peter monahan

Audrey has done research for years. I say 'owner' because this is her site - rhino.research@icon.co.za However, as I say, apparently he daughter is now carrying on with SA research. Peter

Rhino Research is your best bet for SA stuff. Sadly, the original owner, Audrey, passed away in March but I understand that her daughter is planning on carrying on. Good luck.

I had only minimal contact with Audrey, but when I did she was prompt and courteous and helpful. A sad loss to her family and this extended community. R.I.P.

And the number of 'tails' on the officer's sporran? I think they differed by regiment. Further, the flash on the helmets appears to be a dark triangle with an even darker narrow strip across the bottom. Presumably unique to this unit. This site IDs some Scottish flashes in the comments section. Most appear to have been squares [not triangles] of tartan. http://www.militarysunhelmets.com/2012/helmet-flashes-in-the-british-army The author of the site is Stuart Bates, an acknowledged expert on nineteenth century headdress.

Not me. I didn't actually collect anything at that point in my life. Plus, I was with our version of Peace Corps and drawing a local salary, not the 'we have oil money' contract foreign teacher rate, so didn't actually have $$ for such things. If the Coast Guard gents have facial scars, that makes them southerners or from 'middle belt' states but not likely Ibo or Yoruba and definitely not Hausa, who come from the semi-arid northern half of the country. When I was there the Army was running the country and we had 3-4 Army sergeants stationed at our school, theoretically teaching PT and helping enforce discipline. Two of them were Tiv and had prominent scars on both cheeks - 3 horizontal lines, if memory serves. Brought in by friends sounds familiar too. In a country with no welfare, unemployment or most services we take for granted, you depend on your nuclear family, your extended family, your tribe and then the government for support. So, if you get a good job - any job with a reliable salary, however low - you are expected to help your 'brothers' get the same.

Pdr - sent you a PM.

James Welcome to the GMIC. I see that you seem to have some luck with a clue on another forum, but I hope that someone in this very knowledgeable group can provide further information or search clues. Peter

Caz Except for a couple of WWI medals, ,most of my early collection was composed of IGSMs to Indian troops, particularly cavalry, and I still find it a very attractive medal. Also, the range of bars and the campaigns they represent is fabulous. The '1919' bar represented a huge uprising on the NWF, sparked, like the Mutiny before it, by rumours that the British Army had all been wiped out in Europe. Some of the other bars were issued for very small, very short campaigns including one referred to - mostly by people who didn't qualify for that bar, I suspect - as the 'weekend war'. Alos, IMO, a nice understated ribbon, in keeping with the steady, stalwart but often under appreciated services of the IA. Thanks for sharing! Peter

Brian Just as long as you don't end up the way the members of that expedition did: providing emergency rations for a friend. Stay safe, Peter

No useful ideas on '3 P D' though 'Something Dragoons' sounds plausible and I agree that the '26' and '6' are probably rack numbers. Just possibly 3rd POW DG, but given the British penchant for full titles, probably not. I wonder if the 'P N' is either a proof mark or a manufacturer's code, based on the position.

The late, great Mervyn Mitton would have gently reprimanded me for saying this, as he was a great booster of the GMIC, but have you considered asking this question on the British Badge Forum? You might have better luck there. Peter

Agree. 'Whether or not' X has this medal makes much more sense than 'Neither... [which 2?] had it.'

Good morning and welcome to the GMIC! I saw your post on Wednesday but didn't have anything useful to say except to ask if you've contacted the regimental museum. [ https://www.cumbriasmuseumofmilitarylife.org/museum/the-border-regiment/ ] Based on just a quick look, it looks like a good one: somebody/ies have done some research and not just slapped some old badges and tunics up in cases. So, I should think they'll be able to answer your query. Or perhaps some of our more knowledgeable UK members can chip in here. Anyway, welcome and good luck! Peter

I didn't know the Germans were using captured uniforms in the Great War, though it makes sense, I suppose, especially at the end. Thanks, Chris, for broadening my somewhat parochial horizons. I hope you and yours are, apart from the math problems, doing well in these trying times. Peace.

First one, bottom row is the 'Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal', the second bottom row is the American Campaign Medal and the third is American Defence Medal. The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (ACPM) was awarded to any member of the United States Armed Forces who service in the Pacific Theater during World War II. It was created on November 6th, 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 926. Bronze stars on the ribbon indicate a second award/participation in a particular campaign or battle. The Campaign Medal was also instituted in 1942 and awarded for "Service outside the U.S. in the American theater for 30 days, or within the continental United States (CONUS) for one year The Defence Medal was " intended to recognize those military service members who had served on active duty between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941." So, the wearer joined early or was in the services before the US declared war and saw active service in the Pacific/Asian theatre. I can't find anything which looks like the right hand ribbon, top row.

Dead sexy. What is it?

" It was interesting to see that the GSW to the head was actually to the Eye as stated in another document....." I spent considerable time reading Great War personnel records for a writing project I did a couple of years ago and 'GSW' seems to have been a generic notation on first injury reports - those done by the SBs or Medical Officer when casualties were first treated. It looks as if it was often used simply to separate 'penetrating wounds' from other types of injury and, in a number of cases I looked at was later amended to indicate whether the damage was done by shrapnel, a bullet or in some other manner. Also, not uncommonly, first diagnoses simply record 'head', 'leg', 'back' and so on, with more specific anatomical notes - 'left thigh' for example, in subsequent treatment notes. Peter

Oh, well done, that man!

Thank you for the generous offer, sir! I hope some of the membership take you up on it.

Here is the current contact site for the SA National Museum of Military History. Try contacting them directly and asking if the medals are: on display, still in the museum, or have been photographed and whether that photograph can be accessed. https://ditsong.org.za/contact/

That is a really lovely group. Interesting mounting too - the overlap is the opposite of what is common practice for most Commonwealth countries.

Marcon I phrased that badly. You are correct: a medal awarded to civilians - which is what this is named as - would still technically count as a military award. I simply had the stray thought that some list compilers would turn up their noses at such an award and not list it. But perhaps that's fuzzy thinking. It is indeed a puzzle. Still searching and I did find a long list of medals and awards by some of the 'stans' which existed under apartheid. You can find the listy here and look through it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Merit_Medal_(South_Africa)

Oh, absolutely. Many many years ago a friend and I here in Canada formed the 'Indian Military Collector's Society'. Our first newsletter included hand drawn pictures of badges with 'does anybody know...' queries. We dropped out early on - careers and families, you know - but the Indian Military History Society is going strong and I think now has 500 or so members, with members drawn from serving and retired IA plus a few British Gurkha officers and lots of interested types like myself. In the old days we had a number of Honorary Members, a status awarded to anyone who had served with the British Indian Army in WWII. A very knowledgeable group [not me, I'm a dabbler] including General Sir John Chapple, Cliff Parrett and others. It was always my privilege to get the benefit of their knowledge and their generosity with their time, especially in the days when it involved paper, envelopes and stamps! I assume you know about the IMHS and the The South Asian Military Heritage Group on Facebook, of which Captain Ashok Nath is a mainstay, occasionally has some interesting stuff. Peter

Translating the Afrikaans only gets me this: SWA Area Command - Commanding General SWA Area Command Merit Medal for Civilians But possibly because it is a civilian award its not listed in the books on SA military awards. There are a couple of SA researchers on the GMIC. Perhaps one of them can help here. Peter

Certainly the paintings and prints of the time suggest that was the case when not on active service. I'm afraid my views have been coloured now by my fascination with the Great War. The photos of Indian troops for that period, especially the relatively few taken in the trenches, suggest that wearing shiny metal on the head or shoulders was not encouraged. Thank you for the correction.