leigh kitchen

The Glocestershire Regiment, Back-to-Back at Alexandria. The origin of the Gloster's back badge ( a small sphinx within a wreath insignia worn on the back of their headgear). Egypt, 21/3/1801 - occupying a half finished French redoubt & repulsing an nfantry attack to their front, they were attacked from the rear by French cavalry. The rear rank facing about, they fought off both attacking forces. After a drawing by Wal Paget.

The King's (Liverpool Regiment), The Bayonet Attack at Givenchy. 10/3/15, the King's charged the German trenches but were held up by 3 lines of barbed wire entanglements, one officer got through the wire but was killed on the parapet of the German trench. The King's suffered heavey casualties but prevented the Germans from moving to reinforce their forces at Neuve Chappelle, to the north. After an R. Caton Woodville drawing from the Illustrated London News.

The Coldstream Guards, The Bayonet Charge on the Somme. September 1916, they took the villages of Martinpuich & Courcelette & over 2,300 prisoners. After a R. Caton Woodville drawing from the Illustrated London News.

The Argyll & Sutherkand Highlanders, The Thin Red Line at Balaclava. More properly "The thin red streak" I believe the quote was. Covering the base at Balaclava with small bodies of Marines & Turks they were attacked by Russian cavalry & lined up 2 men deep, repulsing them. After an R. Caton Woodville drawing from the Illustrated London News.

The Connaught Rangers - The Capture of "The Citadel" at Badojoz. The British attacked the town on 6/4/1812, victory was signalled by the hoisting of an officer's scarlet coatee in lieu of a flag. After a drawing by R. Caton Woodville for the London Evening News.

The Royal Scots - The Square at Quatre Bras, 15/6/15. Having carried out a 22 mile march they met the enemy & beat the infantry, but were attacked by cavalry, repulsing repeated charges. Afer a painting by Lady Elizabeth Thompson. A bad scan - wriggly plastic sleeve......

The Gordon Highlanders - How Piper Findlater Won the VC at Dargai, 20/10/1897. Shot through both legs during the successful storming of the Afridi positions on the Dargai Heights, north of the Khyber, he continued to play the regimental march. The Highlanders crossed a field of fire of 150 yards before reaching cover, & when they eventually took the heights the enemy had gone. After an Iluustrated London News illustration by R. Caton Woodville.

Grenadier Guards - The Ordeal of Fire at Biddulph'sberg, 25/5/1900. Grass fires broke out during the fighting here, near Senekal in the Orange Free State, & the Grenadiers were ordered to advance & secure an artillery piece before flames barred the way, some wounded being killed by the spreading fires. I have a Queens South Africa Medal to a Grenadier who died at Senekal, so perhaps killed or died of wounds received during this action, I'd better check. After an R. Caton Woodville illustration for the Illustrated London News.

The Roya;l Scots Greys - The Charge of The Greya at Waterloo. They charged with Highlanders running salonside, gripping the cavalrymens stirrups, Sgt Ewart of the Greys capturing the Eagle of the French 45th Regiment. After an R. Caton Woodville illustration for the Illustrated London News.

What better time to remind youth of the glories of war - the eve of WWII. These cards were given away with British boys comics "The Rover" & "The Wizard" in 1939, the regimental titles are those in use at that time, not at the times of the original actions. Although the original artwork from which they derive may have had some merit, these cards are not of great quality, but they're colourful & even the ones of troops in the muddy khaki of WWI portrau stirring scenes. Every card a little recruiting sergeant in itself......... From Arthur, the following information: 'Rover' and 'Wizard' comics were published by D. C. Thompson & Co. Ltd. They issued 26 postcard sized series 'Battles for the Flag' in 1939. So, from what we now know with the cards that you have, plus the ones' that I have got, the complete set in alphabetical order would have been: [1] 17th Lancers; [2] Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders; [3] Black Watch; [4] Coldstream Guards; [5] Connaught Rangers; [6] Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry; [7] [The Buffs] East Kent Regt; [8] East Surrey Regt: [9] Gloucestershire Regt; [10] Gordon Highlanders; [11] Grenadier Guards; [12] Highland Light Infantry; [13] King's [Liverpool] Regt; [14] King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry; [15] Lancashire Fusiliers; [16] Manchester Regt; [17] Middlesex Regt; [18] Northumberland Fusiliers; [19] Ox & Bucks Light Infantry; [20]Royal Artillery; [21] Royal Berkshire Regt; [22]Royal Scot's Regt; [23] Royal Scot's Greys'; [24] Sherwood Foresters; [25] Somerset Light Infantry [26] South Wales Borders. The Highland Light Infantry - The charge of the Mahratta Cavalry at Assaye, 23/9/1803. Advancing ahead of their artillery, taking the enemies first line of guns & charged by Mahratta cavalry at the secong line, reduced from battalion to company strength, they were joined by the 19th Light Dragoons & forced the enemy into the River Juah, beneath Assaye. After a drawing by W. R. S. Stott.

The Auxhiliary Terrtorial Service, formed 1938 - the British "womens army".

Looks like a wound stripe, but it's hard to tell from this photo. Looks like a couple of naval air service men in the group? And is one man wearing the RFC maternity smock?

These little metal manufacturers name plates are'nt usually found on Other Ranks cap badges, but it's not unknown - eg badges of the units of the Royal Naval Division & some yeomanry regiments - in this case it's on an officers badge, Firmin was a prolific maker of British badges. The actually wording - "Frmin London" may help to date the badge, but I can't remember the details offhand, & I doubt it will pin it's manufacture down to a few years or so, only to decades.

The unvoided wheel shows this badge to be a Royal Artillery WWI brass economy badge, worn 1916 - 1919. In theory it's different to the standard badge not just because of the solid wheel, but because it will be made of brass, not the very similar gilding metal used to make the "normal" badges. That's what Kipling & King say anyway, but practically speaking there's no obvious way to tell the two metals apart, tho' brass tends to be yellowish colour.

A Royal Artillery Officers Service Dress "bronzed" badge, the blades or prongs on the back broken off as is so often the case with this type of fitting. Kings crown, so about 1902 - 1950's. Do not clean this badge up in order to remove the brownish finish - it's meant to look like this, it isn't dirty so don't for gawds sake stick it in a bucket of acid to get it nice n' shiny...............

Suffolk Regimet, 1902 - 1950's, when the St Edwards crown version replaced it. It is the second pattern of the regiments regular battalions Kings crown badge, it was preceded by a pattern with a different, 2-turret castle which was on issue for a very short while - the Suffolks & 3 other infantry regiments had to change their badges so that the pattern of castle they used to represent the battle honour of "Gibralter" was the one displayed on the Great Seal of Gibralter - this 3 tower version without a flag on top of the central tower. Forgot - just a a little unusual in that this badge has north/south lug fittings rather than a slider or east/west lugs, I'm not sure if I've seen a Suffolk with n/s lugs before.

Again, a cast version of the badge so locally made or fake. A TF unit formed by the amalgamation of the 7th & 8th Battalions, I can't remember when though at the moment.

As worn by the British Royal Tank Regiment, WWII - 1950's (when the crown was changed to the St Edwards crown), but this is cast not diestruck, indicating that it is locally made because of a shortage of the proper die struck items, or a fake. I have one of these that appears to be a genuine lcal made job, the silver colouring being almost non existant now, revealing the brass metal underneath.

Post about 1947 (I think) Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (Kings crown version which was preplaced by the St Edwards crown version in the 50's).

This is Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt), in wear from about 1902 until the 50's - there were also versions with the Victorian crown & QE II's St Edwards crown. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th City of London Regimet (Royal Fusiliers) of the Territrial Force also wore this badge. Rather than copper, this badges should be in brass or "gilding metal".

Post war Dutch engineers I believe.

The only man with the serial number 91340 that I can find in Soldiers Died is a man of different name in the Notts & Derbys.........your man must be an ommission from Soldiers Died......... You've obviously checked the CWGC site, are you going to cough up a few quid for the Medal Index Card on line? Here's your man: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=9

The only Joseph Murray of the RHA - RFA that I can find in Soldiers Died shows: Gunner, Terrrtorial Force, 630077,Born Aberdeen, enlisted Aberdeen, died of wounds France & Flanders 14/7/17. There are a total of 17 Joseph Murrays listed as Other Ranks, & one officer, none died later than 1918. One missed by Soldiers Died or just a mistake in noting details of dates & numbers etc?

Andy McNabb's Bravo State 00 or whatever it's call sign was were issued with them were'nt they?

Another item on this medal on this forum. My ones got a replacement ribbon, far prefer a manky old original.......... http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9434