Michael Johnson
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Posts posted by Michael Johnson
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So if we're looking at an O.B.E. I would say Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel.
Michael
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I agree the single F&G Star in the group is not that uncommon, I've seen quite a few. The condition was that the person had entered operational service during the last six months of the war and therefore being unable to attain the 180 days required for the 1939-45 Star, received only the campaign star for the theatre served in. I've actually seen every campaign star by itself in a group throughout the years, except for the Air Crew Europe Star - which specifically states the 60 day aircrew requirement for the 1939-45 Star had to be acheived first prior to the award of the ACE. I find the single star groups attractive and intriguing as it helps you pinpoint when the person served a bit better. The most common I tend to see are single F&G and Burma, though I've seen more than one single Atlantic as well. Sir Edmund Hillary in fact had a single Pacific Star but now I'm swaying too off topic. An outstanding set of a remarkable soldier.
Jeff
And I've seen Canadian groups to the 1st and 5th Canadian Divisions which had both the Italy and France and Germany Stars, but no 1939-45 Star.
Michael
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According to his MIC it is a 1914-15 Star, and the rank is Staff Sergeant, Can Ord.Cor. [Canadian Ordnance Corps].
Michael
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I agree that the group is quite possibly authentic. The Defence medal could be explained by a shore posting in Gibraltar or Ceylon, or South India, and while the Burma Star is perhaps scarcer than the Pacific to the Royal Navy, it is still quite possible. Here is the official word on sea service for the Burma Star:
41. Qualifying Sea Areas
The qualifying sea areas for the award of the Burma Star area the Bay of Bengal enclosed by a line running from the Southernmost point of Ceylon for a distance of 300 miles South thence to a point 300 miles West of the Southernmost point of Sumatra and continuing East to the western side of Sunda Strait. The Malacca Strait is included.
So Ceylon looks like a good bet.
Michael
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The 2/25th took 21 casualties, most in 1920, including three men December 13, 1920. Fifty-one years later I was born to comment on them.
And Peter will remember a group to a British officer in the 25th, F. Martin by name, which graced both of our collections sometime before the Flood.
Michael
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As an interesting sidelight to the Sullivans story, my wife (an English teacher) set a writing exercise for the class. One girl wrote the Sullivans story. I can only guess that a family member must have served in the U.S.N. (probably as a Filipino mess-boy) and passed the story down in the family. Otherwise it's a strange thing for a teenaged Filipina-Canadian girl to choosed to write about.
Michael
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p.878.
Acute Myocardial Failure, death due to service (so Cross authorized). Died January 1, 1958, Lower Yarmouth, N.S.
Michael
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Bonjour Veteran,
In 1812 the situation of the Indians/Aboriginals/First Nations/Autochtones in Canada was approximately as follows:
The Six Nations (Iroquois) were in the Brantford Ontario area, with other reserves in eastern Ontario and Quebec.
The Mississaugas were in the areas west and north of Toronto. They are Ojibway by origin
Ojibways (Anishnawbe) were in the Lake Superior area.
There were even some Sioux (Dakota/Lakota)
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Families often split up medals so everyone got a memento.
A nice medal with some good service.
Some history here: http://www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/imperial-units/580-oxford-light-infantry
Michal
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A reminder that the G stands for Gentlemen's. Let's keep it that way.
No politics, no religion and no women's names - just like in the Mess.
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He was a 3rd Battalion (Militia) man, attached with others from the 3rd Battalion to the 1st Battalion. He was entitled to a King's South Africa with both bars.
Michael
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By complete coincidence, I've spoken to a good friend who has an ancestor who fought in the Boer War. Tim's surname is McElcheran, a rare Scottish name, and so far in a good few years he has not found any of that surname in North America who are not descended from the original immigrant who arrived in the 1760s. he has very recently come across another name, which he feels belongs to an ancestor, as the gent in question enlisted and his name recorded as McEleheran, the commonest mis-spelling of the name. MeEleheran was a travel agent [American] and enlisted in Johannesburg. I don't have that date, unfortunately.
30030 Trooper A. W. McElcheran, Johannesburg Mounted Rifles is listed on the Anglo-Boer War website as having been discharged due to illness but I cannot see any information on his service or medal entitlement. Can any member shed any light on where I might most profitably look for this and other information? thanks
Peter
Ah yes. Years ago I taught Tim how to strip Sniders, Martinis, and Lee-Enfields.
A.W. McElcheran (thus on rolls) was Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant of the J.M.R. Entitlement seems to be Transvaal, South Africa 1901. Previously 751.
The story is "The Captive". Notes here: http://www.kipling.org.uk/rg_captive1.htm with a link to the story.
Michael
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A medal to the 3rd is one of the best. If you haven't already done so read Donald Featherstone's books on the Sikh Wars - "All for a Shilling a Day" and "At Them with the Bayonet".
Under "Miscellaneous Campaigns Prior to 1880 - Returned Medals" there is a whole page of 3rd LD covering Sutlej, Punjab, and Afghanistan. He might be under that roll.
Here is a Sullej roll: http://www.britishmedals.us/files/3ldsutlej2.htm
Michael
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Many of them settled in Oakville, where I live. Wonderful people.
Michael
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A.E. Housman
Here dead we lie
Because we dd not choose,
To live and shame the land
From which we sprung.
Life to be sure
Is nothing much to lose,
But young menthink it is
And we were young.
And Kipling "The American Revolution - After"
The snow lies thick on Valley Forge,
The ice on the Delaware,
But the poor dead soldiers of King George
They neither know nor care.
Not though the earliest primrose break
On the sunny side of the lane,
And scuffling rookeries awake
Their England' s spring again.
They will not stir when the drifts are gone,
Or the ice melts out of the bay:
And the men that served with Washington
Lie all as still as they.
They will not stir though the mayflower blows
In the moist dark woods of pine,
And every rock-strewn pasture shows
Mullein and columbine.
Each for his land, in a fair fight,
Encountered strove, and died,
And the kindly earth that knows no spite
Covers them side by side.0 -
I've heard that it is Findmypast. I'm anxiously awaiting these too.
Michael
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Paul,
Try Johnson (and my wife's Murphy).
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The second issue was awarded 12 ao?t 1939 - 5 juin 1953, so only 14 years, and only two classses (Or was created March 28, 1977). So I would guess that every recipient, practically speaking, would have had wartime service.
I wonder if the cheminots who were shot by the Germans, or died in Germany after deportation were awarded the medal after Liberation.
Unfortunately I have yet to find a complete roll of SNCF war dead. http://www.memorial-genweb.org/html/fr/index.php3 does have some SNCF memorials, but not for all regions yet.
I have found names that match a couple of my medals on other memorials, but have no way of knowing if they are the same men or not.
Thanks to a friend in France here are some memorial plaques in French railway stations. I have Nebinger's medal in my collection.
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He was a Sergeant in the 2/24 Infantry: http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?ServiceId=A&VeteranId=437685. He was killed in action July 23, 1942.
An excellent website here: http://2-24.battalion.org.au/rolls/roll.html
Michael
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A former neighbour of mine (Alex Velleman) was RCA then RCAF and his book (The RCAF From the Ground) shows him (in service) wearing both medals. As was pointed out, they are for different time periods. Personally, if I take Bill's service record at face value he shouldn't have received a GVIR CD, but a clasp to his Efficiency somewhere about 1942, and then the CD about 1954. It looks like they dated his CD from the start of his wartime service. He was Auxiliary Air Force with 10 Squadron in Toronto 1932-39, joined the wartime R.C.A.F., then went Permanent Force after the War.
Michael
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I am unaware of any account, written or oral, stating the C.D. could physically replace previously awarded LSGC awards, by that I mean the Efficiency Medal would be physically removed from the rack and replaced by a CD with bar(s). As a matter of fact, quite the opposite, I started mounting medals while stationed in Moose Jaw in the early 80s and my mentor in the trade was the retired wartime RSM of the Sask Dragoons. He had the EM with 2 bars and a CD with no bar. I mounted dozens and dozens of sets from the Prairies in my 5 years there and it was always as such. Same when I was in the Maritimes. I mounted medals for over 20 years, this rule was omnipresent. The same principle applied to the Efficiency Decoration, just in case the old chap had been commissioned from the ranks, still impossible.
Frank, that is a question I am very interested in, as my uncle (R.C.A.F.) has in his group a GVIR CD. When I got his service record it states that he was awarded the Efficency Medal in 1934 (He had some Militia service with the Queen's York Rangers before joining 110 Squadron, later 400 City of Toronto). My late aunt remembers him having a yellow and green ribbon, but the group is as he wore it (WM, CVSM, EIIR Corontation, CD). Nothing in his service record about the award being cancelled. There was another Bill Hamilton in the Squadron, but he was permanent R.C.A.F.
His service records vary as to his Militia service - I would think that to have qualified in 1934 they must have counted his cadet service.
I've been tempted to apply for a replacement, as my theory is that he got the ribbon but was never issued the medal.
Michael
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I heard a very interesting radio show, where the scientist had actually found a piece of the wallpaper from Napoleon's room, which apparently was high in arsenic, and in St. Helena's damp climate, prone to releasing it.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v299/n5884/abs/299626a0.html
http://users.physics.harvard.edu/~wilson/arsenic/Image_Makeover1.htm
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The number on the tags indicates a September 1939 enlistment RAF Padgate. "Meth[odist]" is his religion. A Frederick B. Henshaw was born Q2 1913 Chesterfield Derbyshire, married Q4 1934.
The Star combination is not that unusual to British forces.
Michael
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India Service Medal
in Great Britain: Orders, Gallantry, Campaign Medals
Posted
Rosario was undoubtedly serving in one of the Indian Railway regiments of the A.F.(I.)
Here are the India qualifying dates:
(iii) India and Burma Burma (Enemy Invasion) 22.2.42 15.5.42 Burma (First Arakan Campaign) (See Appendix A). 1.12.42 31.5.43 Burma (Brig.Wingate's Force) 7.2.43 15.7.43 Burma (Special Force, Generals Wingate and Lentaigne). 15.2.44 27.8.44 India (North West Frontier) (See Appendix B) { 3.2.40 24.5.40 { 18.6.41 26.8.41 { 28.7.4218.8.42
Unfortunately the NZDF site doesn't give the appendices, but from an earlier mention I suspect that "Burma" also included parts of Assam and Bengal. The lack of a Burma Star makes the NWF more likely.
Michael