying one of these and asked me what I know about it. I said I’d find out but have drawn a blank using Google Can anyone shed a little light on the organisation and possibly the criteria for its award if any other than membership? cheers tony 🍻

I’m the last person you want looking but I had a go, I searched a newspaper database I have access to but had no results using just names nor when I tried with RLC, RA also. Looking for them as civilians, if you are after that information, will probably be successful on ancestry or a similar site but as you may know UK armed forces records for them are not accessible, we still can’t access ww2 records. tony 🍻

Cheers 🍻

Ah , thanks Hendrik 👍 I didn’t realise what it meant, i’m glad for the man Emile but that’s a couple of hours I won’t get back 😁 cheers tony 🍻

Welcome to the forum Richard. This bit of the forum is seen by members only and most probably don’t check in here that often. So it would be worthwhile also posting his details in the British section which can be seen by non members too, that way anyone who may ‘Google’ search his details will be able to see your post now or in the future. You may for now with a bit of luck get some new information from members with access to the war records. It sounds like he has a story to be found which may be as deserving of preservation as his medals. He would have at least 2 maybe 3 campaign medals as well as any further medals he earned, do you have any of them? When you share his story over in the British section, I hope you do 👍, it would be a good move to include the citation and photo if possible, the details will be useful. The missing medal(s) will have details on them that you will need to have the best chance of finding them. - service number - rank - G.A. CROWTHER - unit Of course, If you like… You’re welcome to reply here before starting all that 👍 cheers tony 🍻

Hi both, I had a search using the page that Rich’s link goes to. Using his name and entering the occupation as ‘soldat’ it had a few matches but most with a middle name so I started with the ones without one. Each name links to information held elsewhere, some didn’t work but because those that did showed the unit and I was able to rule each out. Then I found this close match Obviously this says 22 BCA & The certificate says 63 BCA The 63rd BCA were the reserve battalion for the 23rd. The 62nd BCA were the reserve battalion for the 22nd. Maybe he transferred ? from the 22👉63 or from 63 👉22 🤷‍♂️ So, In my opinion it’s worth trying to find a connection that may put this soldier in both units… hi Hendrik, I don’t suppose you know, or are able to find a connection between the 22nd & 63rd can you? I even thought maybe 22nd was actually a brigade or division that the 63rd belonged to, but its a new area to me and I’ve not had any luck yet. Nice group to have , well worth a little more time trying to get him identified and remembered properly. cheers tony 🍻

Most definitely a Z 👍 I’ve found this article, I don’t know which language it is in but I think it’s safe to guess the meaning of the relevant bit, the reverse is by : Johann Pfeiffer so the Z almost certainly isn’t for him. tony 🍻 PS I think I just realised the reason for both anomalies ! 👇 There are many variations of this medal, both sides, but I don’t think they are intentional. I think the stamp/dye got worn and was re-etched but the worn down design remaining was interpreted and repaired slightly differently over time… On the reverse. In all of them the leaves or acorns are in the same ‘footprint’, they overlay each other. So… The Z is actually an incorrect interpretation of the edge of the ribbon on the original. & I think the acorns were originally in pairs so one of the 3 acorns on yours should be a leaf. I noticed mine 👇 coincidentally has a similar upper unusual acorn but is missing the lower outside one, it’s been turned into a leaf. Yours 👇 These are a few others below. This first one particularly you can see different it is, in my opinion a worn dye. tony 🍻

hi Carlo, I’ve got two of these, the same design with the C not the Z, and neither has the mark yours has. nor any mark (maker or otherwise) on the rim or elsewhere that I can see… One thing I wondered is whether it could be the number 2 ? Obviously the photos never do the details justice so it may well be clear to you that it isn’t 👍 but you know me, I like to mention my random unlikely thoughts 😊 whether a Z or 2 it’s clear there is an intentional difference to the actual design of your medal (to that of mine for example), rather than a stamp or punch mark added post production such as those we find on the rim. If I only had your example here to go from, or if they all had it… I would be tempted to say it was the artist/designers mark or initial… however I would then expect, most likely, two initials 🤷‍♂️ An interesting find, well spotted. tony 🍻

I agree 🍻