JBFloyd

Gen Chafee's Imperial Order of the Dragon shows the Type 1 top bar. This piece shows the Type 2 top bar. This one was issued to an Arthur G. Vaughan and is numbered "439" on the reverse.

This is the "Imperial Order of the Dragon", founded for the enlisted men of the China Campaign. Gen Chafee, as commander of US Army forces in China, was invited to join as a mark of esteem.

Jeff, I've seen the piece several times and it's one of the few with intact ribbon and top bar. The way the ribbon folds is distinct to the Prendergast medal. At one time, Spink carried the book and I think Ray Holdich had a copy or two.

The Military Order of the Dragon was founded in the Forbidden City by American officers who had taken part in the fighting in China. Membership was open to US and allied officers and diplomats who had served in Peking and Tientsin during that period. The medals were struck by Bailey, Banks & Biddle, of Philadelphia, and are arguably the most dramtic design of any of the veterans' organizations of the era. Medal to British recipients are the most commonly found; those to Americans are much less common. While allied members are listed on the order's rolls, nobody has ever seen a piece to any other nationality. This looks like the medal to Major Prendergast, Royal Engineers, which is one of the illustrated examples in "American Society Medals: An Identification Guide", by Lee Bishop and J. Robert Elliott.

Military Order of the Dragon, an association of officers who took part in the allied operations in China in 1900. Check Google Books for the full roll of members, constitution, etc: http://books.google.com/books?id=xxYZAAAAY...B4z-5w&dq=% 22Military+order+of+the+dragon%22&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html Quite rare, especially when complete. The ribbon often is tattered because of the weight of the pendant and, as a result, the pagoda top bar is often gone.

There's a short-run (500 copies) squadron history, "Aegean Pirates", by Dr Stefaan Bouwer and Dr Gerald Thompson, which might have more details. There's one copy listed at www.ABE.com for $20 US, which strikes me as a very good price for any SAAF squadron history.

DFC in the LOndon Gazette 17 July 1945, pg 3683: One night in April 1945, this officer was detailed for a reconnaissance in the Padua area. A convoy of enemy transport was located. Whilst making his attack on this target his aircraft sustained serious damage and caught fire which spread from the cockpit and back along the fuselage. Lieutenant Bond gave the order to abandon aircraft. Although he had sustained burns to his face, hands and legs, Lieutenant Bond remained at the controls and kept the aircraft steady so that his comrades could leave with a greater measure of safety. The fire was growing in intensity. The cockpit became almost enveloped. Not until he was satisfied that his comrades had left would he leave the controls. As he prepared to leave himself, the aircraft exploded. LIeutenant Bond was thrown out. He had apparently been struck by a heavy piece of debris and rendered unconscious. Nevertheless his parachute opened in some way and he came down safely to the ground. It was here that he was found in a semi-conscious state and taken to hospital a short distance away. In hazardous cicumstances this officer set a magnificent example of courage, coolness and fortitude."

Ed can probably give a definitive answer, but I suspect wear accounts for the finish and a new ribbon accounts for the lack of stripes.

Afghan Medal for Combat Service. See OMSA data base: http://www.omsa.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=5

The St Sava grand cross, grand officer and commander badges range from 78x48mm to 91x52mm, so at 80x50mm it seems to be one of those.

As the Elizabeth Cross is awarded to the next-of-kin, the dead soldier's group is untouched. It just makes a larger family group.

The style and enameling (especially the wreath) look French to me.

The ribbon is unmounted and about 2 feet long.

The ribbon is unmounted and about 2 feet long.

A medal to Maj Gen Charles A. Willoughby, who was MacArthur's chief of intelligence.

And the reverse.

This is also a large (61mm) bronze medal with a 55mm-wide ribbon (white with purple edges). Any help appreciated.

And the reverse with the inscriptions.

Photos are of an unknown 67mm medal, which I assume to be a prize for something. The characters on the reverse are engraved, so probably relevant to the award or recipient. It is in a fitted case with a 45mm wide ribbon (white with green edges). Can anyone identify or translate all or part of it?

I never had a location on "The Beeches". I saw the medal at a show in London and just copied the info on the medal (and at this stage can't remember the piece at all).

There are quite a few local medals for WWI service. I've listed some below (very incomplete listing, not updated for several years). British local tribute medals fall into two categories: (1) Commercially-produced types, usually from larger towns; (2) Locally-made pieces, usually made from a coin or token, and engraved with the appropriate information. Accrington Allied Victory Medal Ancient Order of Druids (AOD) Ansley Ashington Barmill War Work Party Batley Battersea Bethel llansamlet Bethnal Green Bexley Heath, East Wickham, Welling Bingley Birmingham Black Torrington BMH (British Military Hospitals) BMT Employees Bournemouth Bradford Trader?s War Fund Bradford, Yorkshire Bradford?s Army Bradford-upon-Avon Bridgewater Bridlington Brierley Hill Brighouse British LESMA British Red Cross Society Burley-in-Warfedale Burnley Bury St. Edmonds Canwick Caolville Capel, Surrey Carlisle Cheadle and Churnet Valley District Chelsea Chesterfield Chudleigh Church of Eng. Men?s Society Bristol Fed. Clophill Coleraine Coventry Cowbridge Crockenhill Crosshills and District Cwmamman Darlington Derby Dickinson, John and Co. Ltd. Douglas, Isle of Man Dundee Dunham-on-Trent Durham City Durham County VAD Workers Durham VAD Workers East Kilbridge Eastbourne Ward Edinburgh Egton, Yorkshire Elgin Eston and Normanby Evenwood ENCT Evesham Farningham Featherstone Fern Flint UDC Gaslight and Coke Company Gateshead Glasbury Parish Glasbury-on-Wye Glasgow Glossop Gloucester Wagon Works Godefroi de Bouillon Preceptory Gourock Greetland Liberal Club Grimsby Halsall, Parish of Halton, TWS School Hammersmith Hartstead Hawarden Hawick Hayes Helmshore Herne Bay Huddersfield Hythe Ince of Makerfield Inns of Court, Inner Temple Johnstone Ladies Work Party Joseph T. Eltringham Kirkmaiden Labour Corps, 17th Company Lancaster League of Remembrance Leith War Savings Committee Leyton Fire Brigade Lichfield Lincoln Lindsay?s CEF Soldiers Linley Llandebie Llanfihangel Rhosycorn Llanfihangel Rhydithon Parish Lodge of Peace London Chamber of Commerce, Inc. Loughborough Loughborough War Memorial Lowestoft Luton Lydney Lymington Lytham Margate Maybole, Burgh and Parish Million Memorial Fund/Hall Stone Lodge Monks Kirby Morley Morris, Herbert Ltd, Express Works Muirkirk Neath New Radnor Newcastle-upon-Tyne Northumberland VAD Workers Oddfellows, Grand United Order Old Cumnock Oldbury Oswaldtwistle Oulton AFC P&S Peace Festival Peebles Pelton Owners Plymouth Porthcawl Prestwick Queen?s Regiment R.A.O. Buffalos Donor Medal R.A.O. Buffalos General Medal R.A.O. Buffalos Henry Beanland Lodge R.A.O. Buffalos Presentation Medal Ramsgate Rawtenstall Rechabites, Ind. Order of Romford Runcorn and Widnes Co-Op Society Sacriston Salford Scotswood Sea Services Sheffield Shipping Federation Shoreditch Showman?s Guild Skegness Smethwick South-on-Sea Southgate Fire Brigade Southwark Air Raid Service St. John?s Ambulance, Hampshire Stoneykirk Parish Stowupland Stranraer Streatham Sunderland Sutton Coldfield Taynuilt, Argyllshire Tickenham Tipton Tottenham Trallwyn, Pontypridd Tunbridge Wells Tyne Garrison UAR&S Preston Colliery United Grand Lodge F&A Masons Vicuallers? Licensed Asylum Warrington Wednesbury West Clandon, Surrey West Hartlepool WFGU White & Poppe Ltd Whitwell, Isle of Wight Wilnecote Winchester Winlaton Windsor & Eton District Witton Gilbert Worcester Yorkshire Numismatic Society The Beeches Auxiliary Hospital British Society of Mexico

While the Brits discount them, the Germans have awakened and seen them as part of German history as well.

The DSC is untraceable and I can't read the name.

The only H.E. Anderson in the Navy Register of July 1941 was Herbert E., Jr. But, he was a Chief Gunner. Nobody with that initial/name combiantion in the US Naval Academy Register of Graduates, either. So, he probably was a reservist and will be hard to track down.

Sounds like the Jerusalem Cross for Pilgrims (a cross with smaller crosses between the arms), which came in bronze, silver and gilt. They were "issued" for contributions to the maintenance of sites in the Holy Land.