peter monahan

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?

The service records for British personnell, WWII can be accessed through the National Archives, Kew. Go here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records. Not online, there are charges and he may have to prove that he is next of kin, as the records are not yet public - a 90 year rule, I think. Good luck.

Looks as if he was killed in training, not on operational service, but yes, there is always a bit of a premium for the RFC / RAF. And, yes, nice to get a unique name. I have a pair to a 'Lieut. XX Smith, RAF' and no earthly hope of figuring out who he was, as there are 12 men with his initials. We forget too, that by 1918 the RAF had its share of clerks and box-wallahs, but your man sounds as if he was a pilot in training. Apparently RAF Montrose was the first operational base set up in the UK and planes actually flew missions over France from there. It's in southern Scotland. The Wiki entry on it is quite interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Montrose

The marks on the blade itself are 'proof marks', indicating that it has been passed/approved by various inspectiors during manufacture and possibly later. '88' indicates a manufacture date of 1888. The numbers which are struck through on the hilt are likely individual issue numbers, applied by the regiment or company which issued this bayonet to, presumably, two different soldiers. One mark on the blade a 'double broad arrow' looks like a backwards 'K' next to a 'K' in your picture. This generally indicates that the item has been sold out of governmwenrt service, either to another army or for scrap steel.

What a lovely thing! Thank you for sharing the phgotos of this elusive beast.

Second child of Major General George Henry Vesey. Born c.1869, died 1966. She had several siblings who died in infancy but two brothers lived to be a General and a Colonel. http://www.thepeerage.com/p3542.htm#i35412 Not much here, but from Burke's Peerage. Probably info. in the British papers with her obituary[ies] in 1966, if you have a way to search those. Hope this helps a little.

The badge of the modern Royal Thai Army: