Gldank

Hello, you may have to find a small brass nut at a hardware store and hand file it to fit.

~Ed

I am thinking the same thing Ed. But maybe I might get lucky someday and find an original one. Thanks!

Hello Hendrik,

Would be grateful if you could give some advice about this medal. Was this medal issued to former prisoners. When?

With kind regards,

Jef

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_12_2006/post-761-1166560851.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_12_2006/post-761-1166560882.jpg

Sorry for the late reply. I was just going back and reading old threads posted before I became a member of GMIC. Actually, I have been looking for one of these medals for my collection. It is a Commemorative Concentration Camp medal given to survivors of the Concentration Camp Breendonk in Belgium 1940-1944. Many people were sent from this camp to death camps in the occupied countries if they had not already died in this camp.

I was looking through the threads in this site area and did not see anything that directly answers my questions. I am planning on building a cabinet similar to an old newspaper type setter?s cabinet to house my medal collection, many wide, thin drawers. I have my collection individually stored in those plastic sleeve things and do not want them there too long.

Ok, now the questions . What type of wood (cedar ?) should I use in the cabinet? What do I use as a floor mat for each drawer (no Riker padding) so the medals do not slide around when opened? I have been on the lookout for a dental cabinet but no luck in my area. I have a neighbor who is a professional cabinet maker to help me. I am asking the GMIC experts in this area as I want to do it right the first time. Any help would be great guys and gals. Thank you ahead of time .

Sorry guys this whole line of comentry is NOT making any sence - I subscribe to GMIC to learn about collecting! and I have NO idear what is the problem with this bar - is it the dealer? Ebay Fack - PLEASE EXPLAIN??????

Me too , call me dumb but what is really wrong with the group? I wish to learn something from this thread also. Thanks.

Hello, I've been reading your question, Dkostas, and I have asked this mather to a medal facturer, and together we looked in some old documents and registers, and found nowhere an answer for that question.

There should not even be a Royal Agreement about that.

He said also that there is a suspicion that, during the reign of King Leopold I, the medalfacturers placed a 'I' and during the reign of King Leopold II, they placed a 'II'. Let us call it an artistic freedom of the medal engravers.

I still keep my eyes and ears wide open for that mather, and if I get to know something more, be sure I will let you know.

Bemed

Thanks Bemed,

I have a couple of my Belgian friends looking into this question also as I found these posts interesting. I was always told the same thing as you mentioned above and am glad to hear more of the same. When my friends get back to me, I will be sure to post their ideas here for further discussion.

Thanks for sharing. What a man, what a hero, what a Marine! My son left for Marine boot camp yesterday. He went Infantry and hopes to serve his country in Iraq or Afganistan. God bless the USA!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bbjttlAf6Is

Hello All,

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this request but does anyone have an extra nut for the screw that holds the handle to the blade tang on a WWII era Japaneese NCO sword? Thank you!

Here is where I get my sleeves in the USA. I buy them by the 100 pk. The more you buy the cheaper. "World Wide Militaria." Steve Johnson is the man to talk to there. His direct email is auction1@wwmeinc.com The company is out of Bativia, IL (PO Box 745, Bativia, IL 60510). Below is the link to the medal storage sleeves on his website.

http://www.wwmeinc.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=wwmeinc&Category_Code=40-900-000

I've run out of medal envelopes

and the website I ordered them

from last time is out of business

for those of you who don't use them

they do slow tarnishing

and they keep ribbons nice

problem is there are the good ones

that have archival properties

and the bad ones that in time

promote corrosion [different kind of plastic]

I can't remember the differencce

and I can't seem to find a source in the USA

need to order a couple hundred

thanks

see here:

white ribbon= "other services".

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=7354...ban+merit+order

Once again, I thank you. Very informative!

Someone made a real effort to convert a knight's badge into a merit cross by removing the enamel on the arms. Or perhaps someone tried to upgrade the merit cross and made a hash of the enamel.

The ribbon color should match the enamel color on this order, so the green ribbon is appropriate in this case. Officially, the ribbon/enamel colors reflect the nature of the services rewarded (I've never had one of the types with two-color ribbons, so I'm unsure of their enamel colors):

Military merit: dark red

Humanitarian acts: red and white

Good conduct: blue

Continuous service: white and blue

Special services: green

Other services: white

I've never seen any definition of what consitutes the various categories. In my experience, the blue ribbon seems most common, followed by green and red. I have a white-ribboned piece to a US Army officer who served as an attache in Havana in the 1930s.

JB, do you have a picture of your Cuban White Order I may see. I am trying to find one belonging to a 4 star Army General awarded when the Cuban President visited the White House back during the 1930s. See my General Malin Craig posting under this site under US Medals. "Ulsterman" said you were the man! Thanks. James

Hello all,

does anybody out there know what a Cuban Military Order of Merit with White Insignia First Class looks like? May have been awarded in the 1930s to a senior US Army officer. Is it the order shown below? Please help! Picture barrowed from Andreas M. Schulze lsing's beautiful website: http://www.medalnet.net/Cuba_Merito_%20Militar.htm

Hello Jan,

thank you for the reply. Could you post a picture of your group? I am very interested and I am sure others would be too. kind regards.

I love this medal and to think of what hell those Belgians had to live through to receive one as many medals were received by the families after death. I have to note the Flemish ribbon variation to this medal. Early in the century, it was very difficult for Flemish men to obtain good, high paying jobs, even in the armed forces. All officers in the Belgian military were French speaking. Today the percentage is more like 60% Flemish and 40% French speaking. Thanks to the Flemish soldiers in the past who fought in the war, they had their ribbons changed to the rare Flemish colors (Yellow & black). The French Belgian colors were red & black.

Nice! I would even take a "copy" for my collection. Indeed rare!

OK, here is what I know after some research:

The treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I dictated to Germany that the Rhineland was to be demilitarized and occupied by Allied forces. In 1919 Belgium, which had been invaded by Germany in 1914, abandoned her neutrality and joined the occupying forces, withdrawing ten years later. Following World War II, Belgian forces again formed part of the Allied force occupying the Rhineland. After Federal Germany became independent, the army remained on German soil as part of NATO forces during the Cold War with various changes of task, size and equipment over the years. In 1995, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the army was re-tasked and became part of the Intervention (rapid response) Force, based in Belgium at Saive, near Li?ge. Here are some medal samples from my collection.

Hello,

I presently own most of the original medals, promotion certificates, diplomas, sword, flags and other personal items once belonging to General Malin Craig, US Army (1875-1945). For those who may not know, he was Chief of Staff that relieved General Douglas MacArthur before WWII and was relieved himself by General George C. Marshall during WWII. There are no books written on the man that I know of. I bumped into some of the General's items years ago while collecting Belgian medals. I have since tracked down many of his other items over the years but am still looking for more.

I am writing you today to ask if anyone out there has any information or items relating to the man. His uniform and side arm are at the Smithsonian Museum in DC and I am sure I have most of his other items. Would love to hear from fellow collectors interested in the subject. Thank you.

Thanks Hendrik, you may not remember me but we have talked a lot over the years and I think I first met you through eBay, then your web site. I am "gldank" on ebay. regards. James

Second Picture

Hello all,

I have two Belgian WWII era mounted medal bars that include US Bronze Stars. I know that General Eisenhower awarded some Belgians (and Frenchmen) after WWII that helped downed US Airmen escape back to England. Is there a way to find out which Belgians were awarded the US Bronze Stars?