peter monahan

I also found the distance traveled from Boston to Haiti interesting.

Letter Date = 21 days

History Book Date = 17 days

Possible or Impossible

thanks,

barry

Barry

If one assumes 2 days for the land section - possible with despatch riders - then you've got 15 or 19 days for the voyage. At 15 days (2000 miles divided by 15 divided by 24) that would mean 5.5 mph or about 4.5 knots sailing speed, CONSISTENTLY for two weeks. Probably quite possible in theory but I don't know enough to say how likely: prevailing winds, sailing times and degree of urgency would all factor. Let me ask some sailing buddies and see what they say.

Peter

Ouch! I believe there's a place in Kentucky (?) where the old coal mine is actually burning, so a few of the local wells give hot water and occasionally smoke. Comforting, eh?

Also, some of the huge mines used in War One did not detonate as planned at Vimy. Apparently the last one to go off was in the 1950's, during a lightning storm. Luckily it was still pastureland, so only cows died, but a (the?) remaining one is believed to be under a built up area now. Do you suppose one's insurance would cover that? Who do you sue?

Peter

Amazing what one can find if you dig deep enough.

Dan

Isn't it? Thirty years ago I lived in Sudbury, a mining town in mid-north Ontario, Canada. One day a Sherman "Easy Eight" appeared on a trailer in front of a local hotel, complete with main gun and some extra hooks and cables. The story was that the hotel owner, also a timber man, had bought 20-30 really cheap to use as timber haulers. They hadn't worked very well for whatever reason, so he'd kept this one as a souvenir and left the rest in the north woods where, if the story's true they probably still sit.

I also met a guy who found a Bren Gun Carrier in a swamp in the woods, abandoned by hunters, and rescued it (and kept it too). Weird old world: we think these things are history on wheels, most people think they're inconveniently packaged scrap iron!

Cheers

Peter

Apparently the long service medals for the Corps come in 12, 15, 25 and 40 year grades. Haven't found a good shot of one yet but below is the authorization for wear. BTW, the British Corps still exists, also as a security company.

Peter

Order Authorizing The Canadian Corps of Commissionaires to Wear the Medal of Commissionaire Long Service Medal

SI/98-38

Registration 18 March, 1998

OTHER THAN STATUTORY AUTHORITY

Order Authorizing The Canadian Corps of Commissionaires to Wear the Medal of Commissionaire Long Service Medal

P.C. 1998-301 26 February, 1998

His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, hereby

(a) authorizes members of The Canadian Corps of Commissionaires who have received the Commissionaire Long Service Medal in recognition of twelve years of exemplary service with that organization, to wear the Medal and any Bars awarded subsequently, in conjunction with other official awards; and

(b) directs that this Medal follow the Service Medal of The Most Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem in the order of precedence in the Canadian Honours System.

Fantastic information, thank you! I was unable to find any information about the medals, particularly about the Sphinx medal.

Where can I find information about other medals of the Corps of Commissionnaires?

Lukasz

I need to redem myself here, for my uninformed guess about thte first medal! So sorry!

Below is a little info. on the Corps of Comissionaires (Canada), which turned 80 in 2005. My google searches don't turn up much on anything but the Cdn. Corps, so I'm noty even sure whether the British organization is still there / still the same.

Our Commissionaires are all veterans, so wear whatever medals they earned while in the various forces. It used to be quite common, for example, to see WWII vets, many of them Indian (Sikhs in particular) wearing their British and Indian medals on their uniforms. These days it seems to be mostly Canadian born vets with a selection of UN peacekeeping awards. Presumably there is still a Commissionaire's long service award of some sort but I haven't found it yet. If/when I do I'll post again.

Peter

Captain Edward Walter, a retired officer of the Crimean War, founded The Corps of Commissionaires in England in 1859 to help veterans make the difficult transition back to civilian life and employment.

In an effort to find jobs for these veterans, he convinced friends and acquaintances that the exemplary discipline, loyalty and dedication to service that veterans possessed could be put to excellent use in business. He succeeded in finding jobs for seven veterans and thereby launched the Corps of Commissionaires.

While Canada's Governor General proposed a Corps be formed in Canada after World War I, it wasn't until 1925, that Commissionaires was established with the opening of offices in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

By 1950, with the opening of the St. John's Newfoundland Division, Commissionaires was offering services from sea to sea.

And, by 1982, Commissionaires exceeded 10,000 employees, virtually doubling the strength of its British parent.

Today, Commissionaires employs over 18,000 employees with offices operating in all ten provinces and three territories.

In the early days of our organization, we primarily offered security services. However, with the advent of modern technology and more specialized, highly skilled staff, we are now offering a much broader range of services to more clients across Canada.

Commissionaires Canada is not an agency of the federal or provincial governments. We are a private, self-supporting, not-for-profit organization, continuing a proud tradition that started more than a century and a half ago. By operating in this manner, we are able to fulfill our original mandate of providing fair and meaningful work to ex-military personnel while providing our clients with quality service at competitive rates.

2) Corps of Commissionnaires??

I don't think so.

The first badge strongly suggests one of the orders associated with Freemasonry to me: the Sphinx is common to several of the offshoot service groups who have adopted "Eastern" and "Oriental" names here in North America.

I'm wondering whether the second one is from the "Legion of Frontiersmen", a rather odd group formed in 1904 and made up of (rabid) British Imperialists in the UK and many of the colonies/dominions. They performed some very poorly documented services in both World Wars as "scouts" and "guides" and have chapters in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and so on. If not them then probably some other veterans or old comrades group. Too gaudy for military issue, I think, at least for we boring Anglo-Saxon types!

My two cents worth,

Peter

Have you got a shot of the other side of it, Bear?

Inscription on pistol: This pistol found on the Battlefield of Waterloo May 14, 1816 by Mr. R Hillyer of London.

Why is a sea service pistol at Waterloo?

Peter Twist, owner of the Distinguisehd General (and a neighbour of mine) sells Sea Service models because our naval re-enactors are the only ones who can reasonably carry a pistol on the field (we have very very few cavalry).

However, the "land use" pistols of the period would be virtually identical, at least in such details as butt shape, lock plates, etc. But, on careful looking at the bit you have, I doubt it's British because there is no inletting around the Bolt hole for the brass plate which connected the two lock bolts and strenghtened the butt.

Look at "Image 1" of the "other Images" on the site you mention above. You can see the brass inlay there, which is standard on most British arms and which would leave an inletted space at the "7 o'clock" position from the bolt hole on your remnant. Most pistols were very similar, at least military ones, so you need to look for a model (French? Gernan?) which simply has two holes for the lock bolts with no other fittings or inletting on that side of the stock.

My tuppence worth!

Peter

Peter

They're joking about the ribbon, right?

But at least everyone will know what it is, even dweebs like me. Much like the Distinguished Flying Cross -"the one with the high voltage warning ribbon".

This may be a silly question... but there is another thread here with canadian wings and they have white and red maple leaves.... where does the gold one come from ?

It's for instructors, or 50 jumps, or not missing church parade 10 weeks running or some such! Trywww.canadiansoldiers.com, they'll know!

P

Yes, the unflattering name for those who volunteered for "home service only" was "zombies". During the Italian campaign we were so short of reinfoprcements that a number of home guard types were drafted for overseas service. The government - surprise surprise - broke it's word. I take no position one way or the other - we were at war - but in one camp the men mutinied, took a gun up the hill outside camp and threatened to shell the train on the siding in camp if it loaded any troops. The authorities backed down and it was hushed up. Not a shining moment!

The markings do not likely represent an antennae - Cdn markings didn't work like that, generally - but likely a brigade or divisional patch. Try this site and see if someone there can help: www.canadiansoldiers.com.

Peter

Maybe, but I think it would simply be a classic design carried over from century to century...

In the Middle Ages I believe it was called a "poniard" and, more recently, a "stiletto": a narrow (symmetrical) blade, sharp on both edges, intended primarily for stabbing.

Here you go, some real FANY gear... I dont know if they are official issue though...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEXY-SATIN-CROTCHLES...1QQcmdZViewItem

This man clearly has too much time on his hands!

There is!! There is!!! but they dont learn about it until after they retire....

That little known unit, The King's Own Royal Deserters; regimental motto: "F*** this for agame of soldiers, I'm offski".

"No one knows wht these soldiers look like. They've only been seen running away!" (Billy Connolly, "The Big Yin")

Seriously , but I can't resist.

To summarize some cultural divisions

in the English-speaking world:

1) Australians believe in looking out for your mates, Brits believe in

looking out for members of your club, Americans believe in looking out for

yourself, Canadians believe that's the government's job.

2) Americans drink weak piss-tasting beer, Canadians drink strong

piss-tasting beer, Brits drink warm beer-flavored piss and the Aussies will

drink anything with alcohol in it.

3) When travelling abroad, Canadians resent being mistaken for Americans,

Aussies resent being mistaken for Brits, Brits can't be mistaken for anyone

else and Americans prefer to be mistaken for Canadians.

Is there anyone I didn't offend? I can have another go, if need be.

This badge came from the estate of a Dutch Colonel who fought in Indonesia. Any ideas?

Is it a badge or a brooch?

Peter

(I liked the "old fashioned" ones with bare-breasted sphynxes and winged lions and Britannia lolling about tangled in gear. Gave you something to LOOK at....)

Yers! Nekkid ladies is ART, so long as der's an urn or a vase in da picture. A bit o' net curtain draped strategic is choice too. Culture an all dat!

Peter (I know what I like) Monahan

I have been told that when the personnel were aboard ship on return to NZ at the end of the war they took great pleasure in hurling their tropical helmets (by this time they would have been the American/Canadian type) overboard, or smashing them up. This is probably why these items are EXTREMELY scarce now!

David D

Dave

I've read this in several personal accounts - "Over the side wi' it!". The other reason for the rarity would be the construction. I've never seen a "pukka" (Hindi: real, genuine) pith helmet which, as you suggest, was made form tree pith. I have however handled a couple of WWII vintage helmets - many, mnay years ago. They were made of cork - ground or chopped apparently and mixed up with gue to make a mouldable substance. With years the cork dries and the glue loses it's grip, so often one is left with a canvas sack, full of cork bits and with a headband attached! I suspect that the "rated" working life of a solar topi was never very long and even the parsimoniuos QMs planned on them wearing out quickly.

The unpopularity of the helmets may have been due to the ease with which they were damaged or the fact that they'd almost certainly fall / blow / get knocked off on any duty more strenuous than sentry go. Plus, they just look "dorky", even by the standards of a profession (the army) with a plethora of odd headgear!

My tuppence worth

Peter

Simpler times...

imagine having careers destroyed by CARTOONS, today.

Now we have the internet and Conspiracy lunatics!

Yes, but it does answer the question "What did they do before the telly?". Besides having more kids, they READ, the newspaper among other things!

This sounds like more convincing evidence, if the book is well researched and notated. Have you read it?

I agree that the topic is a serious one and worthy of study. I simply meant that the "t v show" thing had been discussed a fair bit by Big Jar and I in the absence of any real evidence. No offence intended to any.

Peter

It looks like an ornament - something to sit on a side table and catch dust! The Borough of Putney is a district in south-west London, so presumably this is a souvenit of that place, although I'm not sure why. Perhaps that is where the first tanks were manufactured?

Peter

Big Jar

I thought we flogged this to death back in June!

I'm afraid I'm not very convinced by tv "experts": I know a couple and some are great and others will say whatever's in the script as long as the cheque don't bounce. Much like some notorious "expert witnesses" in the North American legal system.

Peter

A fine looking group of men! I've always thought that khaki with a little red was a nice, elegant but understated look. (Hence the Corps of Guides dress uni which someone referred to recently on another thread.)

Is it just me, or do they have a very "British" look to uniforms and accouterments?

Peter

"Remember, lads, we're guests in their country. Jones, pick up those shell casings and Brown, stop burning the church pews for brew-ups!"

Anonymous Sergeant (in 1776, 1808, 1916, 1942....)

As the US Civil War research section seems to be the correct place to ask, does anyone know where I can find a recording/download of the famous Southern Confederate unofficial anthem 'Dixie' on the Internet? Thanks in advance.

K

Try goofling "Folk music", and "American". There are a number of sites with downloadable music files.

Peter