JapanX

A liitle correction. Actually it was not Defense Ministry, but Presidential Office which originally complied historical documents to show that the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun with Grand Cordon given to Chiang was buried with the late Republic of China president at his mausoleum in Daxi, Taoyuan County, but the announcement was indeed made by Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Luo Shou-he. "According to the documents and photos of Chiang being placed into his coffin, the former president wore that medal and two others when he was entombed in Daxi in 1975" Luo said. It's not the end guys, I'll come back later today with much more Cheers, Nick

Most likely Taiwanese Defence Ministry PR representative was talking about different medal This piece http://gmic.co.uk/index.phpapp=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=241308 is authentic and it is in Museum. Medal everybody is taking right now has ribbon, not sash If indeed "Before 1995, it was the usual practice to give a new set of the medals to a general who passed away for burial," he said. The auction house says it's the first time the medal has ever gone up for auction." and if Chan indeed was buried with full set of insignia, then I it was the usual practice to give TWO extra new set of the medals to a general who passed away One is original One for the mausoleum One for collectors :lol:

Never saw before this "R" replica of rising sun order Regards, Nick

Another step forward Thanks! Cheers, Nick

Could be Definitely!

Hi Rob, thanks for this info! Do you have the pics of this French made Victory Rep that you mentioned? Regards, Nick

Indeed! I posted them in this thread http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/54594-chinese-phaleristic-optata-furiosorum/ (somewhere in the middle) http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/54594-chinese-phaleristic-optata-furiosorum/page__st__20 (somewhere in the middle) http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/54594-chinese-phaleristic-optata-furiosorum/page__st__60 (at the bottom) Cheers, Nick

Hmmm... You never know with this eccentric Mint The only thing for sure is that currently Mint manufactures only orders and miniatures of the orders. Ribbons (!) are manufactured by private subcontractors! Routine practice since the Meiji epoch. Actually the same small private firms that manufactured ribbons during Meiji epoch continue to do in our days Family business ...

Dermatin [< greek. derma (dermatos) leather]. This word used in Russia for all types of imitational leather. This is first time that I saw this type of box in such glossy condition Cheers, Nick P.S. Nice boxes you've got there :cheers:

Here comes Squadron Leader Anthony Garforth Miller medal bar ;)

It is believed that there were only four awards of the Order of Lenin to British Empire recipients during the WWII. All were for Squadron Service in Russia with 151 Wing and were announced on 27 November 1941 (having been upgraded from Orders of the Red Banner, which had been proposed a week earlier). The recipients were: 1) Wing Commander Henry Neville Gynes Ramsbottom-Isherwood, D.F.C., A.F.C.; 2) Squadron Leader Anthony Garforth Miller, D.F.C., Auxiliary Air Force; 3) Acting Squadron Leader Anthony Hartwell Rook, D.F.C., Auxiliary Air Force; 4) Flight Sergeant (later Pilot Officer) Charlton Haw, D.F.M., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. The original awards, as presented by the Soviet ambassador Ivan Mayski at a London reception in March 1942, were as we know "screwback`s" type. Obviously shortly after the introduction of the "suspended" type the pieces of all four recipients were exchanged for a new type (quite amazing fact considering that many soviet recipients have never got their replacements!)

First page of the Order Book

Miniatures (miniature order of Lenin - you don`t see this every day )

Close up Yep, this is later type (type 5) - not the one we saw in the hands of Commander in post #1 ;)

Luckily for us in early 2009, his only child, India, who was 10 when he died, was clearing out her home in Rottingdean in Sussex, when she came across a plastic bag containing his decorations, including the Order of Lenin. Soon (naturally ) she put it up for auction (together with other awards and miniatures) at Morton&Eden in London, where it fetched £46,000. Here it is

I think in this diapason there were several engravers. Hmmm... Evidence? Photos of these engravers? The only evidence I have is specimens with numbers in different handwriting. Another example was posted in post #22. Everything is (naturally) in the eye of beholder.... Regards, Nick

Henry Neville Gynes Ramsbottom-Isherwood was born on 13th July 1905 in Wellington, New Zealand as the son of Henry Lionel Ramsbottom-Isherwood and Lilian Catherine Kelly. He served with the New Zealand Rifles as Second Lieutenant from 1924 until 1930, before moving to the United Kingdom to join the RAF. After his basic training het was send to India in the late 1930's to return to England in 1935 and joining the No. 54 Squadron. Later he served with No. 35 Squadron. At the time he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in 1936, he served with the Staff of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A. & A.E.E.), where he tested new planes for the RAF. In 1941 he became Sector Commander with No. 9 Group, fighter Command. In 1941 and 1942 he led the No. 151 Wing as its Wing Commander in the Soviet Union. When he returned to England he was appinted A.O.C. of RAF Church Stanton, Valley and Woodvale between 1942 and 1944 and then was send to India. Here he commanded the No. 342 Wing in Burma and South-east Asia. He stayed in South-East Asia until 1947. After this he became Commanding Officer of RAF West Malling. Ramsbottom-Isherwood was killed on 24th April 1950, when he crashed in bad weather with his Gloster Meteor IV. Wreckage pieces of his plane were found until in 2003. Promotions: 12th July 1930: Pilot Officer; 12th January 1932: Flying Officer; 12th January 1936: Flight Lieutenant; 1st October 1938: Squadron Leader; 1st December 1940: Wing Commander (temporary); 1st January 1944: Group Captain (temporary); 17th January 1944: Wing Commander (war subst.); 1st October 1946: Wing Commander.

This happy chap is Wing Commander Henry Neville Gynes Ramsbottom-Isherwood. It is March 31, 1942. Commander is in the garden of USSR embassy in London right after receiving his Order of Lenin # 7382 for his tour in Russia. In 1941, when Sector Commander of 9 Group, Fighter Command, he was promoted Wing Commander in charge of the newly-formed 151 Wing, with orders to take Hurricanes to Vaenga, North Russia. The operation, to defend Murmansk and to introduce Soviet aircrew and pilots to the difficult conditions and in extreme cold, the Wing achieved its primary objectives and more, including fifteen kills, and a number of probable kills, to its credit.

Check out this photo