peter monahan

Warrant Officer is typically an appointment, rather than a rank. All Sergeants Major are W.O.s but not all W.O.s are S.M.s. A Troop Sergeant Major would be a W.O. [iII class], as would a Quartermaster Sergeant [also III Class], while an RSM would be a W.O.I

I would guess St. John's Ambulance Brigade as well. Not military, in my humble opinion.

That's why I brought it up! I would be quite surprised if such a thing were published in any official or public way. I also suspect that some troops, after heating fighting would be less than receptive to the argument that "Ve only use zis on trees." I shan't point fingers, but certain nationalities, not excluding some members of the Empire had a less than sterling reputation when it came to their treatment of German POWs.

The British Army began to use the "Lee series" rifles - my term - in 1888. The military rifle known as the "Magazine Lee-Enfield" was first produced in 1903 by LSA. Changes were made to accomodate the new smokeless powder and the new rifle referred to as the "Mk 1*" was made in 1906. Both were made under contract to the military by Birmingham Small Arms [aka "BSA", famous for motorcycles too], and RSAF Sparkbrook. This would strongly suggest that a "I*" dated 1902 was a civilian model from the beginning and in fact appeared on the market ahead of the similar changes in its military cousins. Perhaps LSA's Mk I* even provided some of the inspiration for the Military version.

Years ago I owned a paperback book called "The Chillian Club", about a bunch of retired officers who decide to improve life in the UK - mid'60s - by bombing a meeting of militant union thugs, tipping an anti-South African cleric off London Bridge and so on. What caused me to buy it was the comment on the back cover "For all those who've ever wanted to see the Gurkhas used for riot control in Trafalgar Square." Ah, if only we could!

Been there, seen that, didn't buy the tee shirt! Flew Sabena from Montreal to Brussels en route to Nigeria and spent an evening wandering the streets around the Grand Place. Don't remember seeing the swastika in the little pool though. I assume that's a clever addition to the piece, like British chamber pots with Napoleon's or Hitler's face painted on the bottom.

This thread seems to have split into 2 sub-topics. My two cents worth on each: I can understand the stress of the drone operators. Air traffic controllers are right up there with heart and brain surgeons for work related stress - time lost to depression, family issues, etc. No, definitely not the same as saving or killing real passengers, or being shot at in person, but certainly related, especially when some of what they do must at least impinge on real life deaths and wounding. I'm guessing that if they crash a drone during a mission supporting troops on the ground, for example, that they don't just drop in a quarter and hit 'Play' again. The same must be true for gunners, who are waaay back of the lies theses days but at least occasionally hear comrades hit or dying because the shells don't get there fast enough, accurately enough or in enough numbers. There was apparently a Purple Heart awarded in 'Nam for a guy hit by splinters after a wooden outhouse slipped out of the slings on a cargo chopper and hit the ground near him. So, should the new medal go before or after the PH? Not sure there, but I would be mightily p***ed if I was involved in ground combat and my buddy in Nevada got an equal or higher award for 'video gaming' a drone on the same operation. It's about optics, I think. Make it clear, by a separate device for actual under fire service or by its precedence that this is a service medal and not a combat medal. The DSO had similar issues around it in WWI. Clearly not meant to be a combat award it but one which had to be earned by exceptional service, it got handed out to red tabs as an 'end of tour' or 'happy birthday' award, which had the net effect of turning it into, in the eyes of many, a 'REMF award'. Pity!

Thank you for that, Taras. I know that when I lived in West Africa in the early '80s the former French colonies still had very close ties with France. Crossing Niger, for example, every roadblock on the highway, and there were many, was made up of Nigerien troops commanded by a French NCO, usually FL, and the police chiefs of the larger towns were Frenchmen as well, so I thought there was a good chance that the bee was a symbolic 'hangover' from the 'old days'.

Not strictly relevant to this bayonet, but I remember reading somewhere that German pioneer units in WWI took to filing off the saw teeth from their bayonets after reports that Allied troops were shooting anyone captured carrying one, presumably on the theory that they were 'terror weapons'. Anyone know whether there is any truth to that, or just an urban myth? Also I, like Brian in the thread referenced above, wonder how useful these would have been. Typically, 'multi-purpose' blades tends not to be very good for any of the purposes when compared to single purpose tools. I can't see doing much sawing with that handle configuration without ending up with some serious blisters!

Once again the brain trust comes through. Well done, gentlemen!

Ilja The 'bee' on the Silver Star is a nice touch. Is it a reference to the glories of Napoleon and his empire, or does it have specific significance to Ghana? Peter

Cette médaille est décernée à tout militaire ou assimilé ayant reçu une blessure de guerre au cours d’une campagne ou une opération de maintient de l’ordre. For our non-francophones, this translates as: This medal is awarded to any military or equivalent [service] wounded during a [military] campaign or operation to maintain [public] order.

But can she cook? Oh, hell, who cares! I vote with Chris!

Brett Thanks for that. Oddly, or perhaps not if you know me, it hadn't occurred to me to ask for help, though I was on that site too. Peter

Alex Thanks for posting those! They are really lovely, though the bayonetd rifle [#44, 2nd page] strikes me as a bit odd for a lady to be wearing. Peter

By complete coincidence, I've spoken to a good friend who has an ancestor who fought in the Boer War. Tim's surname is McElcheran, a rare Scottish name, and so far in a good few years he has not found any of that surname in North America who are not descended from the original immigrant who arrived in the 1760s. he has very recently come across another name, which he feels belongs to an ancestor, as the gent in question enlisted and his name recorded as McEleheran, the commonest mis-spelling of the name. MeEleheran was a travel agent [American] and enlisted in Johannesburg. I don't have that date, unfortunately. 30030 Trooper A. W. McElcheran, Johannesburg Mounted Rifles is listed on the Anglo-Boer War website as having been discharged due to illness but I cannot see any information on his service or medal entitlement. Can any member shed any light on where I might most profitably look for this and other information? thanks Peter

heusy Would that translate as "Order of Friendship and Peace"? Any idea who is eligible or what the criteria would be?

Ah, yes. back when being a 'soldier of fortune' was considered an appropriate activity for gentlemen and younger sons! Kipling wrote a story about an American who joins the Boers to be able to field test a new quick firing gun, which he'd designed and hadn't been able to sell to neither his own government nor the British. He gets captured and meets Kipling while in a camp and looking for English newspapers to read. The story is really about the American caricature of the bumbling British gentleman - the officers of the units he fights against - and quite amusing. Sorry, the title has slipped my mind.

Ralph You may get an argument on the identification of #10 - 'Royal Jewish Chaplain'. The six pointed star in a wreath and crown was used on the flag of Nigeria, pre-independence, and worn by at least one regiment and the police there. It was also worn by police in one of the West Indian colonies - I believe Trinidad and Tobago. I also think it was used in WWII by a British battalion raised from British Jews - perhaps the 6th Battalion of the Sussex Regiment. I'm confident of the fact but not nearly so sure on which regiment. They were in Italy at the end of the war and apparently some members made night raids into Austria where they kidnapped/captured known Nazis and 'disposed of them'. I read of it some years ago when one of the former members of the battalion published a biography - which caused a stir, as you can imagine. Peter

I'm impressed! I don't see the bayonet stud on your Bess barrel in the last photo. Is it just the shot, or my eyes, or is it actually missing?

I too know of former POWs of the Japanese who were incredibly bitter, and certainly with reason. My comment was directed at those, and there were some, who seem to have put it behind them almost as soon as they doffed the uniform. You know, the little old chap down the street who turns out to have been a Squadron Commander but never mentions it except on Nov.11th. Or, more aptly, a former POW who's closest relatives don't know he spent 1-2-3 years behind the wire, not because he's too traumatized to speak of it but because, in that wonderfully British way, he's 'just getting on with' life. Anyway, enough on that. Still greatly enjoying the groups and the stories!

Very interesting. I see that, given the attitudes of the time, the casualty report lists 'Europeans only'.

There's your SMLE with bayonet and one being fired by, I think, a Tuareg tribesman.

Well, tales out of school: the educational co-ordinator at our museum was 'let go' shortly after I started there. I was subsequently tasked with developing some educational packages to do 'outreach' in the schools and was handed 'what we have' to get me started. I don't know that this $100,000+ person was the author of what they had, but one of my duller students could have knocked it together on a rainy weekend without gettin up off the couch!

Not familiar with the UK scene these days, but I would think a military tailor should have and might sell the two place bar to which you could affix your ribbons and devices. On an unrelated note is there a less cumbersome, more euphonious name than "NATO Non-article 5 Balkans medal" for these awards? Peter