Michael Johnson

He was a Leading Steward. It would have been common to enlist local inhabitants to serve at the base, especially the Officers' Mess. In the Mediterranean the Royal Navy enlisted Maltese for the same purpose. The United States Navy enlisted Philipinos.

Only 24 possibilities in the 1/5th Northumberland Fusiliers: http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=0&gsfn=charles&gsln=&sx=&rg_f12__date=&rs_f12__date=0&f17=&f11=Indian+Mutiny&f19=5th&f20=&gskw=&prox=1&db=campaignmedalrolls&ti=5538&ti.si=0&gl=&gss=error&gst=&so=3 If you can pick out some letters in the surname we might be able to narrow that.

A total aside, but Fieschi flew with SPA80 in the First World War, along with my first cousin once removed, Adjt. Antonin Gautier. They collided during a dogfight; Antonin was killed.

Well, I think that superscript "S" at the end narrows it a bit: Fusiliers (I think I see an "F" in there) Lancers Hussars Dragoons Dragoon Guards Sappers and Miners? And Charles isn't at the top of the list of 19th century boys' names.

Here's his medal record at National Archives (U.K.) http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=4511198&queryType=1&resultcount=1 Only 17 when the war ended.

That looks like U.K. Boots naming. I believe only the War Medal was named, and name only (it's been years since I had one, but I think they were engraved, or at least very lightly impressed). I seem to recall that the M.N. was retroactively made eligible for the C.V.S.M.

A check of the 1911 Census should confirm whether anyone of that name was serving in the Police.

My 1914 Canadian Militia List is at home, but almost all regiments other than Rifles wore dark blue.

I'm impressed. The Croix de Guerre isn't that common to Canadians (my wife's great uncle got one with the R.C.A.F.). My father had no use for the Boyes A/T rifle - a .55 monstrosity with the kick of a mule.

I have heard that with impressed (but not engraved) naming, it is possible to x-ray the medal edge - apparently there is a thickened shape of each letter due to the impressing which shows up on an x-ray.

I suspect that he was also entitled to a 1939-45 Star and War Medal. The Regs are here: http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/warrants/h9-reg.html and show that Iraq was a Theatre of war: ii) Middle East Iraq 10.4.41 31.5.41

I've never owned one, but I found these in Gene Ursual's catalogue, Winter 1982-83. Naming styles will not be reliable. 1. no clasp 407 Trooper C. Hill Canadian Scouts 2. CC, OFS TVL 392 Tpr. W.H. Langford Canadian Scouts 3. CC, OFS, TVL, SA01, SA02 Serjt. W.Y. Birrell Canadian Scouts 4. CC, OFS 620 Tpr. C. Wyatt Canadian Scouts 5. OFS 1323 Pte. C. Johnson Imperial Light Infantry (formerly Canadian Scouts) I suspect that they might have gone to Wally West's collection, but where they went from there is anyone's guess.

2nd Regiment, but there were: 2e Régiment d'infanterie 2e Régiment de Chasseurs à pied 2e Régiment de Génie and that's leaving out the colonial regiments. But probably the first. Any indication of where the picture hails from (the 2nd Infantry were from Normandy)?

What are the dimensions? Can the shells be unscrewed so we can see the markings on the base - that is the best way of identifying them.

I'm afraid Tony is right. An interesting medal nonetheless, as the roll number shows that he served with the Motor Machine Gun Section, Royal Artillery. If you can get a researcher to check the medal rolls at the National Archives at Kew, they should tell you which Battery he was attached to, and from there you can find out his theatre.

That's the wonder of our era. Here I sit in Toronto, while an Irishman in Romania posts a copy of an article under the banner of a Toronto newspaper. (Since I don't subscribe to the Globe I can't tell whether the article appeared in hard copy.) Maybe some day they'll find the two French minesweepers that vanished on Lake Superior November 1918.

My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, but mine looks like the Sachhini version pictured above. My interest comes from the presence of Italian units at Soupir in 1917 during the Chemin des Dames offensive. There is an Italian war cemetery there.

Does anyone know a source for ribbon? I have a bare example (no bars, either), and would like to complete it. I haven't checked to see who the manufacturer is.

I used to have a copy of his autobiography of his time in the R.A.F. as "Aircraftman Shaw" - The Mint.. I sensed a relief at not having responsibility. He had a bit of a rough time with the medical: The M.O. looked at his scarred back (the thrashing at Dera'a): "What are these from, punishment?" "You might say persuasion, Sir."

My wife's great-grandfather emigrated from kr Frankenstein. Formerly in Prussia, now in Poland, with a different name.

According to his Medal Index Card he also had the number 755409, which indicates that he was a Territorial, and his original unit was 251st Bde., (1/2nd Northumbrian). Nominally part of the 50th Division, they were sent to various other divisions: http://www.1914-1918.net/50div.htm. No service papers seem to survive for him.

Someone of some importance, based on the Jubilee and two coronations. Not a Volunteer, as one would expect a Volunteer Decoration or Territorial Decoration. If military, he managed to miss any active service. Probably born in the 1850s or 60s, so too old for service in the Great War, so he did his bit as a Special Constable. If civil service it is strange he didn't get an Imperial Service Order or Medal.

I'm glad he decided not to. I don't think any of my French cousins were in Indochina, I do know of one who was in Algeria with the Paras.

Pure British: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7003234&queryType=1&resultcount=127 Herbert Lionel Phipp 347510 born 11 January 1888 Dartford, Kent