Michael Johnson

I know the British Medal Forum has a fundraising blitz each year, which seldom takes long to reach its goal.  Of course it would remain to be seen how many new contributors would step in.

Michael

2 hours ago, BlackcowboyBS said:

Hi Andreas,

do you think that this one is an original one?

It looks good to me. Early issues were engraved.

I think this is his service record: https://archives.cd08.fr/arkotheque/visionneuse/visionneuse.php?arko=YTo3OntzOjQ6ImRhdGUiO3M6MTA6IjIwMjItMDctMTkiO3M6MTA6InR5cGVfZm9uZHMiO3M6MTE6ImFya29fc2VyaWVsIjtzOjQ6InJlZjEiO3M6MToiNyI7czo0OiJyZWYyIjtzOjQ6IjM5OTAiO3M6MjI6ImZvcmNlX251bV9pbWFnZV9kZXBhcnQiO2k6OTQ7czoxNjoidmlzaW9ubmV1c2VfaHRtbCI7YjoxO3M6MjE6InZpc2lvbm5ldXNlX2h0bWxfbW9kZSI7czo0OiJwcm9kIjt9#uielem_move=-97%2C-159&uielem_rotate=F&uielem_islocked=0&uielem_zoom=87

And here is the announcement of his award: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6584717j.image.r=NIVARD.f13.hl

Michael

I looked at listings again today, and found another medal from the same dealer named to A. Le Boydre. Octave's father was Aristide Le Boydre, and joined the Railways after serving in the First War. He got his medal in 1943.

Just had my first French reunite!

Back in May I bought a silver issue 1943 dated medal to C. Lucas.  Yesterday I was looking at other medals and saw a 1953 dated gilt version to C. Lucas.

Charles Lucas was born October 28, 1898, at Cercy la Tour, in the Nièvre département of France.  It is a small town, with a population probably around 2000.  He joined the French Army 1n May of 1917, serving with the 134th Infantry Regiment.  He then joined the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean line of the French Railways. 

Interestingly enough, a Charles Lucas, living in Cercy la Tour was awarded The Order of Social Merit September 6th, 1949.  I'm pretty sure it is the same man, although I haven't bought one to go with his pair.

Michael

LUCAS CHARLES EXTINCTION_1979.pdf

These personnel would have qualified for British Medals as well, although at one point the War Medal was not awarded if a French Medal was.  However, as I've seen with a number of Polish groups, the War Medal was sometimes awarded - perhaps the guidelines changed.

Michael

Here is the list of Free French Squadrons in the R.A.F.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Free_French_squadrons_of_the_Royal_Air_Force

Michael

Can't really answer your question, but the Chinese Army had Krupp artillery pieces during the Boxer Rebellion 1900.  Perhaps German firms supplied optics at the same time.

Michael

I read somewhere that the Canadian Papal Zouaves used a variety of rifles, Sniders, Chassepots, and Gras - I assume whatever a unit could source from Quebec.

Since the Lebel entered French service in 1886, there would have been a lot of surplus rifles around by c. 1900.

Latest purchase, a Third type, 1964 dated French railwayman's medal to O. LE BOYDRE.

Geaneanet turns up Octave Le Boydre, born 1920, died 2013.  A Google search turns up a German book: Gestapo-Verbrechen im Landkreis Burgdorf und das Schwurgerichtsverfahren in Lüneburg von 1950: Eine historische Annäherung und Einordnung (Gestapo crimes in the district of Burgdorf and the jury trial in Lüneburg in 1950: A historical approach and classification). It seems Le Boydre fell in love with a German secretary, and as such relationships were illegal, they fell foul of the police.  They reconnected after the war and "lived happily ever after".

There is a preview on Google Books, https://books.google.ca/books?id=M4YKEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=luneburg+1950+"elisabeth+hartmann"+"octave+le+boydre"&source=bl&ots=-gcB7G0qCG&sig=ACfU3U1HxosDTBSzu7f7G_U4y6Ltojs4Mg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwit7bWqjN34AhVjIUQIHeUYCSIQ6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&q=luneburg 1950 "elisabeth hartmann" "octave le boydre"&f=false unfortunately two pages I need to understand the story (116 and 118) are not included.  Can anyone help with copies, or even a precis of the content?

Thank you,

Michael

Latest purchase, a Third type, 1964 date to O. LE BOYDRE.

Geaneanet turns up Octave Le Boydre, born 1920, died 2013.  A Google search turns up a German book: Gestapo-Verbrechen im Landkreis Burgdorf und das Schwurgerichtsverfahren in Lüneburg von 1950: Eine historische Annäherung und Einordnung (Gestapo crimes in the district of Burgdorf and the jury trial in Lüneburg in 1950: A historical approach and classification).

From what I can make out (I don't read German, but the online translations make sense), Octave was captured in 1940, and was in a German PoW camp, doing forced labour.  He met a German typist, Elisabeth Hartmann, and they fell in love.  This was, of course, "Streng verboten", and Elisabeth was arrested.  Several pages are omitted from the Google Books preview, so I don't know exactly how she was punished (he was beaten with a club, abused and held underwater), but the story had a happy ending.  They were reunited, and in 2005 told their story to the author.

Octave Le Boydre is a very uncommon French name.  A Frenchman born in 1920 would have been doing his military service in 1940. While I can't positively prove I have the right man, and he died so recently that SNCF archives won't help, I couldn't help but buy it.

I have a 1948 medal to L. Bornerie.  A little searching reveals Louis Bornerie, born 1902 at Porte-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchapt, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France.

During the Second War he was a member of the Forces Françaises Combatantes, serving in the Resistance with the Reseau de Fer, the Railway resistance group. https://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/fr/ark:/40699/m005a2904450c164

The Reseau de Fer was entitled to the Médaille de la Résistance française, with rosette. http://www.france-phaleristique.com/accueil.htm Only 16 military units, communes and other bodies had this distinction. Only 4,555 medals were awarded with rosette.  He would probably have been entitled to the Croix du Combattante Voluntaire de la Résistance.

Michael

12 hours ago, QSAMIKE said:

Or Possibly Africa General Service......

 

Mike

Possibly, but I would think there would be a tonal difference between the outer black stripes and the inner green.  Besides, no AGS clasps were authorized between "Somaliland 1920" and "Kenya".  If the photo is c. 1951 then it is too early for the latter.  On the other hand, the NGS could be:

S.E. Asia 1945-46 (2,000).

Minesweeping 1945–51 (4,750).

Palestine 1945–48 (7,900). 

Malaya (7,800). For service in Malaya and Singapore between 1948-60

Yangtze 1949 (1,450). 

Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945–53 (145). 

Possibly a Naval General Service Medal 1909?

Michael

I've heard back from SNCF Archives.  They found four out of the five names submitted.  There is a fifty year limitation on pension information, but I'm not interested in that.

However, like archives around the world, they are backlogged, and it looks like about a year's delay.  And the results will be paper copies, so add shipping time.

No medals for Lieutenant John Thomas Johnson.

He tried to enlist for active service in November 1941, but the M.O. opined that to pass him for active service would render him liable to a charge of giving "aid and comfort to the enemy", and so graded him C-1. His eye test showed 20/200. He served with the Reserve battalion of The Ontario Regiment in Oshawa, being commissioned in 1942, allegedly because the Officers wanted fresh blood for their poker school.

Michael

The main site for matricules (service records) is: http://www.culture.fr/Genealogie/Grand-Memorial

The problem is that the archives are maintained by the various departements (like counties) in France, and they all have different search platforms.  Some will take you straight to the right document, others will give you another search window.  Also, given that there were often pieces of paper pasted onto these documents, there can be multiple images as they try to show all entries.

If you run into difficulties, give me a shout.  I'm fluent in French and have some familiarity with early 20th century French penmanship.  Plus I have a First War French site where I go for help.

Michael

At a guess: "Société La Philanthropique à son vice-président A. Alzon 1922"

This medal was awarded in 1920 to an Andre Henri Marie ANGERS in a differently-named society in Angers: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k63713481.image.r=ALZON.f43.hl and later a silver: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6475969r.image.r=ALZON.f44.hl

Even if it is not the same person, I think you are looking at Angers, Main-et-Loire.  He was born in 1877, which would make him the right age.

His military record doesn't add much: https://archives-deux-sevres-vienne.fr/ark:/58825/vta9460e5f07dc1d60b/daogrp/0/1/idsearch:RECH_d7798c895919a73c6e96c9cded99e9e4?id=https%3A%2F%2Farchives-deux-sevres-vienne.fr%2Fark%3A%2F58825%2Fvta9460e5f07dc1d60b%2Fcanvas%2F0%2F61&vx=629.771&vy=-770.412&vr=0&vz=7.62463

The medal itself was given for services to societies that provided social support.  Mutual benefit societies are organizations that provide aid to reduce the impact of problems such as illness, disability, accidents, unemployment, death or, less often, retirement.

You got:

a certificate after 3 years

a bronze medal after another 2 years

a silver medal after another 3 years 

a gold medal after a further 4 years

with French medal classes "silver" and "gold" mean silver wash and gilt (vermeil).

Michael

My great-uncle Marcel Verzieux, capitaine du Génie.

Croix de guerre for Verdun 1916

Actually, many of the cheminots were transferred to the 5th Regiment of Engineers, which was a railway regiment. 

I have seen some variations, but mostly they are the same style of engraving.  So I think they were done by suppliers such as the Monnaie de Paris.

Some matricules (service records) do record the issuance of war medals, but it is hit and miss.

Michael 

11 hours ago, azyeoman said:

Do you ever see these in groups rather than individual awards?

I think I may have seen one lot of medals, including this one, that could have been an entire man's entitlement.  But obviously, given that this medal would be the only named one in the group, and the diplomes/certificates missing, it would be very hard to be sure.

There are some similarities with the Imperial Service Medal.  The ISM, though, is a retirement award (minimum 25 years' service), while the French medal though it can be awarded for merit, is generally for long service (25-30 years for the lowest class, depending on you job classification).  This often means that they don't get worn.

Michael

I see, not available online.

If I read the site correctly, they will copy documents, but the delay is about 12 weeks.

Michael

What's the document?  If you send me the url I can advise you what it says.

Michael

Looks like the family was from Portland Oregon.

Michael

His number denotes a late 1950 enlistment date.

He could have served in Malaya, but no rolls are available online.

Michael

I don't think the content has anything to do with the Award.  It is entitled "The Fisherman's Song" 

It may be that Marguerite Demoly was a recipient.

  Michael