paul wood

Thanks Nick,

The lateral side of my brain had gone to sleep, thank you for the compliment.

Paul

Nick

Marvellous picture, do you think it is a Great War or a Civil War period photo. If Civl War it would probably make more sense of the second 1st Class, especially as the cossacks were major players and a lot of decorations were awarded during the period. Civil war decorations as you know are extremely interesting but also a potentiial mine field. Maybe someone one day will publish a definitive work on the series.

Maybe I'm being thick but where do the crutches come in.

Paul

Nick

Third attempt at trying to reply (nothing to do with GMIC) I have a new computer which is possessed by Satan.

More info, is the 5th award a second award of the First Class Cross, if so must be horrendously rare (until certain members of the Russian trade miraculously try to reproduce it).

Look forward to hearing.

All the best,

Paul

From my point of view I would respectfully agree to differ. When I am researching an historical event I attempt to strip away the veneer of interpretations placed at a later time and try and see events as they were viewed at the time, surprisingly I often find it makes more sense of the later events than current interpretatons. While later events are bound to creep in ones thoughts it is often instructive to try and eliminate them and get back to the time of the event

There are many schools of historical thought (just as each religion has its miriad of sects) and they all have their followers and validity and there are those who would disagree with my views wholeheartedly.

If you ever get bored and want a really good belly laugh, many years ago there was a (spoof) critique of Winnie the Pooh. The Christian and Marxist interpretations are a real scream, alas I don't have it any more, like many books I owned I lent it to some one many years ago and that was the last I ever saw of it.

If any one can locate it I would love to read it again.

All the best,

Paul

If me memory serves me well section 19 involves quarrels and disturbances not involving insubordination to officers but I may be wrong.

If circumstances, especially the the warlike policies of Poincare and post 1913 Russia, had not conspired to cause Sarajevo to escalate into global conflict. Sarajevo would have become (and very nearly did) the 3rd Balkan War and had that been the case, it would have been little more than an incident in 20th century history which apart from a few people specifically interested in Balkan history would have merited little study, like the 2nd Balkan war it would have gone into the sideshow shelf. While there is a lot of good points made in the previous post one should be careful of looking at events with a hindsight which the protoagonists of the time did not possess.

All the best,

Paul

And lets not forget the the RHA.

Paul

Here is a list of the BMP medals in my collection. Hopefully within the next month I will be able to get images of the pieces (work permitting "laborare morire est").

IGS 1854, 2 clasps, Burma 1885-87, Burma 1887-89 (Sepoy
Bugga Singh, Mily Police Bn. Pyinmana)

IGS 1854, 2 clasps, Chin-Lushai 1889-90, Lushai 1889-92
(Havr. Sueraj Chattu, Surma Valley Mil. Police)

IGS 1854, 3 clasps, Burma, 1885-87. 1887-89, 1889-92 (1066
Pte. Jowala Singh 11 Yamethin Mily. Police Bn)

IGS 1854, 1 clasp, Chin Hills 1889-92 (565 Indar Schwebo
Mil. Police Bn.)

IGS 1854, 1 clasp, Kachin Hills (1666 Sepoy Hazara Singh,
Chin Levy Mil. Police)

IGS 1854, no clasp (but Kachin Hills entitlement) (2161 Pte
Shah Hussain B.M. Police)

B.W.M. (Mochi Sundar Singh Myit Bn. B.M.P)

Victory Medal (Gunkahar Singh, C.H. Bn. B.M.P.)

The no clasp Kachin Hills is an amusing tale. It was in the DNW December 2007 auction with clasp, I was the underbidder, it was bought by a dealer who needed a Kachin Hills class to complete a very expensive officers group. After he had removed the clasp he
gave me the medal as a gift, which means I am hoping one day a Kachin Hills clasp will appear on the market so I can restore it to its former glory. If any member ever sees or hears of one I will be eternally grateful.

All the best,

Paul

Really nice pair of miniatures, can you give me details of the marks on the reverse of the badges.

All the best

Paul

Thanks for that, interesting, a narrative photo album, I will have to see if I can download the book listed at the back "Dogs for a Hot Climate" I bet that's a right rivetting read.

Paul

Surely even some of the more moronic E-bay trawlers wouldn't fall for that.

Paul

Marvellous what information on at first what seems to be a relitavely humble Brtish War Medal. a superb acquisition be interesting if one could find out his career post FO courier (I doubt if he would h ave been in Germany in 1941 and still in the post. Fascinating).

Paul

Musketry training, BMP.jpg

Demonstrating fire positions. The bugler is there to sound 'Commence Firing' or 'Cease Firing'. He also raises the flag when firing is suspended.

A useful book for understanding the formation of the BMP is: The Pacification of Burma by Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite.

It is freely downloadable here: http://archive.org/details/pacificationofbu00crosrich

XXXXXXXX

Thanks for the comments on drafts, obviously drafts were formed by class to reflect the class structure of the unit being reinforced.

Harry thanks for that,

Alas sad individual that I am I will certainly read the book as I have a few medals in my collection to the Burma Military Police.

Paul

It has a lot of similarities to the Spanish order of the Yoke and Arrows (which bore the Falange badge) I suspect it is connected with the falange, possibly he served in Spain at some time during his career.

Paul

The auctioneers who would, if one were to come on the market, most likely handle it would be either Theis or Zeige. As far as I am aware the only German WWI Fieldmarshals batons to appear are Prussian. Surely the army at that level would be under central German control and presumably any post 1871 Fieldmarshal would be nominated by the Kaiser. I suspect that Bavarian Fiedmarshal's batons only exist prior to unification. I certainly have never seen one come up for sale. I expect that is why there have been no replies because no one on this forum has seen one. I'm not sure whether there is a military musuem in Munich, maybe they might be able to help.

Paul

Thanks for that,

I tried to organise that but my computer was not in the mood for doing it.

Paul

Thank you Demir,

Most informative as ever.

Paul

Demir, very interesting, were there any other varieties of packages for the official piece?

Paul

Ed Haynes late of this forum is really the main man on Afghani material, I suspect even he might find it challenging.

Paul

A bit of challenge for Owain as the language the medal is written is Pashtu rather than Arabic, the script is similar but otherwise its a bit like comparing English and Romanian.

Paul

The Turks were great ones for forging Sovereigns. The 1980's were particularly bad - so always check.

With this example you can see the base metal showing through.

There is one possibility - perhaps this was made in the 1st WW for distribution overseas - POW's etc.

The George 5th. head would be correct and the gold would have worn by now to this degree. Only a

thought - however, the lack of a date would prevent it ever going into circulation in the UK. Don't forget,

we didn't go off the 'gold standard until 1922. I would have thought a forgery made for general distribution

would have a date. Mervyn

Mervyn,

It's the post 1927 head. I supect it's the sort of thing you can pick up in the jewellery shops in Saudi today.

Paul

Interestingly the medal bears the toughra of Sher Ali (1863-66. 1868-79), who was ousted by the British in 1879 and died on the way to exile in Russian Turkestan.

As far as I am aware this is the earliest Afghanistani medal that I know of. Information on Afghani medals, especially the earlier pieces is virtually non-existent and there is no research lines available. It is possible that a member of this forum may be able to provide a translation, although it is not he easiest of languages to translate. It is quite possible that this medal was soldiers booty from the 2nd Afghan War. Whatever most interesting, The tiger's head blow the legend is reminiscent of the design on the Afghan stamps of the period.

If you PM me I will give you my E-mail address and if you can send me an image I may be able to get some help from other sources.

Paul

There is an interesting 18th century case of a forger who sent his son with a jug to the ale house to purchase beer, he gave his son a few of his recently made halfpennies to facilitate the purchase. When the boy handed the money over the landlord remarked that they were rather warm. The boy replied " of course they are my dad just made them." it shows how your children can get you into trouble.

Paul

Thank you Chris as an Indian Loony this article is of of particular interest (as well as the Muscat and the Baluchistan articles).

Paul

"What do you mean counterfeiting? You guys don't make three dollar bills!" - punch line to an old cartoon. I also recall, many eons ago, when Canada first issued the "coloured" (read "colourful") bills, the $20.00 note being the first. Some wag spent a half day on the street trying to get people, including an on-duty PC, to accept one, but with no luck. Stupidity cuts both ways.

As to hanging, bobbing 'bit's and so on, I have a clear (though still possibly incorrect) memory of a medieval case which popped up in a course on the history of English crime and criminals. The wife of the house was issuing false coin. was in fact notorious for it, but when the law showed up she simply pointed them to her husband. Poor weak females were deemed incapable of such sophisticated crimes back then. Couldn't vote either. The punishment for debasing the king's coinage back then? Having molten lead poured into your ears. Ouch!

In 1124 the coinage of England was so adulterated that Henry I ordered the moneyers of England to lose their right hand and be emasculated, the order was carried out (probably with some gusto) by Roger of Salisbury

Paul