Michael Johnson

Thank you Hendrik. I'm considered something of an expert on London Gazette searches, but this is new to me. Michael

Thank you Hendrik. I have Roques's certificates as well. Michael Hendrik, this is on Legifrance? How do you structure a search to find an individual soldier? Merci, Michael

I was looking at a spreadsheet I have for French Memorial Scrolls, and noticed something I'd missed for probably a decade. Two of these men died the same day, in the same sector. Mialeret Victor Hyppolyte 25 BC Caporal (mitrailleur) 25th BCP April 16, 1917 Soupir, Aisne Roques Isidore 155 RI (150 RI accd'g to MDH Soldat 2e Classe April 16, 1917 Mont Sapigneul, Aisne I had an artist on the Great War Forum draw me a sketch of Mialaret on Mont Sapin. The 25th Chasseurs à pied captured Mont Sapin, with heavy casualties. 45 killed, 13 missing, 205 wounded.

I suspect it was done by the recipient. Plated Second War medals to Canadians are quite common. This may be because the Canadian medals were silver and so tarnished. Plating saved the man/woman having to polish them. Michael

Perhaps the answer is to search the London Gazette from 1921 to 1923, only for "Order of the British Empire", "civil division" and "Supplement", then go through each hit looking for anything close to "Crouch". https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/London/notice?results-page-size=10&categorycode-all=all&numberOfLocationSearches=1&start-publish-date=1921-01-01&location-distance-1=1&text="Order+of+the+British+Empire"+"civil+division"+supplement&end-publish-date=1923-01-01 I only get four hits, which doesn't seem right. Michael

It is possible that the name is there, but the OCR scanning misread a letter or two "Orouch" perhaps. I've had that happen with Second War era Imperial Service Medal gazettes. Or it may be that, as is stated on the site that they are missing an issue. That being said, it is strange that it isn't in the 1921 Burke's Handbook to the Order of the British Empire. But it could be after 1921. Michael

Okay, a long shot, but could there have been a name change? I once owned an MBE, pair and IGS 1908, with the last three named to Lt./Capt. M. Goodall, 1/9th G.R. on the IGS, but his wartime service was with the Assam Military Police. His 1919 MBE is gazetted under Malcolm Ostrehan. One of those cases of "losing" a Germanic-sounding name. The only problem is that I can't find a LG entry for that either. Michael

I've never owned or even handled a Sardinian-named Crimea Medal, but the medal itself looks like British ones I've owned. From this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardinian_expeditionary_corps_in_the_Crimean_War#Combat_Forces it seems that the regiment is "2e Reggimento, Granatieri di Sargegna" (2nd Grenadier Regiment, Sardinian Grenadiers Brigade) which formed part of the 1st Provisional Regiment of the Reserve Brigade. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanized_Brigade_"Granatieri_di_Sardegna"#1831_to_1914 Michael

Marcon1, is the dark version named? Ed Haynes (who is the Indian medal guru) says he has never seen a dark-toned Indian issue. Likewise, I have never seen a Canadian version that wasn't dark-toned. Michael

Over on the SAGONGS site Ed Haynes and I are puzzling over what the ICSC medals issued to the Polish contingent look like. Indian issues are named, and have a bright finish with the Canadian and Polish flags picked out in red. Canadian issues are dark-finished and named. Were the Polish medals dark-finished and un-named? Thank you. Michael

Naming error, then. Indian Officers' numbers are prefaced by IC. We definitely have him promoted to Brigadier, and there can't be many high ranking Krishna Mohan Seths in the Artillery. I'm 99% sure it's the same man. Michael

I recall I did the same on hot days at Old Fort York back in 1973-74 - wool uniforms, and at 90F they would let you take your backpack off. Michael

Hello Marnon1 Not much can be found on modern Indian medals, however I did find that A-Maj. Seth was made a Substantive Brigadier December 29, 1989: https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.csl_weekly.1989-05-20.O-0593-1989-0020-25631/page/n20/mode/1up?q=Seth. This may be him: https://cgvidhansabha.gov.in/FrameSet/GovernFrameset-4.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Mohan_Seth I think it highly likely that it is, and he had a very distinguished career. His number should read IC, not 1C Michael

It really is hard to say, Flavio. The Wound Medal (Medaille des blesses) has a very twisted evolution. It was at one point simply a red star to be placed on the ribbon of the applicable campaign medal. Then it was a simple ribbon. Not until relatively recently did the French government sanction the previously unofficial medal with the red star.

Thanks, Hendrik. That was my view as well. Given that he LdH was the only medal Marcel seems to have kept, I suspect he wasn't much into medals. He was a bit of an eccentric, spending his retirement reading English detective novels, and I believe doing crossword puzzles. I suspect that his experiences at Verdun left a permanent mark. That is one reason I have chosen to add the wound star rather than the ribbon or the medal.

There are some interesting stories, if you can get the service records. RCAF CDs are regarded as notoriously difficult. I have had some success, the latest being a Christmas present from my son - a QEII version to Cpl. P.M.H. Beaulac. Arnie Kay got me his file, which arrived today. Born in 1921, Beaulac enlisted during the war in the RCAF Special Reserve, serving in Canada, and then in 1945 overseas, qualifying for the CVSM and clasp. Interestingly, he was attached to 30 Corps HQ, but this was after the cut-off for the France and Germany Star. After the War he enlisted in 438 Squadron, a Reserve unit in Montreal. From there he enlisted in the Regular Force. (My uncle Bill Hamilton started in the Auxiliary RCAF, then went Active, and then went Regular). Beaulac was a clerk by trade, and served at St. Hubert, an Air Defence Command Station, which also hosted 438 Squadron. He also did two years at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe). That would have qualified him for the Special Service Medal with NATO clasp, but there is no indication that he applied for it before he died. Michael

I'm trying to understand whether or not my great-uncle Marcel Verzieux was entitled to the above medal to go with his Legion d'Honneur, Croix de Guerre, and First War medals. His service record confirms Legion d'Honneur, Croix de Guerre, Commemorative Medal 1914-18, and Victory. Given the privileges that came with the Combatant's Card, I would assume he would have applied, and so have the Croix du Combatant. As he was wounded, he would have been entitled to the red star to be worn on the Commemorative Medal. He had retired in 1935, but was recalled to the Reserve in 1938, if I recall correctly. He reported to the 4e RG on September 1st, 1939, but was released on medical grounds September 9th. Would he have qualified for the Second War medal with either FRANCE or 1939 clasp? Michael

They are even better when they come with one of these! Soldat Jean Marie Danielo, 348e RI. disappeared 8 June 1916, Douaumont. Verdun. Less than a week later my great uncle Marcel was wounded at Fleury-devant-Douaumont, and awarded his Croix de Guerre on June 23rd. The 348e appears several times in the JMO of the 2/13e company of the 3e RG, which he commanded. Michael

His medal is dated 1943, which I will assume is the date it was awarded. Since my cousin Alexandre Verzieux's CdG was not awarded until 1943 although he was killed the same month as Nebinger, I'm fairly sure that this is the same man. Nebinger isn't a common name.

Thank you again, Hendrik. Cordialement, Michael

According to his matricule, my cousin Alexandre Verzieux was awarded this medal posthumously in 1943 (killed May 1940). Which reverse would be most likely: 1939, 1939-1940, or 1939-1945? Would it have been issued by the Vichy government (Lyon was in Unoccupied France)? If it was issued by Vichy, I'm assuming it would have the Vichy ribbon, which was forbidden after the Liberation. I'm assuming that it would have been replaced by the standard ribbon, but would the cross have been replaced? Thank you, Michael

"Black Jack", Peter. In Soldiers Three. I have a copy that was used in a German POW camp.

A slightly better shot.

My understanding is that awards for Northern Ireland were often not gazetted as a security measure. In 1997-8 he was Recce Platoon 1st Battalion: http://royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/RamCollection/Collection/documents/Castle Serial 60 June 1997.pdf http://royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/RamCollection/Collection/documents/Castle Serial 62 June 1998.pdf 1999 D Company, Company HQ: http://royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/RamCollection/Collection/documents/Castle Serial 64 June 1999.pdf The Royal Anglian Museum might be able to help: http://royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/contact-us/ His number would indicate a 1993-94 enlistment. Here are the NI tours for the 1st Battalion: 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment 29-Dec-93 27 Jun 94 Dungannon 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment Nov-96 Mar-97 Belfast 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment May-99 11 May 01 Londonderry 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment 12 May 99 11 May 01 Ebrington Resident Battalion. Michael

These are my uncle's medals. He died in 1957, and his medals are as worn, apart from the Special Service Medal (NATO), which I had my aunt apply for. interestingly, his service record show the award of the Efficiency Medal in 1934, while he was with the Auxiliary Air Force, in what became 110 Squadron (later 400 Squadron). My aunt remembered a green ribbon, but it doesn't look like it was ever awarded, as it wasn't posted in an AFRO. They seem to have dated his CD from his going active in 1939.