oamotme

Gentlemen,

Further details concerning the recipient - with many thanks to Jim Routledge.

He was John Richmond Marchant - born 18 Oct 1907.  His RAF number was 364189 & he enlisted as a Halton Apprentice (9^th Entry) in September 1923.   Commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Tech Eng Branch from the rank of Flt Sgt 19 Dec 1941 – London Gazette entries 5 May 1942, p.1973 & 2 June 1942, p. 2377.  (Why there are be two entries is unknown.)  He reached the rank of substantive Sqn Ldr 1 Jan 1949 & retiring 18 Oct 1956. He did not qualify for the British General Service Medal,  clasp "Northern Kurdistan", but did qualify for the Iraq Active Service Medal, clasp "Southern Kurdistan1930-31". His full medal entitlement would include a selection of WW2 medals (at least 1939/45 Star & Defence / War Medals) & probably a RAF LSGC medal. His record of service would provide more details. Whilst he was initiated a member of the Ninak Lodge in 1932, by this date the DH9As, after which the Lodge was named, had departed Iraq.

Regards,

Owain

 

Gentlemen,

 

On receiving the jewels I thought Ninak was somewhere in the Middle East although the name did not sound familiar. A quIck online search revealed that Ninak was the name given to the RAF Airco DH 9A light bomber biplane - taken from the phonetic designation of Nine A. It saw service from 1918-1931 with five RAF Squadrons serving service in the Middle East. See  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airco_DH.9A . Further research will hopefully identify where the Ninak Lodge was established.

 

The other three jewels of the group are as follows:

 

Sudan - Obverse suspension, "Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes". Obverse jewel, "Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes Khartoum Sudan", with a central camel similar to the design of the badge of the Sudan Defence Force. Reverse - "Presented to Bro. J.R. Marchant By The Khartoum Temperance Lodge No. 8310".  Jewel is of gilded base metal with the makers name, "L. Simpson & Co.56 York Road King's Cross N1". The ribbon colours are those of the RAF. 

 

Palestine - Obverse suspension, "Palestine". Obverse jewel, "Province of Palestine", with a central castle or fort, no doubt representing a location in Palestine - perhaps Kerak Castle? Reverse - "Brabason Rees Lodge No. 6009 Bro. J.R. Marchant Member of the Palestine Province".  Jewel is of silvered base metal with the makers name, "Fattorini & Sons Bradford House Birmingham". 

 

Iraq - Obverse suspension, "Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes". Obverse jewel, "Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes S.T.B. Iraq", (S.T.B. is unknown) with a central design of a palm tree, a fort, and I think, the Great Arch at Ctesiphon. Reverse - "Bro. ----------Member of the RAOB, GLE in Iraq".  Jewel is of gilded base metal with the makers name, "L. Simpson & Co. King's Cross N1". The ribbon colours are the the Iraqi flag colours.

 

I will endeavour to track down Marchant's RAF career.

 

Kind regards,

Owain.

 

 

 

 

 

Gentlemen,

 

This time a group of 6 jewels from the 1930s to a J.R. Marchant - almost certainly a member of the RAF. The group includes 1st (Kangaroo), 2nd ( Certified Primo) & some country specific jewels.

 

1st Kangaroo - standard format - obverse inscription "Ninak Lge. No.5201". Reverse inscription, "Presented to

 Bro. J.R. Marchant. Initiated in the Ninak Lodge No. 5201 on the 24 July 1932". The jewel is of silver-gilt with hallmarks - for silver, Chester, date letter 'H' for 1933. Manufacturer's initials appear to be G.U. (George Unite).

 

2nd Certified Primo - standard format - obverse inscription, "Ninak Lge. No. 5201". Reverse inscription, "Presented to Bro. J.R. Marchant C.P. by the Ninak Lodge No. 5201 Certified on the 27 May 1934". The jewel is of silver-gilt with hallmarks - for silver, Chester, date letter 'J' for 1933. Manufacturer's initials appear to be G.U. (George Unite).

 

Egypt Jewel - with "Donor" clasp. Reverse reads, "Member of the Province of Egypt Bro. J.R. Marchant Ninak 5201". The jewel appears to be of gilded base metal with the makers mark, "Fattorini & Sons Bradford House Birmingham".

(A poorer quality example of this particular jewel has been previously posted.)

 

More to follow tomorrow.....

Owain

 

 

Gentlemen,

 

Another internet image - of a pendant - obverse only - Sands of Arabia Lodge. The number is unclear but possibly 9962 - Arabian numerals have been used. From the depiction of the crescent, palm tree and crossed swords I would infer that this lodge was based in Saudi Arabia - no doubt on on of the British aerospace bases. I cannot make out what the 'pillar' to the right of the central disc is.

 

Regards,

Owain

Gentlemen,

Further to my post of 7 June 2020 I have recently obtained a RAOB Bahrain Island Lodge No. 9167. Sadly it is not named nor marked. The pendant is nicely enamelled - the white & red colour scheme is a 'nod' to the national flag of Bahrain, whilst the palm trees are a generic symbol of the Arab world. I am unaware as to the significance of the green and yellow colours of the ribbon - perhaps green for the palm trees and yellow for sand?

Regards,

Owain

Gordon,

Thanks for this addition to the thread. At one stage I considered collecting this series of medals but came to the conclusion that yet another focus of collecting would be too distracting.

Owain

Gentlemen,

Another Egypt based jewel from Ismailia - Lodge No. 10179 - a British operated RAF base from about 1916 through to 1956. The jewel image is from E-Bay - sadly poor definition and no image of the reverse - manufacturer stated to be Parry of Birmingham.

Regards,

Owain

Gentlemen,

 

Not my usual focus, but I came across this in a miscellaneous auction mix of badges, etc.

 

It is, I believe, a WW2 ARP (Air Raid Precautions) shelter identification badge - approx. 27mm diameter. 

 

I have no knowledge of such badges and it maybe, perhaps, a locally made badge allocated to children (&/or adults) to ensure they went to the correct shelter.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Regards,

 

Owain

 

 

Gentlemen,

 

Another UK auction UK offering - RAOB Lodge RAF Aboukir No.3739

Aboukir is on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt and the bay in the Nile Delta is known for a sea battle of 1798 when the British Navy, under Nelson, defeated the French navy.

The obverse depicts a seaside fort (at Aboukir?). The reverse is not seen.

The ribbon appears to be red, white & black - the colours of the Egyptian Republic flag. NB It appear that RAF Aboukir closed in 1947 - see Wikipedia entry below - and thus it may be that the RAOB Lodge was relocated either in Egypt or perhaps post 1952 Coup to Cyprus.

The device on the ribbon may be a stylised RAF Gloster Javelin aircraft.

 

Regards,

 

Owain

 

PS From Wikipedia: 

Royal Air Force Aboukir or more simply RAF Aboukir is a former Royal Air Force base located 6.6 miles (10.6 km) northwest of Kafr El-Dawar and 7.2 miles (11.6 km) east of Alexandria, Egypt. Between 1916 and 1947 a number of units and squadrons were based there, including the central depot for RAF Middle East until 12 November 1939.

 

 

 

I agree with Megan - having to change from dark to light every time I sign in to GMIC is tedious and would prefer it to revert to light mode  - however I'm not waking up a 3am worrying about it. Owain

Hi Svapr,

It is part of a lapel badge of office of a member of the Municipal Council of Alexandria, established in 1950 - it reads:

'Al Majlis Al Baladi b'l Iskandriya' (literally - The Popular Council of Alexandria).

Your picture is unclear but is the badge is missing its backing staves? See image of complete badge - reverse not seen - or is yours just a star? Can you post a picture of the reverse?

Regards,

Owain

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Yasser,

I was in contact with your father Abdorahman back in 2014/15 about your grandfather and based on his recollection and some research I had an article published in September 2016in the Journal of the UK Orders & Medals Research Society (OMRS). One of my staff in Riyadh acted as an interpreter between us - I am now back in UK.

I detail the article below.

Kind regards,

Owain.

 

The Bronze British War Medal 1914-20 to the Aden Labour Corps

 

The Great War Medal – Aden Labour Corps

 

Owain Raw-Rees, OMRS 3088

 

 

Abdu Mohammed Salwi, 1924 © Abdorahman Salwi

 

In the summer of 2014 I was contacted by Abdorahman Salwi, a Yemeni gentleman resident in Jeddah, concerning the award of the Bronze Great War Medal by the British Government to his late father. He enquired whether as a recipient of this medal there was any entitlement to a pension or any other payment. I advised him that, as far as I was aware, when his father left the service of the Aden Labour Corps (ALC) he would have received his final wages and his service book - there would have been no pension. Abdorahman had in his possession:

 

·         Bronze Great War Medal - impressed ADEN L. C.

·         Service Book - noting General No. 932; Enrolled - Aden, 8 August 1918; Class - Labour Corps; Name - Abdu; Father’s Name - Mohammed Salwi; Rate of Pay - Rupees 15; Comments – “Quite a suitable N.C.O. A well behaved man.” Dated 24 February, 1920, and signed A.H. MacGuffie, Captain Commandant, ALC, Aden Field Force.

·         Certificate – “for a temporary follower to enable him to obtain any medal or clasp which he may have earned on field service”. This notes Salwi “was attached to the Aden Labour Corps with the Aden Field Force from 8 August 1918 to 29 February 1920”.

 

Online access to Abdu Mohammed Salwi’s medal card at the Public Record Office confirmed that the Bronze War Medal was his sole entitlement.

 

Bronze War Medal Card & © Abdorahman Salwi

 

Further to conversation with Abdorahman I was able to compile a brief biography of his father. Abdo Mohammed Salwi was born in 1898 at Jebel As-Salow near Ta’iz in the south of the Imamate of Yemen. As a young man he had a falling out and a fight with a brother and fearing his father would punish him he fled southwards across the border to Aden. He obtained employment as a tea boy with a British military officer and one day on accompanying him to a military range where poor marksmanship was evident he demonstrated, through an unconventional firing position, that he was a good shot by hitting the center of the target - he was asked to do this again. Later he was asked to come to the military encampment and was offered employment with the Aden Labour Corps and he reached the rank of Lance Naik (Lance Corporal) and assisted in training. His son relates a story of him meeting his officer – probably Captain MacGuffie who commanded the ALC, whilst formally dressed in his weekend prayer best dress and was asked to go to the local market to obtain similar outfits for the other members of the Aden Labour Corps.

 

Following his release from service with the Aden Labour Corps in 1920 he remained in Aden, but in 1924, seeking employment, he travelled to the Hijaz (now the Western Province of Saudi Arabia) and obtained work through the Yemeni Bin Mahfouz company in the construction of the Al Hawia Palace in Taif under the then new Sultan of Nejd and Hijaz, Abdulaziz Al Saud. (In 1932 Abdulaziz became King of Saudi Arabia.) Abdo was later employed by a French maritime company in Djibouti where he worked during the Second World War. At the end of the war he travelled on their vessels transporting phosphates from Casablanca in Morocco to Japan. He then returned to Saudi Arabia and during the reign of King Saud (1953 -64) worked in the Ministry of Finance and obtained de facto Saudi nationality. With the accession of King Faisal the Saudi government reviewed its nationality regulations and as Abdo could not substantiate his claim to Saudi nationality he returned to Yemen. He died in Sana’a, the capital of the Republic of Yemen, in 1985. During his life Abdo was twice married and had three sons and four daughters.

 

With regard to the medal whilst the engraving on the medal itself only designates the unit, on referring to the medal roll the names of the individuals are given and out of the 942 recipients of the medal, the majority were designated Labourers. The remaining ranks are as follows:

 

·         Jemader           Junior Commissioned Officer x 1 (1374 Abdullah Hassan Abdul Hadi)

·         Havildar          Sergeant x 8 (Including 1 x Acting Havildar)

·         Naik                Corporal x 16

·         Lance Naik      Lance Corporal x 25 (Including 932 Abdu Mohammed Salwi)

·         Head Clerk      1 (1376 Syed Mohammed Ali Hussain

·         Clerk               1 (1377 Mahomed Said Awun)

·         Sweeper          4 (Including 1417 Budhoo)

·         Tailor               1 (1382 Ishaq Abdullah)

·         Servant            2 (1386 Ali Mohamed Yemani & 1387 Said Ahmed Jebali)

·         Ward Orderly  1 (26 Othman Said Habeshi)

·         Servant            1 (No number - Mohammed Ismail Somali)

 

The names of the recipients can be split into approximately five groups:

 

·         Tribal                         Yafai, Audali, Alowi, Dthali, Habeshi, etc.

·         Geographical             Somali, Yemani, Mukalla (Coastal Town), Dunkali (in NE Africa),

Jebali (Jebel = Mountain) & Salwi (after Mount Salow).

·         Familial                      Noman, Bagad, etc.

·         Patronymic                Ahmed bin Ahmed, etc.

·         Simple                         Ali Abdulla, Qassim Ghalib, etc.

 

And sometimes a combination of such names such as Ali bin Mohammed Mukalla - i.e. Ali Son of Mohammed from Mukalla, or Ahmed bin Ahmed Shebani - i.e. Ahmed son of Ahmed of the Shebani tribe.

 

According to ‘British Battles and Medals’ the medal, “was issued in bronze to Chinese, Maltese, Indian and other native Labour Corps and also to other native personnel who were mobilized for war service and received pay at military rates.” In comparison to the Silver War medal where some 6,100,000 medals were issued the Bronze Medal is a comparatively scarce award with some 251,000 medals being issued to the various Labour Corps. Known units are designated on the medals as follows: - ADEN L.C., A.B.C. (Army Bearer Corps - an Indian Army designation), CHINESE L.C.; E.L.C. (Egyptian Labour Corps); MACEDONIAN M.C. (Macedonian Mule Corps); MALTESE L.C.; S.A.N.L.C. (South African Native Labour Corps) and 2 L.C. (Second Labour Corps - an Indian Army designation). See Appendix A for a more detailed listing of units.

       

 

Bronze War Medal 1914-19 Obverse & Reverse © Downies Auctions

 

The ALC would have worked in support of all military activity in Aden during the latter part of the war. I have referred to, “The Diary of Aden Troop 1914-18” (Allahabad Press, 1921) and “A Military History of Aden” (David Eldred, 1967) but neither include any references to the ALC. Similarly there is no reference to any ALC burials in various Commonwealth War Grave publications – any deaths in service would have been attended to by immediate burial in local Muslim cemeteries. Further to details given in Abdu’s service book I was able to obtain on line some biographical details of the Commander ALC.

 

Capt., later Lt. Col., The Revd. Alexander Henley MacGuffie, MBE, c. 1888 - 1983.

© http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/69491560/person/30197809802b

 

Capt. MacGuffie’s War Medal Card © PRO

 

Lt. Col. The Revd. Alexander Henley MacGuffie, MBE, first saw service overseas with 1st Battalion the Border Regiment in March 1908 – he also served in the Dardanelles. He joined the Aden Field Force in Aden in 1916 and commanded, as a Captain, the ALC until its disbandment in 1920. He was promoted to substantive Captain, Royal Engineers (Indian Army) 24 October 1921. Following home leave he returned to Aden as Garrison Engineer and in June 1922 married Edel, a Danish missionary in Aden, before returning to England. Subsequently he was posted to India 1924-31 and was employed as a Garrison Engineer in the Punjab. According to the family history he was appointed MBE in 1930 for “civil engineering work with the Indian Army” – see Appendix B. He retired from the Indian Army in 1935. He returned to Aden as a Missionary on 31st May 1936 and was initially attached to the Danish Mission. During World War Two he raised and commanded the Arab Pioneer Corps. He was ordained Deacon in Aden on 19 March 1944 and then as a priest in Cairo Cathedral on Trinity Sunday, 27 May 1945. From 1945-50 he was Chaplain of St. Mary’s Aden Garrison Church. After the closure of the church in 1950, MacGuffie established the House Church in the Mission Station. He left Aden in May 1952 and was appointed in 1954 to Cumberland in the north west of England as Curate of St. Luke’s, Haverigg, and from 1956 to his retirement in 1973 as Vicar of Mungrisdale. He had been transferred in 1923 to India as a Garrison Engineer in the Punjab. Whilst entitled to the War and Victory Medals, the reverse of his War Medal Card notes, “entitled to the emblem” – to date I have been unable to ascertain what this emblem is.

 

In concluding this article I would note my thanks to Abdorhaman Ali Salam Al Selwi for providing the details of his father papers and medal and also for the biographical information about his father. I would especially thank my colleague Khalid Al Shuwaier who acted as interpreter.

 

Appendix A - Bronze War Medal – Known Units (N.B. This is not a definitive listing)

Africa

African Native Medical Corps

Auxiliary Horse Transport (Cape Boys)

Basutoland Native Labour Contingent

Belgian Oxen Transport (East Africa)

East Africa Military Labour Corps

Egyptian Labour Corps

Nigeria Carrier Corps

Sierra Leone Carrier Corps

South African Native Labour Corps

Uganda Carrier Corps

Uganda Transport Corps

 

Asia

Aden Labour Corps

Ceylon Sanitary Company

Chinese Labour Corps

Chinese Porter Corps

Indian Jail Porter Corps

Indian Labour Corps

Lahore Labour Corps

Manipur Labour Corps

Murree Cooley Corps

Peshawar Labour Corps

Seychelles Carrier Corps

 

Elsewhere

Fiji Labour Corps

Jewish Labour Corps

Macedonian Mule Corps

Maltese Labour Corps

 

Appendix B – Captain MacGuffie’s appointment to MBE

London Gazette, Supplement 23611, Page 3480 dated 3 June 1930. “To be Members of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order: Captain Alexander Henley MacGuffie, Royal Engineers, (Indian Army) Technical Officer (Works) Engineer-in-Chiefs Branch, Army Headquarters India.”

 

Bibliography

·         Aden Troop, “The Summary of the War Diary of Aden Troop 1914-18”, Allahabad Press, 1921.

·         Bronze British War Medal Units http://www.britishmedalforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=46913&hilit=labour+corps+bronze

·         Lord, Cliff & Birtles, David, “The Armed Forces of Aden and the Protectorate 1839-1967”, 2nd Edition, Helion & Coy. Ltd., 2011.

·         MacGuffie Papers, Middle East Centre, St. Anthony’s College Reference Code GB 0165 0194 http://www.mundus.ac.uk/cats/35/1232.htm

·         London Gazette – MacGuffie - Promotion to Captain https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32820/page/3222/data.pdf

·         London Gazette – MacGuffie – appointment to MBE https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33611/supplement/3480/data.pdf

·         Medal Roll for the Aden Labour Corps, reference WO 329/2368.

·         Medal image - http://www.downies.com/aca/auction309/Catalogue_004.html

Spink, “British Battles and Medals”, Editors, John Hayward, Diana Birch and Richard Bishop, Spink & Son Ltd, London, 2006.

·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hathorn_Hall

·         http://cosmos.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/php/authors.php?auid=28046

·         http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/69491560/person/30197809802b

 

© Owain Raw-Rees, August, 2015

 

 

 

Gentlemen,

 

Two further images - obverse only - taken from mixed lots on auctions sites :

 

"Sharaan Pride of Benghazi Lodge No 8368" - this disc has a picture of a building and "Benghazi 1952" - a different jewel to the other Sharaan jewel illustrated above - see post 4 July 2022 & 17 December 2020. 

 

A RAOB Korea Lodge No. 9648 jewel bearing the clasp "Twilight of Aden" - similar to that worn on the Aden Lodge jewel - see post 26 January 2020. Perhaps the recipient was based briefly at Aden during 1967?

 

Regards,

 

Owain

Gentlemen,

 

Further to my post of 25 June I detail below another Dhofar Bob Hunt Lodge No.10357 Jewel - in this instance the jewel bears the dog's head device. The piece is unmarked. 

 

Also illustrated is  another OURS (significance unknown) jewel - the reverse reads:

"Bro. H.J.Narraway Lawrence of Arabia  Lodge No.9850"

The makers mark is Parry of Birmingham.

 

Regards,

 

Owain

Hi, It appears to be a commemorative or souvenir medallion of the Iraqi Armed forces and dates from the 1958-63 Abdulkarim Qassem period. The text is blurred/unclear. From my notes the design on the reverse is an, 

"equilateral triangle written bearing the letter “J” in Koufic (old Arabic) script and represents the strength of the army and its merging with the people."

'J' is the first letter of jaish = army. Regards, Owain

 

Hi, Made by Arthus Bertrand of Paris - looks good but it is, I believe, the Order of the Republic not an order of merit. Regards, Owain

As a thought, and as a nod to the supposed streamlined future of the Monarchy, perhaps it should be limited to those actively involved in the organisation of the Coronation rather than, as Paul correctly notes, the truckload distribution of the Platinum Jubilee....or is this being a bit mean? Owain

Gentlemen,

I recently obtained a photocopy of this useful book. However pages 235 & 236 are missing  - designation of various Italian Somalia Fiduciary Administration awards.

Could any one who has a copy of this book let me have a scan of these two pages.

With grateful thanks in advance.

Owain

Hi, From my research notes - the order lapsed with the overthrow of Sallal in 1967. Owain

 

This was the junior order of the Yemen Arab Republic. The star and the badge of this five class order consist of a silver and silver-gilt ten pointed star of alternating smooth (gilded) and multifaceted rays, upon which is superimposed a ten pointed blue enamel star with a white centre of alternating points of fleur-de-lys and lotus design. In the centre, encircled by a line of beading, the inscription, “Ma’areb”. The reverse is blank, other than a silver hallmark and the Arabic name of the manufacturer. Suspension is by a silver fleur-de-lys affixed to the uppermost point of the badge. The sash ribbon is 100mm blue with 3mm red (outer) and 9mm yellow (inner) edge stripes. The neck and breast ribbon are 37mm in width. Bichay in April and May of 1964 manufactured the following:

 

Class             No.      Cost                            Badge             Star

1^st Class        40        at EP35 each.              60mm              90mm

2^nd Class       80        at EP30 each.              60mm              80mm

3^rd Class        110      at EP12 each.              60mm

4^th Class        140      at EP8.50 each.           50mm

5^th Class        140      at EP7.50 each.           45mm

Hi, The circular medal has the word 'sadaqat' in an Arabic format script which probably translates as 'sincerity' or 'fidelity'. (There is an Afghan medal of the same name.) I cannot properly read the script on the crescent and of course it may be a transliteration of a word from the Uighur or Kazak language. The word appears to reads 'alataliq' which could mean 'champion' which seems appropriate, but this is a translation from Urdu and may be wholly incorrect. Regards, Owain

Nick,

A note to thanks & appreciation for what  you do. Whilst I am a loyal member of both OMRS & OMSA, GMIC is my 'go to site' especially for non-UK awards. The membership has a wealth of expertise which they are most generous in sharing with others. Thank you. I am happy to support what ever practical decisions you take.

Owain

Gentlemen,

 

Further to my post of 17 December 2020 I have obtained an example of the Sharaan Pride of Benghazi 8368 jewel. It is of hallmarked silver by FC Parry of Birmingham with a 'S' date letter for 1967.

 

To date no progress with the meaning or significance of the word Sharaan.

 

Owain

Nubirus,

This is from the Egypt Arab Republic (Jumhuriya Masr Al Arabiya).

Some manner of presentation gift - not a badge or order.

Owain

Gentlemen,

Further to my post of 20th January 2021 the Lodge No. 9721 200th Anniversary jewel is for the Bob Hunt of Dhofar Lodge No. 9721 noted above - a nice pair - combined photo to follow in due course.

Owain 

Gentlemen,

Further to my post of July 2020 I have now obtained an example of the Bob Hunt jewel:

 

Obverse - 'Bob Hunt of Dhofar Lodge No. 9721'.

Reverse  - Plain other than makers mark 'Parry B'ham'.

 

As noted previously I have no idea as to who Bob Hunt was. The eagle suspension indicates that it was a RAF Lodge and probably based in Salalah - the main town/port of the Omani Governate of Dhofar Governate. The device (decal) on the ribbon appears to be a dog's head.

 

Regards

Owain