Millsbomb

On 11/12/2021 at 05:37, POWCollector said:

Great post Buster! I love it when photos of the recipients are present! 
 

I really look forward to seeing more of your collection and watching it grow!

 

As you may have noticed from my collection, I’m still yet to find a good Aussie grouping. I’d love more than anything to find an RAAF European Theatre pow group some day… 

Hi

Greatly enjoying reading these posts. I'm intrigued that you use a Caterpillar badge as your avatar (I'm yet to work out how to do this but I have a favourite that I use on a couple of other sites..).

Do you know if it is possible to locate members of the Caterpillar Club? I have one that I would love to track down but I'm told that Irwin are not that happy to pass on info.

Any ideas?

On 02/06/2022 at 04:41, Terry37 said:

I've been working on adding to my Scottish Badge collection and it's grown some since my original six that picked up some 20 years ago. When done I will have tartan behind each badge, but of course love those that came with original tartan backing.

A really nice grouping!

Not exactly military but a really important part of the "support services" in WW1, I have a badge for the SWH or Scottish Womens' Hospital that has its original tartan bow still attached. With it came a medal for the same unit with the same tartan ribbon.

Also, somewhere in the archives is a Silver War Badge with a backing of tartan ribbon. I'd have to refresh my memory and see if the owner was with a Scottish regiment or if this was just a way of "flossying" it up...

On 22/12/2012 at 04:53, azyeoman said:

PoW groups are interesting and there is an enormous amount of information and photographs online. Not only did the PoWs see combat, but were also held captive and so had a entirely different story than the bulk of the troops. I thought it would be interesting to get a group for each of the large British surrenders.

 

The first here is for Hong Kong on Christmas Day 1941, which consists of a group of 5: 1939-1945 Star; Pacific Star; Defence Medal; War Medal; Regular Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVI 2nd type; (4685565 SJT. A. COOKE. M.P.S.C.), mounted loose style as worn.

 

A fine and interesting Second World War Fall of Hong Kong 25 December 1941 Prisoner of War of the Japanese long service group awarded to Sergeant A. Cook, Military Provost Staff Corps, late Military Foot Police, Coldstream Guards, and one time 5th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Territorial Army, who having been taken prisoner of war, was incarcerated at Omine in Japan and worked forced labour as a miner.

 

Together with the following quantity of original documentation: Soldier's Service Record and Pay Book, dated 1952; Regular Army Certificate of Service, dated 12 March 1952; Discharge Certificate after his first period of engagement, dated 4 May 1931; Certificate of Proficiency from the School of Instruction Corps of Military Police - as awarded for his attendance on a course from 16 October 1933 to 7 January 1934 - he came 14th on a list of 16; War Office Letter of Appreciation on his retirement from the British Army after 21 years service, dated 1 May 1952; 4 x News of the World photographs of a group of men; Cooke is one of them; another of a group of soldiers drinking beer, taken circa 1920's to 1930's; and individual portrait photograph of recipient; another of soldiers relaxing; and an older photograph, also of a group of soldier's, this annotated but not clearly readable, possibly 1920's; a booklet titled 'Chelsea Pensioners Today; and an exceptionally rare - small print run book - titled The Last Phase at Omine, which is an official late 1940's large format printed booklet printed by The Examiner Press for the Omine Prisoner of War Camp in Japan where Cooke was incarcerated. It contains many printed sketches of the PoW camp during the war. Cooke is listed on page 2 of the British PoW list for Omine and was recorded as being in camp 26 169 and L. Cpl Alfred A. Cooke, 4685565 H. 23.1.18.

 

Alfred Cooke was born in 1907, and originally enlisted as a Private (No.4685565) into the 5th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Territorial Army, at Denaby, Yorkshire, on 11th June 1925, but was then discharged at York on 4th May 1931 'in consequence of having joined the Regular Army', as he had joined the Coldstream Guards as a Guardsman. Cooke then saw home service, but pursued a career with the Military Foot Police and attend the School of Instruction for the Corps of Military Foot Police. While attached to this unit, he attended a course from 16 October 1933 to 7 January 1934. It is noted that he represented the Depot Corps of Military Police at Football. Later, he officially transferred into the Corps of Military Foot Police from 4 June 1934, he was then posted overseas to Shanghai and Hong Kong from 14 December 1938, and was still out in the Far East at the outbreak of the Second World War, and on the Japanese declaration of war. He was taken prisoner at the fall of Hong Kong on 25th December 1941, and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war of the Japanese, being incarcerated at Omine Prisoner Camp, and employed on forced labour as a miner, before being liberated on 17 November 1945 after the Japanese surrender, and then posted home from 18 November 1945. Opting to continue in the service, he transferred as a Sergeant to the Military Provost Staff Corps, being awarded the Regular Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and then being discharged after 21 years service on 16 April 1952.

 

For more information on the mine look at: http://www.us-japandialogueonpows.org/Ominememorial.htm

 

and more with Cooke listed under the British PoWs in http://www.mansell.com/pow_resources/camplists/fukuoka/fuku_5_omine/fuku_5_omine.html

My primary school headmaster here in New Zealand was a POW of the Japanese. Knowing what I know now, I could look into his service history. A very nice man, Felix CRANDLE if I recall.

2 minutes ago, Millsbomb said:

My primary school headmaster here in New Zealand was a POW of the Japanese. Knowing what I know now, I could look into his service history. A very nice man, Felix CRANDLE if I recall.

Just done a quick search! Never believe what you are told third hand. He was in Stalag 8A, Gorlitz... Probably captured in Greece or Crete like many NZers.

7 hours ago, azyeoman said:

Those are great!  I bet the small QSA with “C” is a veteran lapel pen, but what does the “C” mean?  It’s the first time I’ve seen that. These are excellent additions to the thread!!! 

On 21/06/2022 at 07:12, azyeoman said:

Although not enamel, this is one of the strangest ribbon bars I've ever seen.  It's a pin back bronze frame with 

"Prov.Pat.A.J> P & Co Ld" (A J Pepper & Co.) on the reverse there is a window that has been cut through the metal and had the initials R.E.   What's odd is that the ribbon, an British Transport Medal ribbon but behind glass!  

 

Has anyone else seen anything like this?

Just wondered if the colours on this ribbon have any meaning to the R.E. My RFC one is the colours for them but, to my knowledge, has no link to any medal ribbon. The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) do use these same colours.

3 hours ago, azyeoman said:

Those are great!  I bet the small QSA with “C” is a veteran lapel pen, but what does the “C” mean?  It’s the first time I’ve seen that. These are excellent additions to the thread!!! 

I took the "C" to be for Canada and the BIRKS mark lends weight to this. The badge came from  a  Canadian dealer way back!

On 03/02/2013 at 14:20, azyeoman said:

This is a very nice enamel ribbon bar. Were many of these made for various ribbons? Were trios made as well?

Hi

I have found a silver mark for M.J & Co in Birmigham with the dates !918-1920 attributed to it. No name but there is an earlier mark for Michael Joseph, without the "Co"

Hi

Here are the pins I mentioned. I noticed the "BIRKS" mark to the reverse so that settles that question. The other one has always puzzled me as it's not really a proper ribbon for a medal but it is the RFC colours.

Cheers

Ray 

Hi John

Sure, I'll dig out the QSA with the "C" and also the RFC bar. I seem to recall once seeing a miniature MC that was suspended from a small "white/purple/white" enamel brooch.

Cheers

Ray

5 hours ago, azyeoman said:

Thanks for adding that!  It’s a completely different company. I wonder what the “Wilts” indicates?  A surname? The regiment?  I’d guess the former, but… you never know. Thanks again for posting this! 

I'm guessing that it is for Wiltshire Regiment as my one that has the RFC ribbon under glass has "RFC" in that little clear panel. I'd assumed that it came from some military outfitter's and was part of their sample display.

On 02/05/2022 at 06:18, azyeoman said:

As mentioned above, here are close ups of the '39 Star enamel ribbon bar.  Has anyone see similar enamel ribbon bars for other WWII medals?

 

 

Sometimes called "the toffee wrapper" because of the colour. I'm told that the ribbon came out before the medal was issued. I once knew an old WW2 Navy man who was given the ribbon to sew on a good deal before the medal...

On 15/03/2022 at 23:22, larsb001 said:

Slightly off topic, but you do see these enamel ribbons on miniatures as well, here's an example ....

 

 

Really nice quality and a very early miniature. I once saw a listing for a group that had miniatures including Ghuznee, Punjaub and other early awards, all with enamel ribbons. Big thing about enamel is that it is FRAGILE, easily damaged and virtually impossible to fix.

On 03/02/2013 at 14:20, azyeoman said:

This is a very nice enamel ribbon bar. Were many of these made for various ribbons? Were trios made as well?

On 03/02/2013 at 14:20, azyeoman said:

This is a very nice enamel ribbon bar. Were many of these made for various ribbons? Were trios made as well?

Hi

This ribbon bar appears to be made in the UK, judging by the fittings and the mark looks like: M J & Co. The "BM" is probably for Birmingham.

The other one that also uses the 14-15 Star colours is possibly Canadian, again based on the fittings as it matches badges that I have that are made by, say, Scully.

As someone who has done some hobby vitreous enameling, I can comment that the work is of very good quality as the red will frequently turn brownish over some metals. These colours are transparents. The British War Medal ribbon bar uses a combination of a transparent orange and then opaque blue, white and black.

I would also suggest that these items have been struck in a die so probably existed in some numbers but clearly have not survived well.

I have a small bar in QSA colours that has a large "C" applied to it. Lord Strathcona's Horse? Canadian Scouts?

On 09/04/2021 at 01:07, paddywhack said:

Very old thread but heres my offering to it!picked it up on eBay,no marks on the back just a brass plate and pin.

 iv a other enameled 14/15 ribbon some where just can't find it

Sorry, correction: my previous post said "opaque blue" and I see that it is actually transparent, as is the orange. 

On 21/06/2022 at 07:12, azyeoman said:

Although not enamel, this is one of the strangest ribbon bars I've ever seen.  It's a pin back bronze frame with 

"Prov.Pat.A.J> P & Co Ld" (A J Pepper & Co.) on the reverse there is a window that has been cut through the metal and had the initials R.E.   What's odd is that the ribbon, an British Transport Medal ribbon but behind glass!  

 

Has anyone else seen anything like this?

Hi, I've got one that is identical and has a ribbon in RFC colours and with "R.F.C." in letters in the little "window" to the reverse!