Gunner 1

In 1888 "F/1" would be a field battery - F Battery, 1st Brigade, RA which in that year was at Neemuch and commanded by Captain W L Hutchinson.  During the Great War it was designated as 26th Battery RFA,

The War Office List of 30 April 1917 indicates that "The award of 10 Distinguished Conduct Medals sent to the Japanese government was reserved by them until the end of the War." If these were eventually awarded they would have been unnamed. 

It is the Russian Medal for the Persian War 1826-1828.  Comes in two sizes: 21mm and 25mm. Whether it is genuine or a copy I have no idea.  The Russian medals of this period have been quite often faked.

Gunner 1

As Tony indicates, it is very difficult to determine when the BWM and VM were issued to British other ranks as the medal index cards and medal rolls for other ranks do not usually list the date of issue.  On the other hand the medal index cards and medal rolls for British officers each give the date of issue. If the date of issue shown is prior to 1 January 1921 then the VM is most likely a Type I or Type IR;  if the date of issue is on, or after, 1 January 1921 then the VM is almost always a Type II VM.  I have seen a few VMs to other ranks which include a receipt form or the medal in the paperwork accompanying the issue of the medal which include the date of issue on the form.

I think that I have mentioned this previously, but I have a number of blogs on the Orders and Medals Society of America website http://www.omsa.org/category/blog/british-post-1902/   that give extensive information on the various types of British Victory Medals, the naming on these medals and statistics on the numbers issued.

oliver860:  The photos are not of high enough resolution to determine which type you have. The characteristics that distinguish a Type 1 from a Type II British Victory Medal cannot be determined from the images you post.

What color is the solder that holds together the two ends of the suspension ring together?  It is hard to determine from the photos.

If I were you I would send the item to Chris Dixon to be repaired,  He has done a number of suspension replacements for me at what I thought was a very reasonable price.  He usually has the needed parts available.

Dixon's website:  https://www.dixonsmedals.co.uk/

The Soviet aviator standing next to Baklanov is Aleksandr Ivanovich Pokrishkin, arguably the most famous Soviet fighter ace, who was the recipient of an American DSM along with three HSUs. 

The GSM you illustrate looks very shiny.  I wonder if it has not been lacquered to keep it from tarnishing and the black spots are areas where the lacquer has worn off and the silver is tarnishing. If this is the case you might try soaking the medal in acetone to remove the lacquer. Be very careful as acetone is very flammable.

Regards, Gunner 1

Nutlet:  Tony is correct.  You need to check his file at The National Archives. If you can't go yourself you need to have a researcher digitally copy his file for you.  If you need the name of a researcher PM me and I can give the name of mine who is quick and quite reasonable, usually charging £10-£20 for digitally copying the entire file unless it is extremely large.  What you need is the so-called "Casualty Form" which is light-blue colored and lists all of the officer's postings during the war.  He was originally commissioned into No. 4 Company, Hampshire RGA but as the "Arrival Form" that you posted in your Post #3 indicates, he was "Hants RGA, seconded got duty with the RGA" which usually means that he was serving with on the Western Front with a regular RGA unit, rather than Territorian RGA unit.  Unfortunately quite a few siege and heavy batteries went to France and Flanders in early August 1916 (date he disembarked in France and Flanders). 

Regards, Dick Flory

Paul Wood wrote: "Basically Victory Medals to non-casualty corps members such as ASC, RE and RA tend to be the cheapest."

Paul:  I hesitate to take issue with a medal expert such as yourself but I find your comment above somewhat interesting as it refers to the Royal Regiment of Artillery as a "non-casualty corps." It is a regiment, not a corps, and it suffered 48,948 dead and 132,000 wounded during the Great War and 28,924 dead during World War II (casualty numbers from the RA Commemoration volumes for the two wars).

Regards, Gunner 1 (a proud American gunner)

Tim:  The service numbers of your Driver Tom Carrick are his pre-1917 and post-1917 Territorial numbers.  Prior to late 1916/early 1917 each Territorial Royal Field Artillery brigade used four-digit numbers for the other ranks of the brigade, but in late 1916/early 1917 there was a six-digit service numbers assigned to RFA TF personnel.  Each RFA TF brigade was issued a unique set of 5000 numbers that were used for the personnel of that brigade. Carrick was issued the four-digit number ("1839") when he enlisted, but in early 1917 was given a new six-digit number ("755409") which falls in the 755001-760000 range assigned to the 2nd Northumbrian Brigade, RFA TF.  During the Great War each RFA TF brigade had three lines, the first and second lines formed brigades that in most cases went overseas, while the third line remained in the UK and trained personnel many of whom later became replacements for the overseas brigades.  The 2nd Northumbrian Brigade, RFA TF formed two overseas brigades:

1. 1/2nd Northumbrian Brigade that in early 1917 was re-designated 251st Brigade, RFA TF in the 50th Division and went to France and Flanders on 20 April 1915.

2.  2/2nd Northumbrian Brigade that in early 1917 was re-designated 316th Brigade, RFA TF in the 63rd Division and went overseas on 3 July 1916.

As Carrick's six-digit number is 755409 and his medal index card indicates that he went overseas on 20 April 1915 it indicates that Carrick served on the Western Front with 251st Brigade, RFA TF.  The war diary of that brigade for the period Apr 1915 to Dec 1916 is available at TNA under WO 95/2818 and for the period Jan 1917 to June 1919 under WO 95/2819.

Tim:  It would be helpful if you could ask some questions concerning the parts of the medal index card that you don't understand but a few comments can be made:

1. There are three major types of cards:

a. Card for issuance of single 1914 Stars.  All details initially placed on the card are in black ink. Later information concerning the BWM and VM are in blue.

b. Card for the issuance of 1914-1915 Star as a single award. All original details are in red ink. Later information for the BWM and VM are usually in blue ink.

c.  Card for the issuance of the BWM and VM or for the issuance of the BWM and VM and a 1914 or 1914-15 Star issued together after late 1920. In all blue ink.

The 1914 Star card (1a above) show the name, rank and unit at the time the decoration was earned and also for the time of the award of the Star and often show any post-nominals. They also show the date of issuance of the Star and the BWM and VM, the date bar ("Clasps and Roses" or "C & R") and MiD emblems ("Emblems").  At the bottom is the date of disembarkation.  For officers the reverse shows the date of application for the Star, the date the officer returned the EF9 form (lists of services) and the address of the officer.

The 1914-15 Star card (1b above) has the name of the recipient, and ranks (if more than one rank is listed the rank on each of the medals is indicated by symbols such as an "X"  or an "X" with dots between the arms next to the rank and the medal with that rank. The medal roll for reference and the date of issuance are shown as is the disembarkation (qualifying date) for the 1914-15 Star and theatre. The reverse of many of the medal index cards for officers often show the date of application for the star, any recommending authority, the date the EF9 was submitted and an address for the officer. Emblems are indicated as in the 1a card.

The card for the issuance of the BWM and VM with, or without a Star, after late 1920 for officers has the name rank (if both a Star and the BWM,VM were issued together, the rank for each medal is indicated as in 1914-15 Star card (1b). Most cards show the medal roll reference for the awards and officers' cards sometimes have a date of disembarkation and theatre listed. Emblems are indicated as in the 1a card as are date bars for the 1914 Star date bar.

All three cards often indicate those died on service, often with a date, and officers promoted from the ranks.

I have necessarily generalized as there are numerous other variations in the medal index cards and what is listed on both the obverse and reverse of the cards can vary from card to card.  Note that the Ancestry index of medal index cards also includes Silver War Badge cards, mention in despatch cards and Military Medal cards.

Regards, Gunner 1

Lance Corporal S H G Elliott was reported missing in action in France on 21 June 1940 while serving with the 1st Bn, Oxfordshire and Buckingham Light Infantry, and later reported a German prisoner of war.  His WWII medals would be 1939-45 Star and 1939-45 War Medal along with the Efficiency Medal.  He most have enlisted in the RA after his release in 1945.

It was issued unnamed.  Sells for £25-£35 depending on condition.

Not sure to whom the tunic belonged.  I cannot find an "R H Clark" in the List of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery from June 1862 to June 1914.  There is a "Robert Henry Brent Clark" who was commissioned on 9 Jan 1900 and promoted Lieutenant on 3 April 1901, or it is possible the tailor misspelled the surname and it belonged to "Reginald Hugh Clarke" who was commissioned 12 Dec 1903 and promoted Lieutenant 12 Dec 1906.

Andreas:  Gantzer and Thomel are not on the list for the RVM.  I have no idea what you mean by the "Danish list" as I can not find any mention of it in any of the posts in this topic. I  though that you were seeking German recipients.  I am totally confused!

Regards, Gunner 1

The following awards of the Edward VII Silver RVM are the only ones listed in Royal Service, Volume I that could possibly have been awarded to a German:

• Parker, Benjamin, Racing Captain of HIM German Emperor's Yacht Meteor; HM sailing on Meteor at Cowes. 4 Aug 1904
• Parker, William, Racing Captain of HIM German Emperor's Yacht Meteor; HM sailing on Meteor at Cowes. 4 Aug 1904
• Butcher, George Alfred Clarke, Steward to HRH Princess Henry of Battenberg; HM dining at Osborne Cottage. 7 Aug 1904
• Buckingham, Charles Edmund, House Steward to HRH Prince Philip of Saxe Coburg & Gotha, HRH visit to Sandringham, 9 Nov 1906

Major Linwood Field was the Battery Commander of B Battery, 78th Brigade, RFA and Captain Paul Studholme Barker was the Battery Captain of B/78. Field and Barker along with Lieut. P H Chantril were killed by a direct hit by an enemy shell on their trench shelter

Field's DSO was gazetted in the London Gazette of 1 January 1918 - there is no citation.  His MC was gazetted in the London Gazette of 16 August 1917 " For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When his battery was under heavy shell-fire he ran out into the open with utter disregard for his own life, to dig out a man who had been buried by a shell. He also removed three wounded men to a place of safety."

Barker's MC was gazetted in the London Gazette of 17 December 1917 with the the citation on 23 April 1918 "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in running a wire to his battery observation post, maintaining communications all day and calibrating his battery under heavy hostile fire."

Nice bars.

These war diaries are also available on Ancestry and many of them may be purchased on The National Archives website for a modest fee.

Regards, Gunner 1

Danish collectors might be interested that the feature article in the September-October 2016 issue of JOMSA: The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America is "The Danish Defense Medal and Its Offshoots" by Ed Emering and Mads Rasmussen (p. 4 - 22 with 26 illustrations).  The issue goes to the printer on 1 September and will be in the hands of the membership approximately the third week of September.

Gunner 1

A nice group and very good research.  I may have missed it but I could not find mention of his unit, which was 103rd Brigade, RFA.

Can't comment on the authenticity but the award is to the major general commanding the 350th Rifle Division for the crossings of the Western Bug, San and Visla Rivers in July 1944. He also received three Orders of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov, 2nd Class, two Orders of Patriotic War, 1st Class and some foreign medals.

I know absolutely nothing about this subject but they appear similar to a stadia rod or aiming post.