Gunner 1

Officer ranks on VMs and BWMs (5). From top to bottom: LT.COL.; BRIG.GEN. I would be interested in any comments. Regards, Gunner 1

Officer ranks on VMs and BWMs (4). From top to bottom: MAJOR; MAJ; LT.COL.; LT-COL.

Officer ranks on VMs and BWMs (3). From top to bottom: CAPT. (With stop after rank); CAPT (without stop after rank); GAPT. (misspelling of CAPT); R.M. & CAPT. (Riding Master & Captain).

Officer ranks on VMs and BWMs (2). From top to bottom: 2.Lieut. with stops half-way up vertically; Lieut.; Q.M. & Lieut.

Officer ranks on VMs and BWMs (1). From top to bottom: 2.Lieut. (with stop after 'Lieut.'); 2.Lieut (without stop after 'Lieut'); 2-Lieut.

The following slides from the same talk are a preliminary study of naming on VMs and BWMs (4).

The following slides from the same talk are a preliminary study of naming on VMs and BWMs (3).

The following slides from the same talk are a preliminary study of naming on VMs and BWMs (2).

The following slides from the same talk are a preliminary study of naming on VMs and BWMs.

A variety not mentioned by Laslo which I refer to as the Type IR (Refurbished Victory Medal). The Type I medals were found deficient in two ways: (1) the dark, chocolate brown, sand-blasted surface was not artistically pleasing; and (2) the suspension was not strong enough to resist breaking. Because of this, those men issued the Type I medal were given the chance to return their medal for refurbishing (see my article on "The Type I Victory Medal, 1914-19" in the Journal of the Orders and Medals Research Society, September 2009, p. 145-152). The two medals illustrated below were both refurbished by removing the dark color (probably by sandblasting which removed much of the detail)and soldering to strengthen the suspension. Both medals were re-issued to the recipients in November 1920.

Comparisons of the Type I and Type II Victory Medals (4):

Comparisons of the Type I and Type II Victory Medals (3):

Comparisons of the Type I and Type II Victory Medals (3):

Comparisons of the Type I and Type II Victory Medals (2):

Comparisons of the Type I and Type II Victory Medals (1):

Some slides from a Power Point seminar talk that I gave at the 2010 OMSA Convention on Great War medals including the different types of British Victory Medals (copyright and all rights of publication for posts #2-#17 reserved by the author):

I thought the 'GI' stood for Graco Awards of Tomball, Texas?

That is why I gave up collecting both Third Reich and U.S. medals over 50 years ago!!! Gunner 1

John Arthur Leppla went missing in action on 26 November 1942 and was never found. Gunner 1

According to Jeff Floyd in United States Decorations Awarded to the British Army and Commonwealth Armies in World War II 989 Bronze Stars were awarded to officers and men of the British and Commonwealth Armies during World War II. Gunner 1

I am not an expert on the Bronze Star, but I have owned five OBE or MBE groups with US Bronze Stars awarded to British officers and in every case the Bronze Star was named to the recipient. I would be very carefully about any group of this type where the Bronze Star is not officially named. Regards, Gunner 1

Is it possible that the MC after Major Patten's name is a post-nominal for the British MC. During World War I the British Army had a shortage of medical officers and quite a few US Army medical officers were attached to the British Army and a number of them were awarded the Military Cross. Gunner 1

Captain Ronald Cameron Bentley Born on 2 July 1892, the son of William Bentley, JP and his wife, of Mansion House, York Educated at Mill Hill School from Third Term, 1906 to July 1910 and at Queen's College, Cambridge (BA, 1915) Served as a Lieutenant, PWO Yorks Regt in France during the Great War Twice wounded. The first and fourth references below indicate that he was a prisoner of war during the Great War but their is no RC Bentley listed in the fifth reference. There is though a Lieutenant of the Yorkshire Regiment listed in the fifth source (below) as Lieut. A C Bentley which I am rather sure is him. If so, he was take prisoner on 26 September 1915 and repatriated on 6 January 1919. Prior to World War II he lived at Muron, The Ball, Minehead, Somerset Served as a Captain in the Green Howards and died while on active service at Bangalore, India on 25 August 1941. His brother, Lieutenant Clarence Leslie Bentley of the Manchester Regiment was killed in action of 28 October 1914 The photo of Captain Ronald Cameron Bentley is from the third mentioned source. Sources: Book of Remembrance and War Record of Mill Hill School 1914-1919; The Register of Mill Hill School, London 1807-1926; The Book of Remembrance and War Record of Mill Hill School, 1939-1945; The War List of the University of Cambridge 1914-1919; List of British Officers Taken Prisoner in the Various Theatres of War between August, 1914 and November 1918. Regards. Gunner 1

Paul R wrote: "It is interesting to see a Polish Officer with Soviet Awards. I wonder how this came to be?" Actually many Polish officers received Soviet decorations during World War II and many Soviet officers received Polish decorations. In the last few years of the war there were two Polish armies: the Polish Army in Exile that was headquartered in London and the Polish People's Army which fought with the Russians. Gunner 1

slava1stclass wrote: I have copies of General Orders giving the citations for 46 Distinguished Flying Crosses and eight Air Medals that were awarded to Soviet officers in 1944 and 1945. I do not know if that is the total number or just a part of those awarded. Gunner 1