Michael Johnson

The papers are online now - but there are only 12pp. It would be a great group if one could find the other five medals :banger:

The papers are now available. Like Parsons, McMahon went to Greece, but was evacuated to Egypt, not Crete. He reurned to Australia via Ceylon, and saw service in New Guinea (Aitape-Wewak) with the 6th Division. There is not medal entitlement notation, but from his record it would have been: 1939-45 Star Africa Star Pacific Star Defence Medal War Medal Australia Service Medal. He served until 1947, including service with the Occupation Force in Japan.

Both the Cape Corps ("C" prefix) and the Indian and Malay Corps ("M" prefix) were primarily used for transport and pioneer duty, but some were used in defence artillery and guard duty.

I like the son's story! (The Shadow knows!) Be good to see how accurate my hypothesis is.

Silver's silver. The wonder is that it wasn't melted down.

I believe very late reinforcements only received three, as they lacked the six months to qualify for the 1939-45 Star. Some Canadians only received the France and Germany Star in addition to their CVSM and War (or just the War if they were part of the NMRA conscripts who were ordered overseas late in the War.)

The South African medals are very researchable. Here is a link giving a list of South African researchers: http://www.casus-belli.co.uk/index.asp?PageId=133 I have had some contact with Gordon Bickley, whose rates are reasonable.

James, which ship was he on? If your grandmother was present I assume it was an R.C.N. one- H.M.C.S. Niobe? Here's a list of the ships present: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/AtoZ/expships.html

I just picked up a named Australian Defence Medal to NX7018 Sergeant Cornelius McMahon, who strangely enough, was also with 2/1st Field Ambulance. He was luckier than Parsons, as he is not shown as P.o.W. I've ordered his service record, but since it has not yet been vetted for release, it will be awhile (up to 90 days) before it becomes available.

I was looking over one of my books on the Halifax Explosion, and came across some statistics that tie in with my medal. The Canadian Government Railways lost 55 of their personnel, including Bartholemew McTiernan. Three hundred rail cars were detroyed, and 20 locomotives.

Drigh Road was the location of a major R.A.F. and later P.A.F. air base. This link gives its history: http://www.geocities.com/pafwebsite/AirBasesfaisal.html

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7103309&queryType=1&resultcount=13 You have to pay National Archives their 3.50 and then you can download the .pdf file.

That's where genealogy comes in. He could have been a distant relative. People crossed the border quite often back then.

The prices of Victorian campaign medals keep going up. I remember turning down a mint condition Fenian Raid 1866 to the Queen's Own Rifles because I though that $125 was "too high". Now practically any Fenian Raid will set you back $500. You might want to put it away and use it to fund you retirement. It's one of those medals that there's never a shortage of buyers.

That was member notned. He hasn't posted since 2007, and appears to be a New Zealander.

I think we've proved it to be a father and son group. Although they had the same name, the father would have been 92 if it was his.

Start with the 1891 census, although you may have to eliminate some names (hope the name isn't Smith).

Public service (civil servants). Probably lots of George VI issues where the recipient had First War service. Your example would be possible if someone worked into their seventies. More likely a father/son group.

Perhaps my earliest datable memory is my father reading the paper with the headline announcing the death of Dag Hammersjold in a plane crash in the Congo.

Yes, the same one. I sold it to Noor with several others.

I bought this recently for a couple of reasons: 1. I've never owned one in 35 years of collecting 2. He was from Halifax N.S., where I've spent many happy days Imperial Service Medal George V second issue, named to Patrick McTiernan. A check of the Gazette showed that it was issued in 1933, to him as Wheel Specialist, Halifax Nova Scotia. Whereas most UK awards appear to be Post Office, Canadian awards are often Railways and Canals. The ISM was awarded for 25 years' service, so I reasoned Patrick would have been in Halifax on December 6 1917, when the "Imo" and the "Mont Blanc" collided, causing the greatest man-made explosion until the atomic bomb. A search of the Halifax Explosion Remembrance Book shows that five McTiernans died that day. http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/remembrance/Results.asp?Search=Mctiernan&fieldSelect=keyword All were related to Patrick. His mother Margaret (his father died in 1892, from TB) His sister-in-law Mary Jane (her husband survived) His brother Bartholemew Bartholemew's wife Caroline Their four-year-old son Wilfred Patrick identified his mother's body. Bartholemew's house was totally destroyed by fire, so no bodies were recovered. Their death certificates state "Remains completely consumed by fire"

Is there any number before his name? In theory National Archives has service records for Marines enlisted 1840-1936, but I can't find a W. Bourne serving at that time.

The Nabha Akal Infantry served in Italy during the Second World War. CWGC records 96 names, most on the Forli Cremation Memorial.

When I acquired this bar about 15 years ago, the vendor also had an antenna-sized UN flag and a cloth shoulder title to the 56th Canadian Reconnaissance Squadron, which was the armoured car unit attached to UNEF. However I don't recall any Canadian Armour being attached for the Congo mission (I believe the Irish supplied it). My guess would be something in the Logistics line.

In the last century the Canada-US border was quite open. And the Marines recruited a fair number of Canadians. So it is not beyond the realms of possibility that your ancestor went south.