Michael Johnson

Who were members of the Vanilla Fauj?

Although everything seems to be reproduced these days, I'm not sure I've ever seen an I.D.S.M. For display purposes you could obtain a first issue George V Indian Army Long Service or Meritorious Service Medal and put an I.D.S.M. ribbon on it. The obverses are identical. You want the issue that says "Kaiser-i-Hind" on the obverse.

I was only referring to the issue of the GSM. It is quite clear from naming, etc. that the Indian issues were from the Calcutta Mint. And there are MICs for the British personnel you mention, as well as various Canadians who served in British units, or perhaps who took their discharge in the U.K., where many of them were born.

I suspect that all the medals issued were from the Royal Mint. For the same reason, the rolls for the Africa General Service Medal and the Queen's South Africa Medal are also in the U.K.

Interesting. The MIC would only be for a postwar GSM, and judging by the inclusion of his post-1922 number, I would hazard a guess at Kurdistan, round two in 1923.

I think it is Dunsterville's book where he relates being approached by a retired soldier who needed to have his pension form signed off as proof that he was still alive. "Stalky" signed and dated the form. A week later the pensioner came back glumly. "You signed this as November - they want proof that I was alive in October!" Bureaucracy is a marvellous thing.

Also possibly wounded before Kut, and either discharged or posted to another linked regiment. Can't remember offhand the 110th's linked regiments.

See? I told you I thought there was a numeral missing!

Maybe Chris could enlighten us as to how long it took the South African government to distribute its medals. Or any Aussie member have data on their government?

Looks like it went to a dealer. I wonder if he intends to restore it (at least a proper suspender), or just flog it again.

Very nice, bear. The style is very similar to ones we have in the family from the same period.

Thanks, Geoff, but I have the complete CGS Medal rolls in book form. Unfortunately my medal was brooch-mounted at one time. It has had a suspender and bar added, but it isn't very pretty.

A Gazette search on "Alaouite" turns up only 10 - all men.

I'm used to seeing IGS 1908 medals with impossible clasps to unit, but the chances of a 4th Hussars QSA being in an Indian market are pretty slim. If it was just a case of putting a suspender on a disk only medal, I would think something WWII would be cheaper and closer to the original. Beats me.

A closer look makes me think the suspender is a copy as well - doesn't look like it swivels.

"Shut up and keep swimming!"

"Let's see. We turned right at Pietermaaritzburg, and just kept going..."

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/407M-SOUTH-AFRICA-GS...1QQcmdZViewItem Can't be any rarer than this: A Queen's South Africa to the 4th Hussars, scroll suspender and clasp NorthWest Frontier 1908. Dear me, all the colonies look alike. You've seen one colonial expedition you've seen them all. (And yet Mausers captured in South Africa were sent to the Northwest Frontier. If stolen, government ammuintion would be useless.)

A quote from "Troublous Times in Canada" Here is a link to the full text: http://www.canadiangenealogy.net/fenian-raids-1866-1870.htm I have the medal to Pte. P.E. Noverre, Queen's Own Rifles, who was at Ridgeway. He was one of the author's sources for the battle, and tells of two incidents:

There are 1 Pnr. James Farrell, 4 Pnr. Joseph Farrell, and probably some Johns as well.

Tony, I'll have to dig out his file, but the notation for the EM is definitely mid 30s, as I was speculating whether he would have received a GVR or GVIR issue. I believe Bill was an original with 10 Sqn., (raised 1932 - now 400 Squadron). If he was awarded the Medal in error, one would think there would be a corresponding entry cancelling it. And he definitely had the ribbon at one point.

There are certain similarities between lacrosse and field hockey as played by women. Both are blood sports. I was at law school with some of the latter, and I would not have wanted to tangle with them.

I have a bit of a puzzler. Years ago my aunt gave me her husband's medals: CVSM, War Medal, 1953 Coronation, and Canada Decoration, GVIR issue. Later I applied for his service record, and was somewhat astonished to see that he was entitled to an Efficiency Medal, back in the 1930s, when he was in an Auxiliary Squadron of the RCAF. He volunteered for the Active Force RCAF in 1939 (new number) and post-war joined the Regular RCAF (new number again). He was killed in an accident while on leave shortly before he would have retired. My aunt said she remembered a green and yellow ribbon, but knew nothing about another medal. Now as I recall, the date for the EM was 1934, which meant that his previous service with the Queen's York Rangers (Militia) must have been counted. Here's the problem - on one set of enlistment papers he shows the QYR, but on a second it is modified by "Cadets". He was born in 1908, so unless he joined the Militia aged 14, he could not have had enough service to qualify for the EM in 1934. I'm sure Cadet service wouldn't count. But his CD suggests that they counted his service from 1939 - otherwise he would have qualified for the EM when he had 12 years in, and then he would have either been working on a 10 year clasp to the EM or the CD. He would have had enough time to qualify for both medals.

A quick search indicates that a strapper is a junior stablehand. "Strapping" is also a form of horse grooming.

The ribbon is correct. It was resurrected when the Croix de Guerre was instituted during the First War. Lots more information here: http://www.stehelene.org/php/accueil.php?lang=en