peter monahan

Chris You must have been pretty bored this morning to be digging up these old posts! I must admit to a faint unease in citing Wren's serevice in La Legion, as I don't recall ever reading a detailed biography of the man but based my statement on 'received wisdom' and the notion which you mention, that he must have been there to get all the details so right. So, I did some poking about and have come to the conclusion that, as a Scottish jury would have it, the case is not proven. Wren had an adopted son who always maintained very strongly that he had served, probably during a 3 year [or 5 year] period when he travelled the world and worked, among other things, as a dock labourer, circus roustabout and so on. I couldn't get more authoritative info. because the good on-line bigraphical dictionaries are all subscription only but here's Wikipedia's take on it: Wren as legionnaire Wren was a highly secretive man, and his membership of the Legion has never been confirmed. When his novels became famous, there was a mysterious absence of authenticating photographs of him as a legionnaire or of the usual press-articles by old comrades wanting to cash in on their memories of a celebrated figure. It is now thought more likely that he encountered legionnaires during his extensive travels in Algeria and Morocco, and skillfully blended their stories with his own memories of a short spell as a cavalry trooper in England. While his fictional accounts of life in the pre-1914 Foreign Legion are highly romanticised, his details of Legion uniforms, training, equipment and barrack room layout are generally accurate. This may however simply reflect careful research on his part—the descriptions of Legion garrison life given in his work The Wages of Virtue written in 1914 closely match those contained in the autobiographical In the Foreign Legion by ex-legionnaire Edwin Rosen, published Duckworth London 1910. The Historical and Information Service of the Foreign Legion hold no record of service by anyone of Wren's name and have stated their belief that he obtained his information from a legionnaire discharged in 1922. In a recently published history (2010) the military writer Martin Windrow examines in detail the evidence for and against Wren's service with the Foreign Legion before concluding that in the absence of some further documentary discovery the question is an insoluble one. So there you have it! Peter

Some of the lads at the 'Grand Tactical' - our biggest event each year - in Maryland in 2009

Yes, Please! What Mervyn said: more photos please. I'll share some of mine too, from this side of the pond, if you like! :love:

Lew, thank you for sharing your wonderful collection with us! Mevyn, as usual, I walk away from my computer with both more fascinating information on another time and place and with my respect for your depth of knowledge - calling it scholarship would not be inaccurate - renewed. Thank you both!

I'm not British, so take this for what it's worth, but I'm with Sir John on this: campaign medals should reflect 'risk and rigour' and be given out sparingly rather than by the ladle full. We all know, or think we do, of armies which give out medals for 'Completing Basic Training', 'Getting an "A" in Military Typing School", "Guarding the Canteen"... You get the idea! If there is be a campign medal, as opposed to a long service medal, for the 'Cold War', what would the qualification be? And, by the same logic, could any member of His Majesty's or Her Majesty's forces who served anywhere at all between the years 1700 and the end of the Iraq campaign argue he/she was eligible on the grounds that she/he was 'ready to fight' if sent anywhere nasty? The Brigade of Guards, for example, famously didn't leave England for decades at a time during the last two centuries. But could they, like the training cadre at Aldershot, who arguably helped hold off the godless Red hordes during the Cold war, ask for a gong for keeping the home fires burning while others went to India, Africa or wherever the red duster needed defending? HUGE can of worms looming here! Peter

I believe that part, perhaps most, of the reason for the switch from straight razors to "safety razors", which Mike's are, came with the idea of a daily shave. In the 1810-15, British soldiers shaved twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Sundays, with Jack Tar doing it Wed. & Sat. I think. For that one would need a very sharp safety razor - ie, a new blade each time - or a straight razor. I speak from personal experience, BTW, on needing a new safety blade each time. Even a second use of a cheap razor pulls like H***! Extraneous note re shaving customs here: I know that as late as the 1950-60s in Canada, people like farmers and labourers might get a professional shave in a barber shop with hot towel, soap, etc. once a week, when they went to town or had a day off. In fact, one of the few perks of being a travelling salesman in the first half of the 20th was being able to get a daily shave on the companies expense account and many small towns had a barbershop right next to or across the street from the 'travellers hotel'. That last phrase may seem redundant but here in North America 'traveller' was a term used to describe travelling salesman. My dad's dad 'travelled in plumbing', selling fixtures across Ontario for a small factory in the town of brantford.

Nice cap & a good upload. I mean 'nice' as in 'nice find', of course. In fact its rather ugly, IMHO, and I can't imagine the Horsemen were rushing to put these on unless they were stationed in the Prairies in February or the Territories from October to April! :cheeky:

Mike Where are the rest of the volumes of the registry? Library and Archives Canada or...? Peter

Very nice, Mervyn! Much better looking than those nasty flashy silver helmets the cavalry blokes wear. ;)

Robin wrote "Bring back the good old Victorian values." I assume you mean multi-battalion regiments, each with local connections and a proud history, asopposed to child prostitution and workhouses! Sadly, in this day and age, its all about 'efficiency' [read 'cutting costs'] and the immeasureables like tradition, elan, morale and so on go straight into the dust bin. At least we at the GMIC can argue we're doing our humble bit to preserve at least the knowledge of the old ways. God bless the King Emporer!

Looks better than some of the pukka stuff coming out of MoD these days! ;)

I've got a nice German razor - they were traditionally believed to be the best steel, I think - but have never had the nerve to try it on my face. Instead it is part of my kit, displayed in my tent, when I do Napoleonic era reenacting. I do however use a brush and soap, the latter in a shallow plastic dish, when I've missed a day with the electric, as I find the electric only works well on short bristles - less than 48 hours growth. Peter

There were considerable numbers of Indians who, after being taken prisoner by the Japanese chose to take service with them in the INA. Having seen photos of seated, bound and blindfolded Sikh POWs being used by Japanese soldiers for bayonet practice, I make no moral judgenment on any sepoy or sowar who chose the INA over probable death in a POW camp, coal mine or factory. The INA fought, well by many accounts, at the Battle of Imphal against the British Indian Forces and at one time numbered as many as 40,000 men, some POWs and some volunteers raised among the Indian populations of Burma and Malay I do know that the memebers of the INA had extreme difficulty in being taken prisoner again by British Indian forces in the last stages of the war. A common practice, despite real efforts by the British high command, was to shoot them out of hand. Of those captured, only a few 'leaders' were tried for treason. With typical Imperial tact and delicacy, at the Red Fort in Delhi, where the survivors of the 1857 Indian rebel forces were tried and executed. Three officers, with the rank of Colonel in the INA were convicted of "making war against the King Emporer" and, despite the defence argument that they were soldiers of a legitimate army and state, were convicted and sentenced to deportation for life. That sentence was later commuted by Montbatten. The remaining INA members were denied re-admission into the Indian Army. Wide popular support for independence undoubtedly influenced these decisions and was, BTW, reflected in the mutiny/strike of the Indian Navy in 1946! Keep in mind that there was widespread support for Indian independence and being a soldier didn't necessarily negate supporting the Azad Hind concept. In fact, Azad Hind actually administered the Andaman and Nicobar islands as a puppet government after the Japanese took those areas and had its own courts and currency, which fact was used at the trials to argue that the accused were not traitors to Briton but legitimate members of a sovreign state. A much less significant group, but one which catches the eye and is the motive, I think, for the fake Azad Hind medals was the Indische Legion, also known as the Tiger Legion or Azad Hind Legion. It began among Indian students resident in Germany in 1939 and also recruited from Indian POWs, taken in North Africa. Similar to the Legion of St George, made up of small numbers of Britons and Irishmen, the Indische Leguion was trumpetted by the Nazis as a vistory for the ideals of National Socialism. The Legion never numbered more than a couple hundred men and late in the war was organized as an antiaircraft battery/unit under German officers: Indische Freiwilligen-Legion Regiment 950. Theis unit was captured and shipped back to India for treason trials as well, with results as described above The Wikipedia article on the INA is not too bad as a general background piece, if one wishes to understand the broad strokes. Peter

And, I believe you're right about the legality, John. The relevant law seems to include under 'antique firearms' the following: HANDGUNS 6. A handgun manufactured before 1898 that is capable of discharging only rim-fire cartridges, other than 22 Calibre Short, 22 Calibre Long or 22 Calibre Long Rifle cartridges. It seems, looking at the photos, that yours is unlikely to be made for 22 calibre [ie. commonly available ammo.] so it would seem to be 'antique' and therefore not legally a firearm. Good luck with the further research! Peter

There is a postcard of the court house in Woodstock currently on sale on ebay, dated from about this period I believe. Also, available on-line is this volume: From forest to city Woodstock's rise, growth and development, in photogravure, 1834-1901, published 1901 by The Times in [Woodstock, Ontario . Sadly, it ends just short of the 1903 visit but gives a very good idea of life in a small English Canadian town at the turn of the last century. It may be consulted here: http://openlibrary.o..._forest_to_city [copy the underlined and paste it into your Internet browser.

From A History of Ontario, Its Resources and Development [Alexander Fraser, 1907, Volume 2- Biography] STEWART FIELDE HOUSTON, M.A. Stewart Fielde Houston was born at Waterdown, Ontario, November 19, 1868, and is a son of the Very Rev. Stewart Houston, Dean of Niagara. His paternal grandparents were William Houston, of Ayrshire, Scotland, and Fannie (Cox) Houston, a daughter of the Rev. Robert Gregory Cox, sometime rector of Brampton, Ontario, and formerly of Lincolnshire, England. Stewart F. Houston pursued his education in the Toronto Collegiate Institute, University of Toronto, and Trinity University, from which he graduated in 1889. He was licensed as a barrister in 1892. From 1889 until 1893 he was engaged in journalism, being on the staff of the Toronto Empire (since amalgamated with the Mail) in varioiis capacities, including that of sporting editor, and subsequently editorial writer. He was appointed manager of the Massey Music Hall of Toronto in 1900, and has since acted in this capacity. He has conducted many of the tours of the leading musical artists in Canada. In 1903 he brought the first British regimental band the Coldstream Guards across the Atlantic to Canada ; also directed tours of the Black Watch Band, and the Band of Grenadier Guards in 1904. Among other artists whom he has brought to Canada are, Paderewski, Melba, Albani, the Pittsburg Orchestra, the Westminster Abbey choir party, the London Meistersingers and Ben Greet and his Shakespearean Company. He also managed the lecture tour of Winston Churchill, M.P., in 1901.

The lack of detail on the reverse and, to me, the size, suggest a commemorative token, but I speak from a position of blissful ignorance on things South African. Quite an attractive piece.

The Victory Medals to the Indian Army were minted and named in Delhi and may well vary slightly in weight from those made elsewhere. I've owned several, including one to a sowar of cavalry which is still somewhere in the rubbish tip I call 'my study' but I can't say I ever weighed it against a British example. One distinguishing mark of the Indian issues is the very small, thin font used in the naming, often irregular [some letters higher or lower and wonky spacing]. Technically, they were called the "Royal Garrison Artillery, India" in WWI and included mountain batteries, so "I.G.A." would be quite likley on a medal IMO. Sounds like a nice gong. What was it going for, do you recall? Peter

Uuuuglyy! What a shame that the iconic bobby's uniform has given way to this. I understand that we can't expect them all to look like Peel's originals, but what was wrong with the crisp tunic with pockets, epaulettes and so on? Does anybody really believe this lot will appear 'more approachable' to the yobs and little lost kids or are the powers trying to make them invisible? If the latter, they've failed: there still there, they just look like ... [fill in rude term of choice here]! Sigh! :unsure:

That's marvellous! I hope they can identifyt the poor sod so his country can give him a proper military burial!

"At least the Met retains some form of dress uniform. When the Queen visited my home city last week the appearnce of the officers on parade could best be described as slovenly." I spent Saturday at the Waterfront Festival in Mississauga, the next city west of [and contiguous to] Toronto, where 'security' was provided by both police officers and students from the "Police Foundations' programme at one of the local trade colleges. The students had simple but fairly decent uniforms: black trousers with a grey seam stripe and black shirts stencilled 'POLICE' across the back. Some of the police looked as usual - peaked caps, dark blues frag vests over light blue shirts and blue pants with a red seam stripe, but I also spotted two who looked as if they'd been dragged backwards through a rag bag. T-shirts, worn outside the trousers, tactical holsters strapped down to the right thigh, equipment belt and boots, no head covers. Both looked as if they'd dresed in the dark and slouched rather than walking. What a disgrace! To anyone's uniform! I only hope the students didn't see them.

That was my understanding too: WWII Stars to South Africans and Indians were [generally] issued named, unlike those to Brits, Canadians and Aussies[?] Peter

"The puzzle keeps growing. I found this in old family photos with "my dear Dad": written on the back. I thought I knew who it was but the family is German and Irish. I need to keep digging. Anyone have any idea of dates for the uniform. I thought the belt might be a clue. MJ" Just as up to 30% of the British Army in the 19th century was Irish, British [and, I suppose, Scottish] police forces were full of Paddies. There is a particularly offensive Irish folk song called "The Mountains of Mourne" in which the bumbkin Irishman arrives in London and writes home to his girl about the great goings on: Oh Mary this London's a wonderful sight With people here workin' by day and by night They don't sow potatoes, nor barley, nor wheat But there's gangs of them diggin' for gold in the street At least when I asked them that's what I was told So I just took a hand at this diggin' for gold ... You remember young Davey Mc Clarin of course Well he's over here on what they call 'the Force' I saw him one day as I was crossin’ the Strand And he stopped all the traffic with a wave of his hand And as we stood talkin’ of days that are gone The whole town of London stood there to look on But for all his great powers he's wishful like me To be back where the dark Mourne sweep down to the sea" "Paddy" humour was the British equivalent of 'darky' songs in the old vaudeville days, but it doesn't obscure the fact that for many impoverished Irish men, Great Britain was a land of oppurtunity. So, its quite conceivable that your 'Irish' side contains at least one ancestor who tried the UK before he came across the Atlantic! I hope some of the other experts in this group can narrow down the ID of the picture. Peter

I believe - when I can remember to believe anything - that the Hindu swastika, and the same symbol used by North American Natives, represented the sun. Think very very simplified/stylized rays. But don't quote me!

Des Sadly, you are correct about the research. Ed Haynes - a former member of the group - who was one of the pioneer experts on post '47 Indian and Pakistani medals said this: "As hard as it is to get reliable published information on Indian medals after 1947 (so far), it is 10 to 20 times more difficult when it comes to Pakistan!" in 2006. I doubt much has changed. However, he runs this web site: http://sagongs.ipbhost.com/index.php? Perhaps he can help. There is also, I believe, one book on Medals of Pakistan. Plus, Lawrence Strong & Megan Robertson will likely chip in here. They both have knowledge in this area as well. BTW, welcome to the GMIC! Peter