Michael Johnson

As more and more documents come online, I've discovered Alexandre's story:

He was the son of Barthelemy Louis Verzieux, brother of my great-grandfather Barthelemy Claude Verzieux.  He served in the 11th Cuirasseurs in the First War, was wounded, and awarded the Croix de Guerre.  Although over 40, he served in the Second War with the 4th Cuirasseurs, eqipped with Somua and Hotchkisss tanks, and was awarded the Croix de Guerre 1939, being killed May 18, 1940.  In 1947 he was posthumously awarded the Medaille Militaire.

Charles Nebinger was mortally wounded on the job May 22, 1940, during the German invasion of France, at Montereau, Seine-et-Marne.  Born in 1896, he probably had Great War service, either in the Army or with the railway (SNCF).

From the May 31, 1940 L'Informateur de Sine-et--Marne: « Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France » ou « Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF ».

Michael

On 13/11/2005 at 00:03, Michael Johnson said:

 

 

Herbert Waring. Joined the A.S.C. jsu after the First War, transferred to the (R.)I.A.S.C. Commissioned during the Second War in the I.A.O.C., was probably P.o.W. at Singapore. Transferred I.E.M.E. then went to Pakistan on Partition British Service, Special List. Was awarded the O.B.E. as Lt. Col. in what was probably the last Honours list befor Pakistan became a Republic. His substantive rank was Captain. All of his medlas are named.

 

I also have several pewtermugs neamed to him, and an illuminated Address of Honour given by one of the Workshops on his retirement.

 

I have since confirmed that Waring was captured at Singapore in 1942 with the Indian Army Ordnance Corps - 30 Ordnance (M) W/S Coy., 11 Indian Division. He wasn't released until 1945.

PC Wyndham Hayter - 2/7th Royal Fusiliers and Metropolitan Police

I regret no longer having this man's medals, purchased in the 1980s, which were a Second Afghan and an 1887 Met. Police Jubilee.

The Afghan came with a Kandahar clasp, which was not supported by the roll, and Anthony Farrington's roll shows him "sick in Kandahar".

On his release he joined the Metropolitan Police on June 18, 1883, being posted to W Division. He resigned November 28, 1896 with a gratuity, so missed getting the 1897 clasp to his medal.

With the advent of the Internet, research is so much easier. Revisiting him, I discovered why he resigned. On November 11, 1896 Hayter was committed to what were then known as "lunatic asylums", and appears in the Lunacy Commission's Registers, which also record his death on August 4th, 1898.

A sad story, but sadly not uncommon.
 

Here's a copy of Kipling's "Soldiers Three" which had been sent to Stalag VIII-B.

There is an excellent Facebook page for Stalag Luft III (but it takes other camps as well.

Michael

Ancestry gives 397 medals to the unit, not all of whom qualified for Jidballi.

Here is a link to Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India, with the term "Camel Corps" highlighted. https://archive.org/details/frontieroverseas06indi/page/150/mode/2up?q="camel+corps"

Michael

No citation in the LG: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37528/supplement/1836

I don't see any file in National Archives.

Michael

Perhaps the key is in the heading to the medal roll for Capt. Hutchesson's Company:

"...who were present at the Battle of Waterloo or in the actions which immediately preceded it and are at present stationed with the Company."

The roll is dated 30th May 1815.  The good Captain would have had a good recollection of who was serving with him.

The Battery did suffer one officer killed and six Gunners wounded.

Personal memento, I would think, and made post-War, given the level of craftsmanship in wings and map.  Not the sort of thing the local Ordnance Company could knock out.

Michael

If I had to hazard a guess, the die is meant to represent a Squadron number, but whether it is 11, 56, or 65 is beyond me.

Probably 11 Sqn., as i don't see either of the others in the list of SAAF Squadrons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11_Squadron_SAAF

It also fits, as the background looks like a map of Italy; 11 Sqn. served there September 1944 to August 1945.

Michael

In his last album before his death, Canadian singer Stan Rogers sang a song about Lieutenant-Colonel John Macdonnell, who was Sir Isaac Brock's ADC at the Battle of Queenston Heights in 1812, and who died rallying the British Forces after Brock was killed.  It contains the line: "So you know what it is to scale the heights/And fall just short of fame".

Here is my falling just short of fame.

One reason I have been away from the Forum is that I have been on medal-related Facebook pages.  On one devoted to Canadian veterans, I found a Six Nations veteran who had purchased a UN Cyprus, CD combination to LCPL. G.S. Christmas.  He knew that the surname Christmas was common in the Membertou Mi'Kmaw First Nation in Nova Scotia, so purchased it to return it to the family.  He asked for help locating them.

I consulted my Hugh Crawford CD roll, and discovered that he was SF103917, Canadian Provost Corps, awarded 1964.  Ancestry turned up a George Christmas serving in the RCN in 1957 in Halifax, but shortly later serving with the Army.  The SF indicated a Nova Scotia enlistment, so it looked like the premise that he was from Membertou was correct.

I decided to cut the Gordian Knot by contacting someone I knew in Library and Archives Canada.  He confirmed that the  man was George Samuel Christmas, and, yes, he was both RCN and Army.

Meanwhile I was contacted by the CBC's Halifax Indigenous Service, who had gotten wind of the story, and could I help identify him?

Of course, it turned out that George Samuel Christmas was not Indigenous.  His father was born in Lancashire.  He was born in Ontario.

Through Ancestry, I was ultimately able to make contact with the daughter, who was thrilled to get the medals back again.  She confirmed that he had switched services as her mother didn't like him being away for long periods of time.  He served on HMCS St. Laurent and HMCS Bonaventure (Canada's last aircraft carrier). But she was lukewarm on any publicity.

Meanwhile, I forwarded her information to the veteran, and also contacted Kyle Scott, a Legion Service Officer about getting the Special Service Medal and Canadian Peacekeeping Medal that Christmas would have also qualified for.

So I didn't get to become a CBC military history expert.  But at least the medals are back where they belong.

In the Canadian Forces they only put you through the disciplinary process if they think you're worth saving.  A distinction that is probably lost on those who go through the process.

Michael

I don't suppose it hurt that you are ex-Legion yourself.

Michael

One of my interests is the Cold War radar lines in Canada, especially the Pinetree Line.

I picked up this Vehicle Safety Award issued to Canadian Forces Base Foymount (http://www.c-and-e-museum.org/Pinetreeline/site16.html) in 1968.

A little while ago, I went on the above site, and looked at the photos. Under 1969, I found this one (I've crisped it up a bit). I'm pretty positive the framed scroll on the bottom right is

my scroll.

Although unification took place the year before (and Foymount held a funeral for the RCAF) they are still wearing their RCAF uniforms.

l

Back when Peter and I began collecting, they were easily the most affordable campaign medal.  You could buy three clasp medals for under $100; singles sometimes $15.  That's because they were regarded as unresearchable. 

Dealers would often just say "Native" in their lists.

You may know this, but George was serving with 89th Battery, R.F.A. 

Michael

That i haven't been able to trace.  Don told me that he and another soldier were mentioned for an action he couldn't talk about.  

Michael

Thank you, gentlemen.

Merçi messieurs

Michael

I think he's probably an Airman/Air Mechanic, South African Air Force, Dutch Reformed Church, serial 323747V (Volunteer).

He's either Willem Jacobus or Willem Johannes.

There are some very good researchers in South  Africa who can get his service record.

Michael

Some new material.

Continues until next September, so if you're passing through the GTA, well worth a look.  PM me, as i can advise on hours, and probably meet you to give you a tour.

Chris, maybe you recognize this Polish Legion veteran? Apparently finished as a Captain.

Posted on the BMF, here's the poster's list of the medals he identified:

1. Medaille Militaire
2. Ordre national du Merite (awarded by the President)
3. Croix de la Valeur Militaire (like the Croix de Guerre, MID level)
4. Croix du combatant
5. Medaille d’Outre-Mer (Overseas Medal) with clasp TCHAD
6. Medaille de la Defense Nationale, en Argent (version 2 – took me a while to work this out), two clasps INFANTERIE and LEGION ETRANGERE.
7. Medaille de Reconnaissance de la Nation, with clasp, OPERATIONS EXTERIEURES
8. Medaille commemoration francaise, with clasp, EX-YOUGOSLAVIE
9. Medaille des blesses de guerre (Medal for War Wounded), later version
10. UN UNPROFOR, I’m pretty sure with clasp KOSOVO (can’t see other examples of this)
11. ?? Big foreign award, blue and white ribbon, crown with leaves at top?
12. Foreign medal, silver and green star, Arabic writing. Can’t identify. Saudi colours.
13. Medal itself completely obscured by ‘Big foreign award’, ribbon sixth blue, sixth yellow, third black, sixth green, sixth red.

Michael

I don't know whether his family was issued a Memorial Plaque and Memorial Cross, but I have a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal to a Garrison Artillery Gunner (later Canadian Engineers) who was killed by a mine in 1916.

I know, you're saying "So what?. Thousands were."

Here's the kicker- it was a naval mine ON LAKE ONTARIO.

He and a member of his company were rowing out to place several mines in the lake so they could film them being swept.  Unfortunately they (against orders) put mines and batteries in the same rowboat.

His pension papers are available on Ancestry.

We opened last Friday night - Peacekeepers Day in Canada, and the 45th anniversary of the shooting down of CAF Buffalo 461 over Syria.

Positive reviews from three Peacekeeping vets who have toured it.

Michael

On 09/08/2019 at 04:29, GRA said:

It looks like one of these; https://www.marttiini.fi/epages/MarttiiniShop.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/MarttiiniShop/Products/240010  https://www.marttiini.fi/epages/MarttiiniShop.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/MarttiiniShop/Products/250010

I have a 240 myself, minus the badges. Handy piece of kit. Michael, is the blade engraved?

/Jonas

Greg says, just a picture.

Artillery and Signals badges.