jimn

Hello What an amazing medal group. I am sure a knowledgeable Italian collector will be able to help you. The citations for the Valour medals will prob be available at www.istitutodelnastroazzurro.org and since he has the seniority cross I assume he is a regular soldier....prob an officer and Google books for free has the Italian Army's military yearbook Annuario Militare which will confirm the medals and some other biographical information. Also is his Long Command medal named?

Thank you for this information. I was interested to learn recently that Italy awards campaign medals to recipients without charge. I had always thought everything was private purchase Kind regards Jim

Hello Everybody I have one of these medals without the engravers name SPERANZA on the obverse. Can someone tell me the difference between these two variants? Cheers Jim

Hello Hendrik Thanks for the information you provided....it is more involved than I had thought...this will help as I am restoring an old CdG. Cheers Jim

Hello I was wondering if there is an official regulation on how these emblems are worn? Are the palms worn above the stars or the other way around...and is there any correct way the different grades of the stars are displayed? Thanks Jim

Hello In the British awards system official replacements are named "Replacement" or "Duplicate"....Are Italian Valour Medals marked or named in a similar way? Indeed does the Government even issue official replacements? Also if you were replacing a WW1 Valour medal... say in the 1950s would this be an Republic version? Kind regards Jim

Hello If you are referring to the Order of Military Merit...I don't think NZ received any awards of this decoration...though a more knowledgeable collector/researcher might be better informed. Cheers Jim

Hello According to the book Royal Service Vol 2 Lieutenant Edward BORNHAUSEN Adjutant Infantry Regiment von Goeben No 28 received the MVO 5th class on 15 June 1907 on the occasion of the Unveiling of Statue of Field Marshal the Duke of Cambridge in London. Nice group Cheers JIm

Hello Megan I have been enjoying your work on the Ukrainian awards Cheers Jim

Hello I would be interested to know if in fact Free French forces received and wore British campaign medals in WW2 . I think some veterans of Bir Hakeim etc might have the Africa Star ribbon and the idea of a Frenchman wearing the Air Crew Europe Star is quite appealing. I say this because I thought after 1943 except for the above mentioned air force units French forces didn't serve under British command as such.

That looks great......hope to see it on The Crown prequel (if they make one) LOL

Thanks P F I had a bet with myself if it was the the Hungarian Order of Merit or Italian Order of the Crown. A land locked country decorating a naval officer is kind of ironic. It was the thread about the Mehdauia that got me thinking about Capt Langsdorff again. All the best Jim

Hello everyone I have some questions about this naval officer. On his funeral cushion I see a neck decoration which I can't confirm it looks like an Italian Order of the Crown or an Hungarian Order of Merit? Was he entitled to the Spanish Cross? I think he was and it maybe hadn't caught up with him before he sailed just before the outbreak of war. Did the crew of the Graf Spee receive the High Seas Fleet war badge ( I assume this is the one they would qualify for) while POW Thanks Jim

Thanks John Every bit of information helps...this thread has already advanced my knowledge of these awards ten fold. Jim

Hello again This is an interesting topic. I always like to understand a countries medals and how they are awarded. Since we have mainly naval information, what official campaign medals, not valour or wounded would a sailor on the Belgrano or a Marine on Mt Tumbledown have? From the above useful information I guess Malvines War Combatants Medal (awarded by the Argentine nation the half blue/white ribbon) Naval Medal for Combat Operations clasp "Malvinas" Naval Medal for International Operations clasp "Malvinas" Barreta awarded by Argentine Navy (the one with the star) And a question on the naming...is it official and for awards to living recipients as well to the deceased ? Thanks Jim