Ed_Haynes

Hi Ed - any chance of perhaps posting a scan of Hero of Labor 373 and 420 bio's from the book?

Those are the 2 Soyombos in my possession (no documentation unfortunately) and would be interesting to see what "hypothetically" could be the story behind these 2.

Thanks

The problem is that the award numbers and serial numbers in the Sky Blue Bible don't match, quite

The three I have:

#38 - 95.37

#52 - 109.51

#79 - 137.79

No one (so far) can quite figure out what these goofy serial numbers relate to.

The highest number in the serial numbers in the book is 381 (a 2006 award), so your 420 may well be an unissued Bank escapee. (Though they are still being awarded, I think.)

If (and this is a BIG IF) 373 is 373, then:

He is, indeed, a sepoy (= infantry private) in the 110th Maratha Light Infantry. In WWI they served in India and in Mespootamia and were captured at Kut.

There is no link between him and the fellow you found in the CWGC lists.

Cross your fingers while I dig out that Kut POW roll and check him . . . .

Paul gives a good overview. As a Naik in the immediate postwar period, he would probably have had wartime service. The 36th went overseas in WWI to China in Oct/Nov 1914, where half the battalion was engaged with the 2nd New South Wales Borderers in the capture of Tsingtao. Then to Mesopotamia to relieve the siege at Kut. Was in the 37th Brigade (Brig. F. J. Fowler) of the 3rd Indian Division (Maj-Gen. H. d'U. Keary). On 12 April 1916, the 3rd Division attacked Beit Aiessa; on the 17th, the main position was taken by the 7th and 9th Brigades.

36th:

5 Apr 1916: 13 BO, 18 IO, 639 OR

16 Apr 1916: 9 BO, 7 IO, 428 OR (33.7% casualties)

The unit suffered major casualties and had to be withdrawn to the lines of communication. After recuperation, to the North Persian Force.

So the group is probably missing a 1914-15 Star trio. LSGCs are in Army Orders in the Gazette of India and finding them is a true nightmare.

Figuring what happened to the records of disbanded regiments is difficult and it is even more difficult to determine what happened to the records of regiments that went to Pakistan in 1947. If the records survive (unlikely, I fear) they'd still be with the (some?) regiment.

A lovely pair, incomplete groups are common for Indian soldiers.

Yes, the Labor Hero entries are interesting. See, for example, the three that live with me:

Suuigiyn Gombo

Banzragch Es

Gombo Lodoikhuu

The less-than-exact match between the "Sky Blue Bible's" serial numbering and the award numbers makes it frustratingly confusing !!

Just to give you an idea what is in the book, a rough table of contents:

Hero - p. 4 - 58 recipients

Labor Hero - p. 22 - 381 recipients

Title of "People's" - p. 139 - 97 recipients

Title of Merit - p. 182 - 1662 recipients

Cosmonaut Badge - p. 712 - 2 recipients

Honorary Freeman - p. 714 - 1 recipient (of course)

State Prize (etc.) - p. 715 - 254 recipients

A really nice group, and on old (fragile) ribbons. An expert can advise on research, but it is often possible.

A posthumous OPW 2

Junior Sergeant Ivan Stephanovich Sheblikin, 62nd Self-Propelled Artillery Division

Thanks for this, Rick!

Thanks in advance for assistance.

And, finally.

Up the chain of command

Part 2.

Precis from the seller:

Research details how Uzbek Bazarbai Karmov was seriously wounded outside of Leningrad and awarded the Leningrad campaign medal. In MAR 45 when three of his comrades accidentally walked into a minefield, he cleared an 8m path to safety, clearing out 28 mines. With that kind of density, seems like more than one person was lucky that day.

Recommendation, part 1.

Award record card 2

As usual, no translations/summaries/anything . . .

Award record card 1

The award.

Photo (by Disney?).

Booklet with an incredibly bizarre photo which may be a later addition or a total fake (purchased on that stipulation).

Glory III #305987

Thanks, Ferdinand!

Ed,

Glad to help you out - that's why we're here. Nature of the stamps as well as "heavy" cursive. Unfortunately, our colleague usairforce has posted other items of this caliber in the past.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Thanks, 'slava', I appreciate this. I feel better in that the things you picked up on (all of them) were the same as what had bothered me. I might just be learning . . . .

I also recognise there is a thin line between educating ourselves and educating the fakers (so they do it better next time).

Yes, an Indian. Let me get what information I can for you.

See http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5086&st=18 and other various threads. I need to put up a more detailed commentary.

This is fake.

Regards,

slava1stclass

While I consider myself just learning in such matters, "slava", that was my "gut" feeling too. What markers prompt you to say this with such confidence?

It is my understanding that a lot gets sold to Russia, some to collectors with limited English, some to non-collectors (= investors). Also, even we on this sub-forum, seem to have lost a number of our 'regulars'.

I do know that things in Ulanbaatar are dry dry DRY (and I am not speaking of the winter).