Duncan

Thanks everyone, really useful. US medals were a bit of a sideline in my collecting, but now my main area of late.

31 minutes ago, RAL said:

A silver star on a Navy Achievement Medal or a Navy Commendation Medal is, in both cases, indicative of a total of six awards.  Somebody must have really gotten around.  One might note there is no Combat V so neither, apparently, for however many awards, was combat related.

Thanks, that's really helpful.

On 23/02/2021 at 09:22, bolewts58 said:

These 3 Freikorps awards are not difficult to find. There are several available on various dealer sites. A Silesian Eagle I cl. such as this type would be around 125 EUR, a Brigade Grodno Badge about 500 EUR and a von Loewenfeld Cross I cl. about 300 EUR. if you're serious about wanting these, I can help make suggestions for you.

Thanks yes, I'd particularly like the Silesian Eagle. I was also after the Belgian Yser Cross (not the medal version, I have one of those) - sorry, slightly off topic there.

I picked these two up quite cheaply but was wondering about the silver stars on the ribbons. I assume they're for subsequent awards, with 5 bronze stars being replaced with one silver?

Where these awards issued that often that someone could be awarded them 5 or more times though?

Thanks everyone for the advice. I love these Freikorp awards but not skilled enough to tell the fakes from the real thing. I'll take your advice and read up on it.

Regards 

Duncan. 

45 minutes ago, elbavaro said:

I would agree: all modern fakes

Thanks for that, that's what I thought too.

I was tempted to get these but thinking they're probably modern copies. I don't really have the skill to tell fakes from genuine unless it's really obvious. Can someone tell me their opinion on whether they're genuine or not?

Many thanks, Duncan. 

I'm trying to research this guy, but coming up with very little. Anyone any suggestions please? The letter was posted 3rd August 1944 from Ayr in Scotland. 

Also, anyone any info on the 4th Field Dressing Station, I can't find any info on them at all. 

On 07/06/2020 at 22:57, Simius Rex said:

It appears that your GI was also married at the time he was writing hot letters to the married British housewife.  You might want to explain to us yanks what "billeted" means but I, for one, hope it has something to do with a threesome.  This forum could sure use some tales of scandal and debauchery to liven things up.  Simi.    

Really, that's interesting! He mentions a lot about coming back on furlough and how he'd love to take her dancing again. 😉 She kept the letters all these years. Wonder if they ever met again? 

Thanks everyone, that's definitely the guy. I researched the woman they were written to and she was a 27 year old housewife living with her husband. My GI must have been billeted with them. From the tone of his letters he must have been quite smitten with her. 

I took these photos in 2007 in Trebah Gardens in Cornwall.  The beach there was used as an embarkation beach by the US for D-day.  The photo of the undergrowth shows trenches dug by US anti-aircraft gun crews.  The beach photos show concrete square blocks that look like huge chocolate bars.  The blocks formed a concrete mat that covered the beach so tanks could drive on to the landing craft.  Unfortunately, last time I went all the blocks has been cleared away and the trenches no longer visible.

Trebah Gardens used to make quite a bit of its D-day connection, with quite a few displays and notice boards around.  Unfortunately all that seems to have been removed now too and apart from a small monument down by the beach, there's nothing linking it to D-day now.

Hello everyone,

I bought a lovely set of letters sent from France just after D-Day by an American GI to a housewife in England he's been billeted with.  Is there anyway I can find out more information on the soldier, his full details are on the front of the envelope (attached picture).  He was obviously very fond of her, judging by the tone of the letters!

Thank you,

Duncan.

That's greatly, thank for the information. 

Regards 

Duncan. 

I managed to pick up a named Italy Star, I assume its to a South African. Any tips on how I can trace him or get details of who he was and what unit he served with. He's '214473, J. G. KENNEDY'. 

Tried uploading a photo but kept getting an error message. 

Cheers 

Duncan. 

That's great, thanks, I'll try and find them on the Internet. 

Anyone know where I can get South African WW2 service records for service men? I'm in the UK. 

If they're not online anyone know of a good researcher. 

Cheers 

Duncan 

Thanks for that. Can't find PI maker listed anywhere! 

Can anyone identify the manufacturer stamp PI-GI, I can't seem to find it listed anywhere. And if they can whether it dates it to a specific date? Oddly the suspension broach is upside-down, so the pin opens the opposite to normal. 

Regards 

Duncan. 

That's an amazing careers, thanks for sharing the photos and information. 

Thanks everyone, that's really interesting. Seems the arrow head on the Vietnam Medal is quite rare after all. 

Is that an oak leaf on the National Defence Medal in the picture? What would that be for? Thought that medal only had campaign stars? 

Does anyone have any pics of the US Vietnam Service Medal with ribbon elblems, particularly camping stars and arrow head combinations. I can't find any on google, so I assume they're a rare combination? 

Thanks, Duncan. 

I think they've got quite a few wrong. There's another 'Ummond Paterson' listed as well as my great uncle. Unless that really is his name??? 

I think there was some software error that cut names short when it was closed, and now it's too much effort to correct the errors. 

10 hours ago, Paul R said:

Wow.  That is so unfortunate and... unacceptable.  How can a website no longer be accessible by even the administrator?

Yeah, it's really unacceptable. So my great uncle is forever commemorated as "Ummond Paterson"!!! 

I wish I'd never listed him on their website in the first place. 

I spent ages downloading info on my Great Uncle onto the Imperial War Museum"s Lives of the First World War. He was Private 4121 William Drummond Paterson, Black Watch. I noticed the other day though that they've recorded him as "Ummond Paterson". I emailed them asking them to correct the mistake and got the following reply, can't say I'm very happy:

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the Imperial War Museum's website 'Lives of the First World War'. 

The website acts as a digital memorial to the men and women who fought, whether on the home front or the front line, during WW1.  When the project began in May 2014 the Imperial War Museum used seed records, such as Medal Index Cards to identify people to include in the project.  I'm sorry that your great uncle's name is recorded incorrectly.  

The Lives of the First World War project provided a website for family, historians and researchers to add information and photographs to each record.  The project closed in March 2019 and it is no longer possible to add information to the site.

For help with family research the museum has put together some useful links which you can access here:

Tracing your Family History

Kind regards

I've had some very odd Memorial plaques over the years - kicked in the head by his horse whilst training in England; fell from a 4th floor window in Edinburgh; and accidentally shot at a rest camp in France must be the most unusual.