IrishGunner

The flip side is knowing you have something and not being able to find it to save your life. I have several medals that are "missing" since emptying the safe deposit box when we moved from Virginia. I think the wife put them someplace...

Question 1: Actually, there are cases where only one DUI is worn. A) Over right pocket of Service Dress to indicate regimental or corps affiliation; B) On the flash of the beret for enlisted personnel. So, having only one could also make sense. However, there are some DUIs that have both a left and a right - for example, my profile photo is my regiment's DUI - the 6th Artillery. There is both a left facing and a right facing insignia - so that worn on the shoulders the arrows point forward. In these cases, I think a pair is more "collectible." Question 2: Matter of preference, I think. I would buy only complete with clutch pin, pin back, or screw back. No "cut offs" for me... But that's my preference. Relative value would then depend on the buyer's preference. A "cut off" pin would only be a filler to me and therefore, a much lower value. But for someone looking to display as you state, then you could find a market. In general though, I think majority would prefer complete DUIs.

Unfortunately, they don't have an entry in the "Theater of war first served" box. No 1914/15 stars. Only thing I can add is that Driver Smith served with Horse Transport and was probably a volunteer in the 4th Group of Kitchener's Army based upon the T4 in his regimental number.

Paul, British WWI medals are engraved on the edge with Name, Rank, Regimental Number, and Unit- at least in the case of Other Ranks - Enlisted. (Officers do not have a number engraved). Many "sellers" in the US don't realize there is something engraved on the edges and if they do, sometimes they don't understand the significance of the number. Therefore, they often don't list it in the details. In reality, the Regimental Number is perhaps the most important bit of information to the research.

Interesting. Nice to something out of the ordinary.

Nice. I wonder if it was some sort of "collectible" or actually used for eating

Paul, I concur with what others have already posted. It is definitely possible to get their Medal Index Cards (MIC), which may give a little more information, including what other medals they may have been awarded (1914/15 Star or British War Medal). But you need the regimental number from the medals, especially with such common surnames. It will likely give what theater they served; for example HLI battalions were at Gallipoli and Private Anderson's card may show that. However, it might not show his exact battalion. It is also unlikely to give specific unit data for the Army Service Corps. $15 is an excellent price for common Victory Medals. If the HLI soldier might have been at Gallipoli, the value could be triple that...at least I'd pay more for it. See here for more about MIC: British Army medal index cards 1914-1920

That's a nice piece of history. Well done.

I'd say you are correct. Reichskanzler Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg (li.) im Gespräch mit dem Staatssekretär des Auswärtigen Gottlieb von Jagow (Mitte) und dem Staatssekretär im Reichsschatzamt Karl Helfferich (re.) (Foto: Süddeutsche Zeitung Photo)

I wonder if a member of the "famous" Krupp family...

I've not seen that before on a card. You know where to send it if you can't find a spot for it...

Yea, an odd phrase to call him "Japanese" if he simply resided in Japan. Even more odd for a truly ethnic Japanese man to join the Indian Army with the Sikhs.

Strange indeed. I thought O'Hara was an Irish name, not Japanese.

The British Red Cross is giving online access to the records of thousands of people, some of them famous names, who served as volunteers during the First World War.

I'm kind of sorry I clicked on this topic...

This is a link to the official US Army history entitled "Rearming the French" Page 231 talks about training, including French cadres in US units and US advisors in French units. While I didn't find a photo of the patch in wear, the photos showing training have the French soldiers in French uniforms and the US soldiers in American uniforms. Page 259 talks about uniforms - while specifically addressing an issue with women's uniforms - there is a sentence that states US uniform items issued to French forces would be worn with French buttons and insignia. One could assume that the restriction applied to all uniforms. I still can't help but think this patch is somehow associated with the effort of "Rearming the French" and this particular example was worn by a US servicemember (because of the other US insignia).

Odulf, thank you very much for an actual reference! That is very helpful. File #10 clearly shows the patch on a page titled "Miscellaneous US Units" The label on the page suggests the patch was worn by French troops. Again considering this is a US military uniform with other US insignia, this also implies that US personnel assigned to a unit training French forces also wore the patch. A period photo of the patch in wear would be really helpful. But at least we have something more authoritative than the internet. Thanks again, Odulf!

Of course, the Wehrmacht did have a similar patch for French "volunteers"

True. Remember discussing this guy on another topic in GMIC: I think the border of the patch is a different shade of green.

I have about 70 artillery Sterbebilder

Another topic about a Lippe award to a member of AFA 238 caused me to Google the unit... I came up with this letter (among) others from another member of AFA 238, Reinhold Lückemann, to his wife. Written in November, it still stirred a bit of holiday cheer in my soldier's heart at this time of year. It's all about family. With the children, she is facing hunger every day at home, but she still sends him marmelade and apples. He is facing death every day at the front, but he tells her to put her and the children's welfare ahead of his... He will make do. And he even passes along parenting advice about his little "wild" Erika. A great insight into the lesser seen human side of war. It's in German; but fortunately a transcript and not handwriting (although there's a link showing the original hand-written document). Reinhold Lückemann an seine Ehefrau am 11.07.1916

Yep. the US Army Institute for Military Assistance was an early name for the JFK Special Warfare Center (that name adopted in 1982). One of the other US certificates from the Office of Public Safety, USAID, State Dept established in 1970 (so he was one of the first foreign students there). It was dissolved in mid-70s and functions picked up by various law enforcement agencies. Around that same time the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center was established; this is still run by the Department of Homeland Security and has a huge international student population. DEA, FBI etc have attaches in Embassies abroad and run training programs for foreign partners.

Looks like he still has a little life in him...

That's great! Now we have someone on the Forum who really knows something about EK docs. Instead of that "other" guy. Welcome aboard.

Soldiers have always been the same, haven't they? Cool photo.