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

I was only 4 numbers out!!! I should have rechecked in my Laslo...sorry about that

I think General Pershing got #1 and a medal with all the clasps. US collectors will know better than me but I believe the theory is the first 100 were numbered but no roll is known and I have only read about one other numbered to a Brigadier General in a JOMSA article Neat thread Jim

I agree ..thanks for posting pictures of these medals I have always been interested in them. Is it true that the various provinces and cities etc issue medals for the War as well? I assume unofficial . As most pictures (of discharged soldiers) of Argentine veterans they seem to be wearing many other awards not depicted here. Is there any information available on these unofficial awards? Thanks Jim

Thanks for the information about the "Sul Campo" awards

I like the Al Valore as well...is there any truth to something I read in a dealers catalog once...about an Italian group he was describing with an unnamed valour medal and he said it was "an immediate award "made on the spot on the field of battle by a General and hence unnamed? I thought it might just be a wearing copy... Thanks anyway

I think at times both Eddie and George V worn smaller sized Breast stars...I wonder if there is some sort of British Prinzen size awards especially for Royalty...

Congratulations on a nice job on Eddie's medal bar.

Hello According my Italian reference books this medal was extended in 1940 to cover the expedition to Fiume in 1919 ( quite an interesting story) and the the Fascist March on Rome in 1922 which brought Mussolini to power. Both these actions already had their own "campaign" medals .

Hello again. So are we looking at an officer's ribbon bar ( i don't think order of white eagle was awarded to OR ?) prob Army (or RAF...though to be fair it could even be a RN tropical uniform ribbon bar) dating from between 1943 and mid 1945.His WW2 active service is as u say prob France in 1940 but there are many other places to earn the 1939-43 Star ( as it was called then) If he was 18 in 1914 he would be about 47 in 1943..also prob not a senior regular officer as he has no jubilee medals ....that's my wild guess. I assume he received the Order of the White Eagle (if that is what it is) in WW1 but it could be later....was it awarded in WW2? I wonder if it is attributable and if it is his complete bar or just a part of his ribbon bar....

Hello If that is light blue and red it might be the Serbian Order of the White Eagle...which would be a very plausible fit...if not then a real head scratcher.