Michael Johnson

10 hours ago, Paul R said:

You should be very proud of it.  Did all officers use the same style of sword?

Infantry Officers, yes.  This one is the 1882 Infantry Officer's Pattern, from the Chatellerault factory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Châtellerault and is dated 1904.

Michael

On 11/30/2016 at 08:34, peter monahan said:

I'll just go drink some absinthe

Just remember the consequences!

Absinthe makes the fart go "Honda" 

Not as ornate, but with special meaning for me. The sword of Capitaine Marcel Verzieux, my great-uncle, Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre (awarded for Verdun).

My French isn't as good as my son's (he's teaching French less than six months after graduating), but to my ear her French is extremely good.

Michael

I think it was Wren who speaks of le cafard as a cockroach that wriggles inside your head.

But then there's Deborah Harry: 

J'ai le cafard,
Je t'en prie viens voir,
Ce que ton amour représente pour moi

Here's a nice one, which I mounted for my wife's godfather Don Malloy, PPCLI and Metropolitan Toronto Police, 52 Division (where I grew up in Toronto).

I haven't been able to confirm his MID, but although he would not give details, he was sure he received it.  Passed away not too long ago, and greatly missed.  As a Toronto boy he should have been R.C.R., but they wouldn't take him (I think he may have had polio as a boy).  Two tours in Korea with the PPCLI

7 hours ago, Paul R said:

I know that I read through things quickly, but how much of his time was with the Naval Reserves?  Reserve time is not good toward the Active Duty version of the GCM.    

It seems as if the folks who completed his records confused him with being in the Army(loops and oak leaves for ribbons).  The Army criteria for the CGM was consistently three years.  Under the Army regs, he would have had six awards of the CGM(Medal and five loops) at 20 AD years.  Being in the Navy during the time period he was in, he could have only earned the 5 awards(medal and four stars).  

He did another ten years - Nov. 16, 1968 - Nov. 1, 1978.

On the lookout now for a bronze V for the NAM and star for the Vietnam Service.

Michael

7 hours ago, Brett Hendey said:

Michael

I have really enjoyed reading through this thread.  Thank you for keeping it going, and congratulations on completing a fine research project.

I recently acquired my first US medal bar.  I have a particular interested in the Korean War and the bar belonged to a US Army Corporal who was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service in Korea.  It was my most interesting project for a long time, and I now understand the allure of US medal bars.

Regards

Brett

PS  I posted my acquisition In the Korean War medal bar thread.

Brett,

I posted this bar some years back: 

I really wish I knew whose it was. Purchased in a sporting goods store in Oakville Ontario.

Michael

9 hours ago, Paul R said:

Well, he served 20 years of active duty, which means that he would have received five awards of this medal(unless he lost one or more due to a Mast/Courts Martial).  Five awards would be reflected as four bronze stars on the ribbon.

What makes this confusing is that in 1963, the medal was changed to every four years, versus three.  As a side note, the award frequency was changed again to every three years in 1996.   

Anyway, based upon the period award criteria, he would have received:

Medal in 1951, repeats in 54, 57, 61.  Then the four-year rule started in 1963- so his next medal would have been 1965, with his retirement in 1968.  That makes the medal plus four stars.  He missed his silver star by one year.  

His service record states "Good Conduct Medal w/5 loops".  But it also has an Oak Leaf cluster on his National Defense Service rather than a star.

Would his reserve service have counted?

Michael

It's been an interesting project.  I was born in 1951, so Korea was recent events (although always overshadowed by the Second World War. I was 17 when he won his NAM.

I already have a National Defense, Vietnam, and ROV Medal.  And  a Canadian dealer I know has an "Asia" clasp for the Occupation at a good price.  Just need the NAM and V, and NUC ribbon.

I won't take the group apart and remount it, nor add anything to his GC (I take it one silver star would be correct?).  I might try to sew the Asia clasp onto the ribbon.

Looks like keeping the catapults in good nick during combat operations 29 June 1968 to  9 October 1968.  And I missed his entitlement to a Combat V, further down the page.

So from a group of five, I'm now up to a rack of ten.

Am I right that the Navy Unit Commendation Medal is just a ribbon bar?

Michael

Omitting shore stations, he served on the following:

USS Van Valkenburgh

USS Everglades

USS William R. Rush

USS Everglades (again)

USS Lofberg

USS Ashtabula

USS Stribling (1954 cruise)

USS Constellation (1968)

USS Cacapon

USS Kearsage

Active Nov. 16, 1948 to Nov. 15, 1968; Reserve to Nov. 1, 1978

Since we know that he was on Constellation in October 1968, I suspect that Cacapon and Kearsage were Naval Reserve postings.

I need to check the cruise books for the other ships, but don't have an Ancestry World subscription anymore.  And since many of the books aren't indexed I'd have to browse, and you can't do that with credits.

Michael

Probably a goof-up by the Records Branch.

Michael

I just got service papers for a Navy man - Korea and Vietnam.  His record states ""1 Oak Leaf Cluster" for his National Defense Medal.

On 8/14/2016 at 17:12, Hugh said:

Please tell me you have this man's story and are going to publish it here.  

Probably enlisted before 7 December 1941.  Maybe an aviator or air crew with service in WW II and Korea, but not Vietnam.  No stars nor strike/flight on his Air Medal so maybe not a designated aviator.  Maybe an artillery spotter.  Lots of campaign stars but no "V" on his Bronze Star.  Mention in Despatches on his British War Medal.  Maybe wound up his career as an attache or other extended service in Italy.  Lots of anomalies to puzzle over.  

Hugh

MBE/OBE and War Medal with MID must mean service with a British or Commonwealth unit with no active service.

Michael

Got Smart's service record today, and he was on both the Constellation and Stribling.  He also received the Navy Achievement Medal for the Constellation's 1968 Vietnam tour, a Navy Unit Commendation Medal, and was also entitled to an Asia clasp on his Occupation Medal.  Also served on USS Van Valkenburgh (probably his Korea ship), and USS Kearsage, plus a number of others.

Oak Leaf cluster (should this be a bronze star?) on his Defense, one Star on his Vietnam, and five stars on his Good Conduct, as he did another ten years with the USNR.

A pity the Personnel Records didn't put in dates as well as ships, but I assume they are listed chronologically.

Michael

I believe S.A.H.A. is South African Heavy  Artillery.

Michael

And one where my great-uncle Capitaine Marcel Verzieux was wounded and was awarde the Croix de Guerre. In the round photo he is wearing his Cross.  The back of his watch still bears the marks (and still runs).

Thank you, Veteran.  That is what I thought.

Michael

The following post was made over on the British Medal Forum. 

I had a phone call last week from a chap who keeps his eyes open for me, he had been offered a dilapidated framed group of medals centred on a photo which had faded to nothing in the sunlight, according to a plaque set into the frame the recipient was a British lad named Ralph Genn. The family advised that he was born in SE London in 1890 into a reasonably "well to do" family but joined the French Foreign Legion aged 17 in 1897/98, served through the Great War with the Legion both in Indo-China, North Africa and Verdun, wounded twice, awarded the Medaille Militaire and several French medals and according to my contact a British Silver War Badge. Believe it or not I have found an MIC for that SWB as well and it does say French Foreign Legion for his unit !

It is believed that an identically framed group to his brother Cecil, six years younger, was extant a decade or so back, (he has the seller trying to locate this) that was a 1914-15 Star trio with an MSM, he was a Wireless linesman who served in the Middle East in the Great War and then volunteered for Murmansk where he earned an MSM. The family story is that a couple of years after the Great War Cecil joined a merchant ship in London's Victoria Dock and worked his passage to South America to earn big money in the Wireless Telegraph business but disappeared in the jungles in Bolivia or Peru and was never heard from again.

Legionnaire Ralph apparently returned home after the war, discharged due to wounds and married, living out his life in Greenwich, dying in 1958.

I am desperately trying to get some pics and the full story and hoping to buy it before the lady departs for her second home in Italy for the next 6 months, she apparently hopes to settle permanently out there.

I had no idea that a SWB could be awarded like that !

In the event, it appears his claim for a SWB was rejected, since he wasn't serving in a British or Empire unit. One member suggested that he write to the Legion's HQ in Marseille.  Do any of our anciens have an opinion of his chances of success (assuming that Genn was born over 120 years ago)?

Michael

The Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club uses this flag, but with a propellor added. http://www.rsmyc.org.uk/a-short-history/

Michael

I remember buying a nice ribbon bar (FORPRONU, Defense Nationale) from a member of the Gendarmerie Nationale.  He had fond memories of working with Canadian Police in Former Yugoslavia.

The medal roll states that Pte. Henry Mclean spent June and July 1866 in London Ontario, where a raid was expected.

http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&id=e008682265

Pte. George E. Savage spent 1 June to 18 July 1866 at St. Armand, Quebec, and the action at Pigeon Hill

http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&id=e008681448 

The GSM Malaya appears to be named to a member of the Singapore Police. The name seems Chinese.

The Afghanistan NWF 1919 to Rlwys is probably this man: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FG4W-3WL

William Edward Eric Mckinley, born 5 Nov. 1890, Saharanpur, Bengal, India

Michael

The Rolls confirm the clasps, with the notation "With 3rd Bn." (the roll is for the 2nd Bn.). Probably a reinforcement.

Michael

Here's the Warrant for the 1939-45 Star: http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/warrants/h9-reg.html

Here's the Defence Medal: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:DqdUS1kWjocJ:medals.nzdf.mil.nz/warrants/h17-reg.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

It looks to me like it might be a French regimental medal.

Michael