Tim B

I second what Paul C stated. How these age over time adds to the charm they take on. These are not rare and if you want a clean, pristine example, they are out there and still plentiful as this pattern was in use from 1937 through 1956 and probably worn even later.

Thank you my friend for the confirmation here! Very nice MONDVOR examples! I will be looking for the IKOM-ZAGREB silver version now, any idea on prices these days? Tim

Percy, Terrible pics but, not an original example in my opinion. Take your time, it will pay off though the ones you have left are not going to be cheap. Tim

Finally... holiday mail slowdowns, inclement weather, it finally arrives. These are really nice in hand. A couple of quick questions/clarifications regarding the 3rd class awards. - Was it ever fully agreed on exactly who made the 3rd class PS; IKOM - ZAGREB or PRÄWEMA (DDR)? - Was there ever a Soviet 3rd class version produced; GOZNAK or MONDVOR? Still looking to add a 2nd class silver version. Tim

Understand the dilemma you face as I hate to ruin one item to fix another as well. It is the easiest way and probably as economical as any other in my view. There are rolls or small sections of WW1 Victory ribbon often for sale, though many of not the correct pattern. You could try the OMSA as they often sell original replacement ribbon though I don't know how much a section would cost. Purple thread to tack it on and I assume you just use the original brooch you have in hand. Shouldn't be too hard. Best of luck, Tim

Bill, From a purist point of view, best to leave things alone and original as they represent the actual history of the piece. However, you're the owner and some would say caretaker for now, so that decision is entirely yours. If you were to change the ribbon, there are still many original unissued/unattributed medals out there and in anywhere from decent to mint condition. I would simply get one of the basic medals with shorter drape and replace it, carefully moving the bar over to the new ribbon. That way you know everything is at least original period stock. You can always keep the original ribbon on the side and when you no longer want to keep the piece, move it all together. Tim

Thank you Michael! I have been trying to catch up on everything coming in and I need to get up to speed on how to read these numbers and bounce them against the lists. All new to me. Tim

Simon, There are four military record files listed on Ancestry for a Benjamin Treadwell but all require a paid subscription to view the documents. Not sure if they would display under any trial subscription or not. I don't have one, sorry. Tim

Hi Gunner, Thank you, that is getting to more of what I am looking to find out on these guys. So, where do find that information block of numbers (ex. 75501-760000) to connect it to the 2nd Northumbrian Brigade, RFA TF? I was trying to find information through this link, but is there a better way? http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/ I see how to use Carrick's date of entry into theatre and compare it against the Brigades deployment to figure out which brigade he was in. From there, I need to search the war diaries for more unit information. Thanks a lot for your assistance! Tim

Looking at the card, I see he too qualified for the Silver War Badge and will try to find out more regarding that. Unfortunately, it was not part of his group when I acquired it. Could the Theatre of War information be the basis of the SWB and not related to the Star issue mentioned above? Last question regarding the circled areas on the reverse; any idea what they are referencing? Slowly understanding these a bit more. Thanks again, Tim

Here's a general question; exactly how did the Territorial Force work? I see a couple of these guys transferred to a TF unit later on and wondered, was it similar to an occupying force post-war or just a regular assignment outside the home country? Was this pretty standard or did most remain with their original unit until they went home? I have one more record here, to an officer that was assigned to the Territorial Force. Based on what I see and reading the criteria for the Territorial Force Medal, I assume he was already serving in the TF prior to August 1914 and continued serving in that role to the end of the war. I know he was assigned to the Royal Berkshire Regiment/9th Service Battalion prior to the 9th being re-designated as a Reserve Battalion. His medals are all marked with his Lieutenant rank (as the card shows with the dotted cross) and he later made Captain. First question, looking at the card; Though the card shows the Campaign for the 1914/15 Star, he was rated ineligible for it. Towards the bottom of the card though, it shows Theatre of War as France (Hav?r) and the date December:1915. So, I am confused, if he was in a theatre of war prior to the end of 1915, why was he not eligible for the 14/15 Star? I understand, he received the TFM instead but if he was in a theatre of war, why would he not get the higher award? Would it be because he was already serving overseas that he automatically disqualified for it or was it because he was in a service/reserve battalion?

Paul, Thanks again, I did not try that before and will pursue searching those numbers using that link. Not sure how much Ancestry will actually let me download though. Peter, You're right, Gunner did call that out and I read it, just didn't put it together in this case. A lot of information to digest for someone not overly familiar with these cards or trying to find out more on British awards in general. I had asked a few years back on these guys and never found the cards for Harris or Kirkham due to the amount of common names. I eventually found them by searching pages of like names and looking for the numbers on the medals. In the case of Harris, I did not find a Medal Index Card, only the Silver War Badge Card. Should he have a MIC as well?

This was an interesting discovery for me as I did not realize this was a SWB Card. I see his VIC & BWM entries stamped in red and didn't pay attention to the two columns on the card. The "Action taken" List actually refers to the award of the Silver War Badge, which I missed initially. Would I have to go to the archives to find the badge number for the badge he was issued? What are my realistic chances of finding it and/or his BWM? Any significance of the blue stamp in the lower right corner (circled)? Thanks!

I'm not sure if Harris served in the Leicestershire Rgt. first and then the Yorks & Lancs but figured the Territorial Force service was probably later on. His Victory Medal carries the service number 26662 which matches the Leicestershire number on the top of the card. Any idea what the symbol circled in red designates? I assumed the 1st referred to the Leicestershire Regiment but maybe that's not correct. Again, no Star awarded, nor did he qualify for the Territorial War Medal, so he must not have entered any theatre of war prior to 1916 if I am thinking correctly. Here's a quick write up on the 5th Battalion that I've found but I can't say "when" my guy was actually in that unit. I see he was discharged (March 14, 1919) prior to the end of his normal contractual service, per King's Regulation para 392, xvi, which identifies the man as "no longer physically fit for war service". Not sure if it was a casualty or illness at this point and would probably have to go to the Natl Archives again for more information.

I forgot about "The Long, Long Trail" and found what I am looking for here: http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/interpretmic.html It covers most of the questions I have and I now realize the other card I have questions on is in fact a Silver War Badge (SWB)Card and not one of the Medal Index Cards. This site has a wealth of information and I remember seeing it a few years back but forgot about it. Here's the other guy I was trying to find more on and using the information above, I see Pte. Charles Harris was assigned to both the 1st Leicestershire Regiment as well as the Yorks & Lancaster Regiment/5th Btn. which was a Territorial Force.