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    GRA

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    Posts posted by GRA

    1. The 31st Air Assault Battalion having recently (officially) changed designation to 31st Ranger Battalion, individuals are now eligible for local validation for the Army Ranger tab. As the regiment hasn't had any Ranger battalions for 20-ish years, the Army Ranger tab wasn't awarded locally though training was equivalent to the Army Ranger Battalion in Arvidsjaur.

      The unit insignia is worn on the left arm, the tab on the right.

       

      20230521_144250.thumb.jpg.e79abf42f150c26f3bafd8cbc7931751.jpg

    2. As stated above, fanjunkare rank slides of technician/engineer branch. They remind me of a version of rank slides in use in the '80s when I was in the Swedish Air Cadets. The rank was abolished for regulars in the early '80s (it has since returned), with fanjunkare being promoted to officer rank (1st Lt?), so they would have been used before 1982-ish. These slides were used on working dress, not on battle dress (m/59).

      /Jonas

    3. 2 hours ago, BalkanCollector said:

      This is awesome! Thank you for the info!

      As far as I've understood, it is not uncommon in Finland for different military courses/schools to have a knife (well, scabbard...) manufactured as a souvenir. I can't remember whether I saw any when I was in Rovaniemi some 20 years ago (the Marttiini knife factory is in Rovaniemi). Maybe our Finnish members can shed some light on the matter?

      /Jonas

    4. On 07/08/2019 at 16:21, BalkanCollector said:

      Thank you very much for sharing this!

      Is this some kind of a knife in front? Can we see some detailed photos of it?

      It looks like one of these; https://www.marttiini.fi/epages/MarttiiniShop.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/MarttiiniShop/Products/240010  https://www.marttiini.fi/epages/MarttiiniShop.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/MarttiiniShop/Products/250010

      I have a 240 myself, minus the badges. Handy piece of kit. Michael, is the blade engraved?

      /Jonas

    5. According to "Battle Honours of the British and Commonwealth Armies" (Baker, 1986), 4/6 Rajputana Rifles was awarded the following battle honours: Alem Hamza (1941), Ruweisat Ridge (1942), El Alamein (1942), Matmata Hills (1943), Akarit (1943), Djebel Garci (1943) and North Africa 1940-43. MG/6 Rajputana Rifles was awarded Akarit (1943) and North Africa 1940-43. 17/6 was awarded North Africa 1940-43. I couldn't find any Indian units among the 1st Army battle honours, so I assume that all the above mentioned battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles would be entitled to the 8th Army clasp.

      /Jonas

    6. Hello Klaus!

      I have the very same patch somewhere in my collection too. I got it at the same time as the round one from a Swedish officer (he was Anti-Aircraft Artillery, if I recall correctly) in Southern Sweden. I know Sweden didn't contribute to that unit, but at the time some training was done in Sweden by UN/international units. That's why I think the round one has a Swedish connection, I might be wrong, though. This pennant... hmm... Polish unit pennant? I really don't know...

      /Jonas

    7. Could it be from one of the smaller principalities of Europe? I really don't know anything more than that if it would be Swedish, it would be of a very strange construction...

      The Order of Carl XIII is probably quite rare. Freemasonry-related, at least 36 years old (unless you happen to be one of the younger generation of Swedish princes!) and of Protestant faith. Total of 50(max) recipients alive?

      The fourth ribbon, the light blue with white stripes, what is it? Is it possible that the last ribbon has discoloured white stripes, or is it bleached yellow stripes?

      I hope you find out the origin of the bar. I'm sorry I can't help you more...

      /Jonas

    8. King Gustaf V died in 1950 and the commemorative medal of his funeral dates from 1951. Now, is that long enough ago to fit the age of the ribbon bar? Is it possible to date the ribbon bar by looking at the metal parts? In that case it might be possible to narrow down the number of monarchies (given that our monarchy theory is correct).

      As to Swedish ribbons in red, there's the Order of Carl XIII, a freemasonry-related order. If that is the ribbon concerned here, and the ribbon bar is not Swedish, the recipient has to be a Protestant. I can't find a Swedish ribbon that is light blue with white stripes with high enough precedence to make the green ribbon related to the Order of Vasa.

      I'm not an expert, but the precedence seems strange for a Swedish ribbon bar. To make the precedence work, it probably takes some clasps/rosettes on some of the ribbons (if it works at all).

      /Jonas

    9. Hello Chris!

      I don't think this is a Swedish ribbon bar.

      The green ribbon could well be the Order of Vasa, but the last ribbon can't be the Order of the Polar Star. The ribbon of the last was changed from black to blue with yellow borders in the 1970's and this ribbon bar seems a lot older. If it would be Swedish the ribbons you mention would be worn among the very first, not last. Also, I've never seen this style of ribbon bar worn in Sweden.

      The crown on the bar could indicate its origin in a monarchy? Maybe the crown indicating some sort of a court official? I would be somewhat surprised if a republic would approve of a crown in a design like that...

      /Jonas

    10. Owain, looking at the UN badge it looks entirely different on obverse/reverse. So, as you say, a trial piece might be the real truth? The more I look at it, the more questions I have! I'll try to track down a friend who served with the first Swedish UNEF rotation and see if he knows anything, the problem is that he's quite "stuck" into his Congo mission of the '60s...

      /Jonas

    11. "Swed Bn" seems like it means Swedish Battalion. I know that "SWEBAT" abbreviation was used in the Balkans, but I can't say which of all the possible spelling alternatives would be correct for the Swedish contribution to UNEF. "Bn" is the American abbreviation for battalion, right? The Swedish military abbreviation would be "bat". I would expect UNTSO to be an accompanied mission - in fact I know it was in the 80's since a former class mate of mine lived for a year in Cairo while his father served in that mission. Could it even be from the 70's and related to UNEF2? But, then, why not a "2" or "II" behind UNEF?

      /Jonas

    12. Hello Owain!

      I think the "YK-VAIMOT"- medal is Finnish. It seems like "YK" is the Finnish abbreviation for UN, and "vaimot" is Finnish for "wives". I'm quite certain that it isn't Swedish - my native language is Swedish! I can't speak for the Finnish medal, but the Swedish medal is not allowed to wear on uniform. In fact I've never even heard of it or seen one until now.

      /Jonas

    13. Looking at my own meagre personal collection of medals originating from Sporrong, gold plated silver (with oxidized surface) are marked "925" (for the silver content), silver (with oxidized surface) are hallmarked wih the "cat's foot" as well as "925" and silver plated base metal (with oxidized surface) has no stamps at all as to content. Those are of course of considerably later manufacture, but I'd say the markings would still have been the same during the whole of the 20th Century. Modern issue medals may differ as I believe the "cat's foot" are no longer mandatory.

      Stefan, if your medal doesn't have the "cat's foot" and the silver content markings, then it isn't made of silver, though it could be silver plated. I'm really curious as to what that silver medal of yours are made of!

      Mike, if you ever find out who was awarded that second silver medal, I hope you post the name in the thread!

      /Jonas

    14. 1 hour ago, Stefan said:

      I really hope that it is made of silver ;-)

      The brass weights 210 grams and the "silver" 310 grams. It is also about 1 mm thicker. There are no silver stamps, and no markings at all on their rims. I will try to visit a coin store on monday to see if they can help me with the metal.

      /Stefan

       

      Hello Stefan!

      If it is made by Sporrong in 925 silver, it'll be hallmarked accordingly (with the maker's mark, the Swedish "cat's foot" hallmark and the silver content). Otherwise silver plated.

      /Jonas

    15. 1 hour ago, John F. said:

      Jonas (aka: GRA) -  Thanks for the heads-up on the book "The Cavalry that Broke Napoleon"   I just ordered it from Amazon!

       

      John, you might also find "And They Rode On" by Michael Mann of interest. Published back in 1984, so it may be easier to find at the Queen's Dragoon Guards museum shop than at Amazon: http://www.qdg.org.uk/shop/qdg.php/products_id/236

      /Jonas

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