peter monahan

Thanks for calrifying that, Semper. My 'GC is not later' comment is pretty vague now that I look at it. I meant 'not modern/contemporary' as opposed to not later than the first medals.

Welcome to the GMC, Pasha. Once, in the far off days of 'Before Children', I had a small medal collection. [I lived in Toronto then, too]. So, my expertise, such as it ever was, may be dated but don't think the GC is a later addition. The amonunt of minor scratching on the back suggests that it has been worn with the other three. Other visible differences may be due to the purity of the silver used in the GC and BWM minatures. The GC may be a later replcement for one lost - I'm assumng it was a WWI or between the Wars award - or a privately purchased 'tailor's copy' as opposed to an official issue minature from the British Mint and MOD. But t doesn't look lke a really modern add on and this would be an odd group to make up, I would think. Also, sadly, a tough one to research, though the GC certainly isn't common.

If there is a market, somebody will provide the merchandise! I recall reading a novel, written by an ex-US officer, in which he describes filthy, bearded Marines running up 'Japanese battle flags' on liberated sewing machines for sale to the sailors and other 'REMF's who came ashore on Guadalcanal after the shooting stopped and have never had any reason to doubt that the author was speaking of actual events, albeit in a ficitional context!

My guess is that you'll have more lucvk with the Greek records than thwe US ones, as there would lkely have been official notice of and permission to wear a 'foreign' award granted by an ally to Greek troops. How to do that, I'm afraid i don't know.

A quick look at Ancestry.ca - I have no access to British files - shows a 'Tom G. Weatherdon' born c1842 and a 'Thomas G Weatherdon' born about 1881. Is it possible that the two names refer to two men - first cousins or even father and son - one of whoim deserted from the regular Army and one of whom was a Terrier? The matching serial numbers may be a nice coincidence or a clerical error which conflates the two men nto oe individual. Just a thought.

Seems like a good guess to me.

Thanks, Brett!

Another country heard from. Thank you, Chris, for the solid information. Still strikes me as odd that, having ponied up the shekels for a medal, a certificate isn't included, but the government/military mind moves in mysterous ways its wonders to achieve.

The only 'Rawbone' listed by the CWGC is an RAF Sergeant from WWII, so your man wasn't killed or died on service. We do have a member, believe, who does research on SA service personnel, but her name escapes me at the moment. Perhaps another member can help further.

Doug Welcome to the GMIC! I tried to respond yesterday but my laptop was sulkng and wouldn't let me. Here is a series of posts on this topic [generally] from an erlier discusson. Perhaps the photos are helpful: https://gmic.co.uk/topic/37275-the-royal-marines/?page=2 As to Gallipoli, my not very expert guess is that the Jollies there may have worn no collar insignia, as the few non-Autrsalian photos I've seen suggest that most of the Imperial troops were in 'stripped' unifoirms, either because it was early enough in the war that such luxuries as collar and shoulders hadn't been issued in large numbers, or for the same reasons we don't wear insignia on today's battlefields. But that, as i say, is merely speculation. I hope someone else can provide a more definitive answer for you. Peter

How can anyone pass by a post labelled 'Bludgeons and Flails'? I began my formal history studies in the Medieval period and recall somebody in a tutorial make a slighting, or at least pitying remark about poor peasant levies 'armed with flails and scythes and things'. To which the obvious response is 'Have you ever seen what a flal does with a stout two armed swing? Or a scythe with the blade turned parrallel to the shaft' BTW, we'll let this blatant self-promotion go once, but next time we expect a cut of your no doubt huge income from this must-read volume! [wink wink]. Peter

Wow! Given the predeliction of institutions everywhere for paper, paper and more paper, that surprises me. But thanks for an authoritative answer, Gordon.

"Many years ago my wife and daughter purchased a 6 foot high, 7 foot wide and 48 inch deep oak cabinet for me at auction , It has two rows of 17 drawers each with a drawer depth of a little over two inches. It is oak and was constructed in the late 1800s." Lucky man! In fact, oak used yto be the wood of choice for museum cabinets but it off gasses something fierce when first cut, so institutions which now use it - very few- expect to wait 18 months after installation before inserting sensitive artifacts. But, damn, it looks sharp! And I expect after 100 years it's pretty much inert.

I was referrng to the numbers '42' and '12', both crossed out, and '3'. I think these would have been stamped on by the regmental armourer to dentify this bayonet as belonging to 'soldier #42' n the regment or company. The soldier would have his own ID number/serial number, probably 4 digits, but would be expected to memorize the seral numbers stamped on his rifle and bayonet and, if it was found, the number stamp would show that 'this bayonet, #42, was issued to Private...... of [A, B, C] Company'. So this bayonet has been issued at least three times to different individuals, probably in different regiments. Perhaps to a regular, later a Territorial or even eventually a cadet corps. The Army was very big on numbereing things and I'm always amazed when I associate with modern military reencators that they haven't labelled everything they own with their serial number and can't recite the number of their rifle off by heart!

The Police Medal is a fne looking piece, which anyone would be proud to wear! The others don't appeal to me, I'm afraid, but thank you for sharing them. I assume they are new additions to your collection? Did you find them on line or do you have a 'source' in southern Africa?

A few of us are on the GMIC on a daily basis, many more weekly or monthly and some only when we have a question. Probably none of us read every post in every sub-forum, so new posts do get missed. That said, welcome to the GMIC. Your question is a perennial one, to which there is no 'right' answer. Displaying the award in its original box is nice but often unwieldy, so many of us mount them in frames or, depending on numbers, in 'wallets', often wth the boxes stuck away in a drawer. However, if the box is more than plain cardboard, it adds a nice formality to the award. Your choice, and happy collecting!

Thank you, Lone Wolf!

No idea, I'm afraid but my guess would be 'yes'. If you go to the expense and trouble of issuing the gongs, a bit of paper is not much more expense. I'm afraid what very l;ittle expertise I have is in the pre-'47 Imperial Indian Army and know lttle of the modern IA. Ed, if you can get him to talk, is your man. He was teaching in the US and travelling to the sub-continet to research, so no idea how busy he iis these days, but he should know. Good luck in the hunt! Peter

Here is our DND [Dept of Natonial Defence] site on Honors and Awards. Perhaps a list of which documents are avalable and where they might be can be found here. I'm afraid I don't know enough about the awarded unnamed, modern awards to say for sure but as the Canadian ones are typically awarded unnamed, I would be surprsied if there were not a document with each. http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhr-ddhr/faq/index-eng.asp

Pity it's in such rough shape. The braidng suggests someone of rank and the quality looks good. There were at least 6- 8 white-faced regiments n the 19th century ncluding the Leicestershire, Monmouthshire and 74th Highlanders so not sure how to narrow t down.

The UN Medal, for sure, the Videsh Seva with 'CONGO' bar [1960-1964; 1999-??] and presumably any applcable gallantry ad long service medals. This thread was started by Ed Haynes, who wrote 'Medals and Decorations of Independent India' and is certainly the greatest expert on the subject publishsing in English. https://gmic.co.uk/topic/14655-india-videsh-seva-medal/

Possibly to indicate two sons or brothers or siblings in the service? Like the Blue Star banners and badges?

Lovely! Thanks for sharing.

Try repsoting this under the British & Commonwealth forum and see if anyone there knows about the Aussie and KIwi awards.

Indian Army rolls are available, including a reprint for, I think, 1949, 1924 and maybe 1900. I have the 1924 reprint but, not too surprisingl;y, he is not listed in it. Or you can root around here for clues: https://www.bl.uk/reshelp/atyourdesk/servdeliv.html. Type in 'Indian Medical Service' and see what's available. Or this. https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/namesearch/?FirstName=E&Surname=DeRoche&RecordType=NotSelected&RecordDateStartYear=1700&RecordDateEndYear=2018&CollectionList=20 What bar is on the medal?