Michael Johnson

www.oldbaileyonline.org And see a thread I posted called "Can the Dead Speak?". Which isn't about spiritualism. I should point out that it comes naturally. I read cases for a living.

But that isn't unusual in France. I have the award certificate for the Orient Medal awarded to a cheminot (later shot by the Germans). It clearly states that the recipient has to purchase his own medal.

And two cases with P.C. Frederick Penfold: 1907 http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t19070225-name-71&div=t19070225-15#highlight 1911 http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t19110905-name-220&div=t19110905-56#highlight The bravery of the police of those days is amazing. It was expected that, armed or no, you went for your man.

More important were the privileges connected with the carte de combattant. As I understand it, you couldn't wear the medal unless you had the card.

Could be Constable Frank Penfold 682 W Div. 1905 Full case here: http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t19051211-name-414&div=t19051211-129#highlight

And so used through the First World War. Those who were "Mort pour la France" (an offical designation in France) were entitled to the Medaille Militaire and Croix de Guerre. Often these were framed together with the memorial scroll. Sometimes I have seen the Croix de Combattant in as well, though how someone could apply for one when they were dead is a puzzler.

I used to have a 1902, 1911 pair to P.C. W. Crack, Y. Div. (perhaps he should have been Narcotics ) Strangely I can't seem to locate him in the 1901 census.

My personal opinion is that the combination of India General Service Medal plus Boxer rebellion means probably Indian Army, with Royal Artillery a possibility. An Indian Army List might turn up some possibles.

Detail of the naming. If anyone knows of the whereabouts of his pair named as 2nd Lieut. C.E. Watts, please let me know. His father applied for his medals.

Sometimes research can pay off. When I see a Special Constabulary Medal with a fairly unusual name, I check the Great War MICs, and sometimes Google it. This one paid off in spades. Only one Cecil E Watts: RE, R.N. Division, and commissioned into the South Staffordshire Regiment. Invalided with a Silver War Badge. Google turned up that he was a phonograph inventor, and well-known in audio circles for the "Dust Bug" for cleaning dust off phonograph records. Even better, after his death his wife wrote his biography - I got a copy, and found a photograph of him in uniform, references to his military career (although she says he was a dispatch rider with the R.N.A.S.), serving originally in Greece. Back in France he was wounded by a grenade that cost him several toes, and almost his leg. It even mentions his joining the Special Constabulary in the Second War, serving as a Fire Watcher alternate nights. So his full complement would appear to be BWM, Victory, Defence Medal, Special Costabulary Long Service.

Brian, don't get me started on that road! (a Tibet with Gyantse clasp and trio to the Sportsmans Battalion Royal Fusiliers, LSGC, KIA and on the Thiepval Memorial comes to mind.)

Thirty years ago I passed on a very nice group: Second Afghanistan with Kandahar clasp, 2/7th Royal Fusiliers 1887 Metropolitan Police Jubilee and 1897 clasp 1902 Metropolitan police Coronation 1911 Metropolitan Police Coronation Sadly, I didn't record the name.

I'm assuming the other medal is an IGS 1854, bar Samana 1891. I can't find him on the roll on Ancestry under Boardman. The 1903 roll shows him as "Deceased".

Charles Harris 1st Battalion H Ms 23rd R W Fusiliers Lucknow (but he was a Sergeant) Charles Hicks 1st Battalion H Ms 23rd R W Fusiliers Relief, Lucknow - Drummer Charles Holder 1st Battalion H Ms 23rd R W Fusiliers Lucknow - Pte. Charles Houghton 1st Battalion H Ms 23rd R W Fusiliers Lucknow - Pte. Charles Howells 1st Battalion H Ms 23rd R W Fusiliers Relief, Lucknow - Pte. Charles Hulland 1st Battalion H Ms 23rd R W Fusiliers Lucknow(but he was a Sergeant) Getting closer! The proper naming for this regiment is 1st Bn 23rd R.W.FUSrs., which matches the end of the naming quite well. So assuming that only Privates didn't show rank, we are left with: Holder Houghton Howells Howells is the most likely, and he's entitled to a Crimea Medal, clasp Sebastopol. His service record is available on Findmypast.co.uk. He's the one without a birthdate.

I don't know of any infantry unit, but I have a slight recollection that the 91st Highlanders had yellow facings, but on the highland doublet. Other Scottish regiments may have also opted for yellow, as this was the British Army standard for Scottish regiments.

They look like a fairly standard Second War group, except that I would have expected a Defence Medal (although if it was possible to have these Stars and no Defence Medal). A number of British Divisions went from North Africa to Italy to Northwest Europe, and so qualified for four Stars.

Chris, Did these medals and the Stars in the other thread come together? What is the naming on the Territorial Medal (the silver one)?

If I sank her flight deck deep in Lake Ontario the waterskiers would have a hell of a good time.

When the HLI were in India in 1935, they wore tartan shorts!

Entitled to a pair, doesn't seem to be any service or pension papers on Ancestry. Looing at 26 casualties in the block 36500-36599 lots of 9th Bn., but 6, 7, 8th as well.

Greek urban police, pre-1984. http://www.astinomia.gr/index.php?option=ozo_content&perform=view&id=34&Itemid=13&lang=EN What's the naming on the Victory Medal (which has a British War Medal ribbon)?

Certainly Oakville Ontario's gun is gone. I have a postcard of the Park and Memorial which shows it, but I suspect it went for scrap 1939-45.

From the examples I found on Geoff's search engine, not all Kiwi gunners had a 2/ prefix; probably just the original enlistments.

He may have sold them to raise his passage money to Canada. He had a six-clasp QSA- CC OFS Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Laing's Nek, Belfast; Samana 1891 and Hazara 1891 on his 1854 IGS, and Relief of Chitral on the 1895.

I'm not so sure, Peter. The IVs also had a "kick-up" at the back of the breech, which this one doesn't have. And yes, I remember your one. Shall we say it left its mark?