ChrisKelly

The U.S. Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal and the U.S. Merchant Marine Medal For Outstanding Achievement. The reverse is common to the Defense, Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean-Middle East, Korea and Vietnam Medals. Sources: https://www.ebay.com/itm/155944309043 https://www.vfmr-ordersandmedals.com/epages/vfmr-ordersandmedals_com.mobile/pt_PT/?ObjectPath=/Shops/vfmr-ordersandmedals_com/Products/ae052&Locale=pt_PT

The Mariner's Medal. Source: http://www.militarywives.com/index.php/federal-medal-descriptions/1259-merchant-marine-mariner-s-medal Awards available to the U.S. Merchant Marine as full - sized medals during and shortly after the Second World War: Image 1: Distinguished Service Medal. Image 2: Meritoruous Service Medal. Image 3: Mariner's Medal. Image 4: World War II Victory Medal. Source: http://www.medalmulisha.com/merchant-marine.html

Addenda: The World War Two Victory Medal was the only campaign medal available to U.S. Merchant Seamen in 1946. The Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean-Middle East War Zone Bars were created by "An Act Of Congress" on 10 May 1944 and did not become actual medals until 1992. The Defense Bar, the equivalent to the military's American Defense Service Medal, was created by "An Act Of Congress" on 14 August 1944, and became a medal in 1992. The Combat Bar was established on 10 May 1943 by the U.S. Congress, and is equivalent to the USN-USMC Combat Action Ribbon. It remains a ribbon bar with no medal. Also, on 10 May 1943, the U.S. Congress created the Mariner's Medal, which is the U.S.M.M.'s equivalent to the military's Purple Heart. In 1956 and 1968 respectively, the U.S. Congress created ribbon bars for Merchant Marine participation in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and they became medals in 1992. The Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal was established in 1992, and recognizes service in all campaigns post - Vietnam War. The U.S. Maritime Administration established the Merchant Marine Distiguished Service Medal on 11 April 1942. Only 152 have been awarded, 30 of them posthumously. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Merchant Marine Meritoruous Service Medal on 29 August 1944, and since then 521 have bern awarded. Both are still awarded. The U.S.M.A. created the Merchant Marine Medal For Outstanding Achievement in 2002. Sources: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awards_and_decorations_of_the_United_States_Merchant_Marine https://web.archive.org/web/20070625061117/http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=6d6ec8876126cefbf2ae5f2907ce08f0&rgn=div5&view=text&node=46:8.0.1.11.48&idno=46 https://www.maritime.dot.gov/outreach/mariner-medals http://www.usmm.org/medallaws.html#dsm1 Images of a display showing U.S. Merchant Marine medals. The medal on the bottom row at the extreme right in images 1, 2 & 5 is the U.S. Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal. Source: https://www.ebay.com/itm/176523549561?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=176523549561&targetid=2295557533630&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=1027271&poi=&campaignid=21415037908&mkgroupid=173029509028&rlsatarget=pla-2295557533630&abcId=9450163&merchantid=6296724&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAxqC6BhBcEiwAlXp45x5w--m7JTy-YWXmMaa7RXIOfyxpQdO-6in4NE5kEC0EdYglK5oWOxoCjk4QAvD_BwE The U.S. Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal. Source: https://ianewatts.org/medal-merchant-marine-distinguished-service-medal-2/

Personal note... Small collection I put together from "bits and bobs"...

By no means is the list below exhaustive, but does provide some insight on the U.S. Merchant Marine. Apparently, the coin I bought from he U.S. Mint is a reproduction of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the U.S. Merchant Marine in 2020, in recognition of Second World War service. https://www.americanmaritimepartnership.com/press-releases/president-trump-honors-wwii-merchant-mariners-with-congressional-gold-medal/ https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3037882/wwii-merchant-mariners-receive-congressional-gold-medal/ http://www.usmm.org/strugglevetstatus.html https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/merchant-marine-world-war-ii https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-30-mn-10163-story.html

A comparison of U.S. Merchant Marine World War Two Victory Medals. "The Merchant Marine World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States Merchant Marine established by an Act of Congress on August 8, 1946. The decoration is awarded to officers and men of the U.S. Merchant Marine who served aboard American-flagged merchant ships for at least 30 days between December 7, 1941, and September 2, 1945." From: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Marine_World_War_II_Victory_Medal In these images, the first and second medals from the left are 1947-1950s issues. Third from the left is a 1980s production from Lordship Industries Group International, and the reverse of the pin bar is hallmarked "L.I.G.I" The right-most medal is a modern issue and its pinback bar is hallmarked "Vanguard" on the reverse. See also: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2012-title46-vol8/xml/CFR-2012-title46-vol8-part350.xml

I bought this commemorative medal from the U.S. Mint this past June. Price was $20USD plus $5.95USD for shipping within the continental U.S.A. This is most of my collection [about "98.6%"] of Second World War U.S. Merchant Marine insignia.

Below are links to the U.S. Militaria Forum. They work. I tested them. I know it's a lot easier to see pictures than to read some long narrative. That can make your eyes hurt, to say the least. The first link is an absolutely fabulous, comprehensive gallery of U.S. Merchant Marine ratings insignia. Much more than my small collection. The second link shows some other insignia, including uniform buttons. https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/16304-1940-usmerchant-marine-ratings/#comment-110393 https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/305061-us-maritime-service-merchant-marine-buttons/#comment-2451206

Miniatures from my collection. Original 1920s issued and mounted.

Prison services medal... Also a link to a facebook page showing the medal on current issue with King Charles III's effigy. https://www.facebook.com/groups/849907216804962/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_Services_(Operational_Duties)_Long_Service_and_Good_Conduct_Medal

Two well-known photograps of obscure origin.

I saw these images online... Looks like a one-piece, solid zinc 1939 EK2.

Reason I mentioned it is that this one showed up on the internet, and the seller wrote that it was puchased "from a flea market" in Germany during the 1960s, and was unsure whether or not it was a reproduction.

These are mine... One complete "mess hall" set.

From: https://germanrings.lv/en/28-political-and-civil

Couple more pieces I wish I had...

Does anyone know anything about the "RODO" hallmark? First three images are reproduction other ranks' ᛋᛋ belt buckles. In the first image, the "RODO" hallmarked belt buckle is at the bottom. The last three images show a genuine other ranks' Heer belt buckle.

An interesting set of documents I acquired. The document on the right is a church membership registration, as the citizens of Kleve were subject to church tax. Heinrich Benfer was born on 23 March 1894, making him almost 50 years old on 9 February 1944, when he joined the Lutheran Church [Evangelischenkirche]. The document itself was executed, registered and filed on 14 March 1944. Benfer's 25 year civil service cross in silver was awarded on 13 November 1939, when he was 45 years old. Likely, he was a veteran of the First World War, in some capacity, probably military, and his war service counted towards his civil service credit. He had to have started government service at the latest, at 20 years of age in 1914. Obertelegraphensekretär translates to senior telegraph secretary, A relatively low-ranking civil service position.

These photographs really caught my attention... King George V and Czar Nicholas II.

A card used to apply for medals, in this case, for the army. Also, the "transmittal slip" typically sent to Merchant Navy medal recipients. Source: http://www.bbrclub.org/The Historical Background to the Manufacture and Distribution of the Campaign Medals for WWII..htm