leigh kitchen

Webbing's not my field, but this stuff would look great with one of those Malta cammo'd helmets.

I lived & worked in Srpska for a short period 6 - 7 years ago & aquired some badges, medals, caps, helmets, uniforms & equipment. I don't really add to the collection although I would if something really took my fancy.

Info from Howard Williamsons "The Collectors & Researchers Guide To The Great War".

Just noticed - not Kings Fusiliers - Royal Fusiliers. Kings Fusiliers were a fictitious regiment subject of a tv series in the 1980's or thereabouts. There is though a Queens Fusiliers, an amalgamation of some London TA Royal Regiment of Fusiliers & Queens Regiment elements to form a regiment within the resurrected London Regiment.

Also known as "Ally Slopers Cavalry" to the rest of the army of the time.

My favourite medal, I've only got a few, but they really are my favourite.

It's specifically a Northumberlands one that I've always fancied - & I avoid auctions, I prefer the here's the money kind of straight forward dealer purchase rather then wait a week or two to find out whether I've bought it or not after I've thrown some money at it. l

The French Insignes des Blesses Militaire ribbon with red enamel star was introduced 22/7/16, but apparently was disliked by the troops who preferred to purchase one of the unofficial Medailles Blesses Militaires big red enamelled stars suspended from the same pattern of ribbon, which were produced from 1919 or 1920? The unofficial Medaille Des Blesse Civils De Guerre was produced 1918?

I wondered, Id've thought it would be in a red card case.

I don't know - the unattributable nice shiny new ones I would'nt want to pay more than a few pounds for, but yours is in such a case - is it original to the Cross & does it have a design or wording on the lid? There were 14142 Partisan Crosses awarded, up until 1/1/2000, when awards stopped.

Yes please - somebody's bought me a "translation pen" but apparently the software does'nt include the Polish language - & I won't get my hands on it for a few weeks anyway.

Nice, I've always wanted one of these

Yep, I'm going to get it - it means I don't just look at the pictures. I have an interest in I Mortar Battery II Bat of VII Krajina Bde & II Bat XIII Krajina Bde, in connection with a medal & document grouping I have.

Some of my Yugo headgear - I usually treat them with more respect than this........

The kettle drummer wore a yellow metal helmet with white plume, I believe that the trumpeters did also. ER cards were produced in Germany, which may account for colour inaccuracies. German cards went out of favour in Britain come WWI, the card producers over here "waging war" on their German counterparts, even issuing newsheets & posters refering to their "struggle" as if reporting on real battles. I'll dig out some more cards & photos, see what I have in the way of Crimean etc uniform portrayals. The Paynes & others produced artwork of early & pre Victorian uniforms, I don't know what they were involved in in the way of series.

Still in use by infantry sergeants in the late 1870's? My one's p[robably a volunteer unit one, I think, as it lacks issue marks.

I'm struggling with this, particularly as it's pre my usual "cap badge" period. 1869 - 78 shako badge of the 74th Highlanders, 1881 HPC or glengarry badge of the Royal Scots (especially as the latter had an unvoided centre)? One of the 3 or 4 patterns of glengarry badge worn by the Black Watch after 1878? The closest I can get with the collar dogs is inward facing horses or tigers.

The man on the right - the closest that I can get with that badge is the Black Watch or HLI (or predecessors), he's wearing collar dogs which may help with ID - I'll try the photo at different sizes on my usual dedsktop, see if anything's clearer,

Interesting, the only partizan reference I have are "Krajiske Brigade" (published in about the 1950's-60's I think) & "Partizanski Album" published 1981. I could do with an easy to read (ie in English) book on the subject.

Hussar or Royal HorseArtillery frogging on the man on the left - could you do a smaller photo of the man on the right please, it might improve the images of cap & collar insignia.

Temporary award certificate :

The reverse:

The Cross of Independence with Swords - although they appear to have long been married to the Cross, these are not the Swords as actually issued for this decoration, but are slightly different - the shape of the suspension is different & they have detail only on the front & not the reverse as well.

The front of the booklet, reverse of the Cross. The front of the booklet is in the colours of the decorations ribbon & impressed with a design of the Cross & its date of inauguration: 1930. Often mistaken for an award document, these booklets were in fact issued to authorise certain privileges - the 33% printed at the bottom left of the inside cover refers to a discount on travel fares.

Just the two in my collection: Instituted on October 10, 1930, the Cross was conferred on those who took an active part in the struggle of independence of Poland before and during World War I, & between 1918 and 1921 (excluding Polish-Soviet war). It was conferred in two grades - with and without swords & a bronze Independence Medal was awarded as a lower grade. The cross with swords was awrded to those who participated in an armed struggle for the cause of Independence before World War I (e.g. veterans of the 1863 uprising against Russia), or those who commanded such a struggle. Although a decoration & not an order, the Independence Cross took a prominent place in the Polish decoration system, ranking before the Officer class of the Order Polonia Restituta, & the medal had preceddence before the silver Cross of Merit. The recipients of both the cross and the medal were entitled to numerous privileges - including discounted travel fares, as shown in this booklet. The Cross is a black enameled Greek cross 42 x 42 mm with a gilt strip along the center. On the horizontal stripes runs the motto BOJOWNIKOM NIEPODLEGLOSCI. On a square gilt shield in the center is a crowned eagle, The reverse is plain & without enamelling. The Independence Cross with Swords is surmounted by a pair of crossed gilt swords. The ribbon - 37 mm wide, black with twored side stripes. After WWII those entitled to theCross with Swords could wear gilt crossed swords on the ribbon bar, unofficially. Cross of Independence with Swords, 1817 awarded, without Swords: 35271.