peter monahan

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:

Very classy! I can't read the unit name though: "????MANAGH YEOMANRY" Fermanagah?

Good to know!

Technically called a 'fob' and, yes, very common on pocket watch chains. I too have one on a watch I wear. They could be odd bits - mine is a trilobyte fossil in a silver setting, lodge or church group badges or any other item which struck the wearers fancy, but actually unlikely to be a military badge as such, though Old Comrades associations produced fobs and pins. The Victorians were very big on 'joining' and 'belonging' and a fob or lapel pin was a quick identifier of, for example, a fellow Mason, or something similar.

Ouch! At that rate, I'm afraid I'll have to settle for admiring from afar.

Young officer in Egypt and SA, staff wallah in WWI - hence the DSO - and a senior officer in the Home Guard for WWII. Impressive, but sadly, probably a description which matches literally dozens in not several hundred men.

I don't recognize the regimental initial's - try the British Badeg Forum - but these bugles with badges on them are being widely faked in the east. Can't say whether this one is good or fake but most showing up lately appear to be fakes. Sorry!

Chris Here is a short synopsis of the service of the 66th. In 1902 the 6th Madras Infantry, was reconstituted with Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Rajputs. In 1903, all Madras units had 60 added to their numbers, and the regiment's designation was changed to 66th Punjabis. Allah Dittah was almost certainly a member of the PM double company. In 1902 the 6th Madras Infantry, was reconstituted with Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs and Rajputs. In 1903, all Madras units had 60 added to their numbers, and the regiment's designation was changed to 66th Punjabis. Allah Dittah was almost certainly a member of the PM double company. During World War I the 66th Punjabis were dispatched to Mesopotamia as part of the 12th Indian Division in 1915. After taking part in the Battle of Shaiba, the regiment participated in the operations in Persian Arabistan. In October, the 66th Punjabis joined the 6th Indian Division in its advance towards Baghdad. It fought in the Battle of Ctesiphon and then retired towards Kut al Amara, where it was besieged by the Turks with the rest of the 6th Division. The Division resolutely resisted for 150 days, but after the failure of the British to relieve them, the starving garrison of Kut was forced to surrender on 29 April 1916. The 66th Punjabis became prisoners of war and suffered terrible privations during their long captivity. Out of the 538 officers and men present in the regiment on 14 March, only about a quarter returned home after the war. The 66th Punjabis were re-formed at Jhelum on 31 December 1916. They served on the North West Frontier of India and took part in the Third Afghan War of 1919. On 5 October 1918, the regiment raised a second battalion at Sitapur, which was disbanded in 1921. In 1922, the regiment was became the 2nd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment, thus severing any last ties with their Madras origins. On independence, the regiment went to the Pakistani Army. Eventual amalgamations have now produced a single 'Punjab Regiment' of 20+ battalions. I hope this is of some help. Peter Here is a link to some further information: http://www.researchingww1.co.uk/66th-punjabis The war diary may be useful. Some were very dtailed and included what the regiment was doing on a daily basis, weather, maps, and even, if you're very lucky, lists of casualties, though private soldiers are rarely mentioned ny name. I don't know if the single war diary mentioned in the link is this good, but at least you might get info. on what Dittah's company was doing. Good luck!

Well spotted, that man!

David Welcome to the GMIC. I saw this yesterday but had nothing to add, so didn't respond. I know that US servicemen serving with other nations' units were eligible for the Purple Heart in some circumstances but don't know enogu about US awards to say how likely it is that a foreigner would be awarded one. Sorry! I hope, however, that some members will have more information. You might consider re-posting or repeating this post in the "Unted States of America" section of the forum, to engage the US collectors. There is a veteran's group in the US called the 'Military Order of the Purple Heart', with various chapters across the States. perhaps contacting them would be useful? Good luck! Peter

So, Masonic? No sabe 'Zetland',

Oh, well done!

Gung Ho! Looks good.

Interesting. Looks as if it could well be a match.

Agreed: soldiers, even rankers, were smart enough to buy things which made life easier, and clever NCOs to ignore 'non-issue, non-regulation' bits which weren't actually dangerous or illegal.

Depending on how much time and interest you have, it is now possible to search a lot of the records online, as Ancestry.com has purchased the rights from the National Archives at Kew. I have a basic membership, which only gets me Canadian records in full and lists of British records, but a membership is not expensive if you plan to keep collecting and researching. Here's some basic information from the Archives, with links to Ancestry and other resources: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-military-campaign-and-service-medals/ Good luck!

Definitely the Spanish coat of arms - Leon & Castile. I did a quick search for Spanish 'Model 1854's and didn't find one, but I'd still be inclined to think the date is a model ID and not a manufacture date. OTOH, what I know about Spanish swords could be written on a postage stamp with room left over.

I've seen similar 'pulls' here in North America and suspect they were common from the mid 1700s or so, when tight fitting riding boots came into fashion. Still available for riders, I believe and, absent any markings probably impossible to say for sure whether they are civilian or military, but a prwetty standard piece of equipment for at least a century.

I can't get it to read 'ASSAYE' either, even when I squint. perhaps the motto of the bearer of the arms? Does the cipher on the back read 'B / B' or 'R ? B' . It seems to me that the clues lie there and, of course, in the coat of arms. Two lions as supporters and perhaps a third as the crest. The arms halfed vertically - forgotten the term for that - with a chevron on one half but I can't make out the rest of the charges.

Welcome to the GMIC! Off the top of my head, which is how I usually speak, the bird looks as if it might be a civilian pin - based on what I can see of the fastening - though possibly inspired by the RAF 'bird' or some other air force's insignia. The pin with the 'mural crown' on the top - often indicating the arms of a city - shares the red and white of the coat of arms of Malta and is almost certainly a civilian item. Such pins were / are commonly produced for sale to tourists throughout Europe and very likely the sort of thing a sailor on shore leave might pick up to take home. I hope some of the other members have somethig more useful to say about these items. Peter