azyeoman

Another Boer War pair for the collection: Queen's South Africa Medal (Bar - Transvaal) named to 4570 Corpl: J. Martin. Rl: Lanc: Regt.
King's South Africa Medal (Bars - South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902) named to 4570 Pte. J. Martin. Rl: Lanc: Regt. Joseph Henry Martin was born in Buxton, Derbyshire. Before the Boer War, he had joined the militia in 1894 and made a career of the army as he was already in the regiment and served in Singapore with the 1st Bn. from 17 January 1899 to 26 March 1900. The single clasp "Transvaal" suggests that Martin was with the replacements after the disaster at Spioenkop on 24 January 1900. QSA is not listed because his page (WO 100/168 p88) is missing, but KSA is listed on WO100/320 p54. Cpl. Martin was taken prisoner at Vryheid on 11/12/1900 and was released on 04/01/1901. The 2nd Bn. served in South Africa from December 1899 to May 1902 and had heavy casualties with 139 men killed or died of wounds, 40 died of disease, 258 wounded and 67 taken prisoner. In October 1900 the unit became the garrison at Vryheid with a strength of about 900. It was based at Lancaster Hill. On 11/12/1901, at about 2am, 1,200 Boers attacked the hill from the north. The defenders fought hard but were nearly overwhelmed and when Lt/Col. Gawne led reinforcements out of the town he was mortally wounded. The Boer advance was eventually stopped by heavy defensive fire and the barbed wire at the top of the hill. The Military History Journal, Vol. 10 No. 4 (December 1996) contains an excellent article by Mark Coghlan titled “The Transvaal Outbreak : The Boer attack on Lancaster Hill, Vryheid, 11 December 1900”. This can be downloaded from the Internet. It is well illustrated with a map and contemporary photos (see below) and covers the action extremely well. It highlights the unequal outcome of the skirmish in terms of casualties; all indications are that the Boer Commando’s had only two men killed. There is no mention of the number of Boers wounded and/or taken PoW. The photo is of the maxim gun emplacement on Lancaster Hill.

Thank you. There's an updated version of it here: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/56543-the-korean-war-is-not-forgotten/ Hopefully you'll see some interesting things there. All the best,

The latest addition is a WWI RAF PoW pair with IGS; sadly missing its Victory Medal (Please contact if you know of its whereabouts). Both named to: British War Medal 2.LIEUT. E.C. USHER-SOMERS, R.A.F. India General Service Medal bar Waziristan 1919-21 F/O E.C. USHER-SOMERS, R.A.F. Pilot, 46 Sqd. (Camels) P.O.W. 17.9.1918. Shot down by ace Josef Mai* (Pour le Merite winner, but never awarded his PLM due to the war ending) 26th of 30 Victories. Copy I.G.S. roll, 20 Sqd. The Sky Their Battlefield 17.9.1918 (Black September) seen in combat Missing P.O.W. Bloody AprilBlack September page 189 Lieut. C.E. Usher-Summers confirming he was Mais 26th Victory. Continued service in the R.A.F. & was killed 16.5.1924 in service. Edmund Cronin Usher-Summers was born on 28 January, 1900. Before entering the RNAS, he served as a Lance Corporal in the 2nd Hants. Regt. from 3.1917 to 20.7.1917. He was posted to Greenich on 30.10.1917 and then Eastbourne on 8.2.1918 as Temporary Pro Flight Officer. He was appointed 2nd Lt. In the newly formed RAF in April, 1918 served in 20 Sqd., 2 Indian Wing in Waziristan Operations in 1919-1921. He was promoted to Flying Officer (Observer) in September, 1920. He had been recommended by N. L. Christantian, Principal of St. John's College, Southsea. His mother was listed as his next of kin; Mrs. Florance Usher-Somers C/O Mrs. Edleroake, Westhill Postishead, Somerset. No. 46 Squadron was formed at the RAF Wyton aerodrome on 19 April 1916 from a nucleus trained in the No. 2 Reserve Squadron; it moved to France in October of that year equipped with Nieuport two-seater aircraft. The squadron undertook artillery co-operation, photography, and reconnaissance operations until May 1917, when it took on a more offensive role after rearming with the Sopwith Pup. The change from a corps to a fighter squadron came at a moment when Allied air superiority was being seriously challenged by Germany, in particular through the introduction of the "circuses" formed and led by Manfred von Richtofen. Operating under the 11th Army Wing, the squadron was intensively engaged and had many combats with the enemy. In July 1917, No. 46 Squadron returned to Sutton's Farm (later RAF Hornchurch), Essex, for the defence of London, which had been heavily raided by Gotha bombers a short time before; no enemy aircraft penetrated its patrol area The squadron returned to France at the end of August. In addition to offensive patrol work, the unit undertook extensive ground strafing and did close support work in the attack on Messines Ridge. In November 1917, the squadron was newly equipped with Sopwith Camels and gave valuable assistance to the infantry in the Battle of Cambrai attack. During the closing stages of the war, the squadron bombed lines of communication and ammunition dumps in the enemy's rear areas. Intensive low-level ground attack work was carried out after the German Spring Offensive in March 1918, the unit suffering high casualties as a result. The squadron also did work in the German Great Retreat in the few weeks before the signing of the Armistice. In November 1917, Lieutenant (later Major) Donal MacLaren joined the squadron. His first dogfight was not until February 1918; in the remaining nine months of the war, however, he was credited with shooting down 48 aeroplanes and six balloons, making him one of the top fighter aces of World War I. Also during 1918 Lieutenant Victor Yeates, the author of Winged Victory, served in the squadron. Another book written by a 46 Squadron pilot was No Parachute by Captain (later Air Vice Marshall) Arthur Gould Lee. Both Lee and Yeates served with Captain Cecil (Chaps) Marchant, another ace, who instigated and, for more than 40 years, organised the squadron reunions. By November 1918, 46 Squadron had claimed 184 air victories, creating 16 or 17 aces. Other notable aces in the squadron included: George Thomson, DSO, MC, DFC; Harry Robinson, MC; CdG; Clive Brewster-Joske, MC; Roy McConnell, DFC; Maurice D.G. Scotts, MC; Maurice Freehill, DFC; and Philip Tudhope, DFC. Towards the end of January 1919, the squadron was reduced to a cadre, and in February it was returned to England early; it was disbanded on 31 December. *Major Josef Mai (3 March 1887 - 18 January 1982) Iron Cross First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter pilot credited with 30 victories. Josef Mai was born in Ottorowo, Galizien, to ethnic German parents located in the then Austro-Hungarian Empire. His original military service began on 3 October 1907 with the 10th Lancers. When World War I began Mai was part of the offensive aimed at the French capital of Paris. He later took part in the fighting around Warsaw, Poland. In 1915 he campaigned along the Dniester River. He also served at the battles of Verdun and the Somme. Mai joined the German air service in 1915; he trained at the Fokker plant at Leipzig. He originally served in Jasta 29, flying reconnaissance aircraft in 1916. He then underwent fighter training and joined Jagdstaffel 5 in March 1917. As a Vizefeldwebel (Vice Feldwebel, senior NCO), he was one of three non-commissioned pilots (along with Fritz Rumey and Otto Koennecke) who flew together so successfully they ended up claiming 40% of the Jasta's victories between them, and making Jasta 5 the third highest scoring unit of the war. The trio was nicknamed "The Golden Triumvirate". Mai scored his first victory on 20 August 1917, flying an Albatros D.V, and downing a Sopwith Camel of No. 70 Squadron. His fifth victory, over a RAF SE.5a, was on 30 November. Mai did not score again until 13 January 1918. On 25 April 1918 he forced down British 18-kill ace Lt. Maurice Newnham of No. 65 Squadron, for his tenth victory. By May 1918 Jasta 5 was sharing an airstrip with Jagdgeschwader 1, and as the Flying Circus re-equipped with new Fokker D.VIIs, Mai started flying a cast-off Fokker Dr.I triplane. He flew this triplane (Serial No. 139/17) for his next victory, over a pair of aces in a No. 11 Squadron Bristol F.2B Pilot Lt. Herbdrt Sellars (8 claims) was killed although Observer Lt. Charles Robson survived and taken prisoner. He claimed three victories with the Triplane. Mai was prone to paint his planes in a "zebra stripe" pattern,with black and white striping on the fuselage angled to the left viewed from the starboard side. His theory being the optical illusion would help to throw off an enemy pilot's aim. Painted on this background was his insignia of a star and crescent. His Albatros and D.VII were known to bear this paint scheme although his Dr.l paint scheme is uncertain. On 19 August 1918 he had his most successful day. He attacked two Bristol F.2B fighters from No. 48 Squadron, RAF. As he hit one Bristol with incendiary ammunition, the other swerved away from the incoming fire and collided with his wrecked companion. Mai followed up this double kill by downing a 56 Squadron SE.5a later. On 3 September he was wounded in action in the left thigh. Nevertheless he scored again two days later, and added five more victories during September. Mai's 26th victory was a No. 64 Squadron SE5a on 5 September 1918 in which Usher-Somers was shot down and captured. On 27 September 1918, the day of his 29th success, Mai was promoted to Leutnant. His friend Fritz Rumey was also killed in action on that day. Mai claimed his 30th and last score, a Bristol F.2B of 20 Squadron, killing the 6-kill ace crew of Lt. Nicholson Boulton and 2/Lt. C.H. Chase on 29 September 1918.15 had been claimed with the Fokker D.VII, 12 with the Albatros and 3 with the Fokker Dr.I. Mai was nominated for Germany's highest honor, the Pour le Merite, or Blue Max. Before it could be approved the war ended with Germany's loss. Mai is believed to have become a flying instructor for the Luftwaffe during World War II. He died at the age of 94 in January 1982.

Very nice, but different units to The Indo-European Telegraph Dept. I have a pair to a R. Wilcock and his MIC says he was a signaller and later a Sargeant. I wish I knew more as the line, which ran through Persia, was shut down soon after the war started.

I.E. Tel. Dept. Is Indo-European Telegraph Department and NOT Indian Engineers Telegraph Dept. It's a very scarce to rare unit that worked in what is now Iran.

A wonderful non-combatant bar of four by Gust. Uhlig.

Only one group, but there's a lot of info and it's a great Bomber Command group. ;-) thanks!

WO. Norman Batey is mentioned in Cyril Charles Witlshire's Memoires of 617 Squadron as he was one of the crew members who flew with Batey on ED866 and was shot down with him and became a PoW with him. http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~janter/617/ In early December, a request was received from 161 Squadron for assistance with their duties, due to lack of aircraft and crews through losses. This squadron was located at Tempsford near Cambridge, and was engaged in all facets of underground assistance, such as dropping of agents and supplies, arms etc., to the European underground units. They operated solely on full moon nights because trips involved low level flying and visible map reading. 617 was requested to supply 4 aircraft and crews, and of course, everybody wanted to go to break the monotony of our daily training. We were lucky to be sent along with (pilots names) - FIt. Lt. McCarthy (American), FIt. Lt. O’Shaughnessy, W/O Weeden, and of course us. We flew down to Tempsford, on I think, the 8th December, 1943, arriving late afternoon. Our job was going to be to drop canisters at low level to a designated field in France, near I believe, Tournon. Because Halifax aircraft were normally used to drop these canisters, we had to wait whilst our Lancasters were modified, and the trip was finally laid on for 9/12/43, but fog blanketed Tempsford that day and operations were cancelled. Being so near to London I requested permission to go home to see my wife whom I had married on October 27th at Stamford Hill in North London - a white wedding but necessarily quiet being wartime - also to see my parents. Permission was granted, so along with Chuffie, Mick, Don and Jack, we went to London. They had a night on the town whilst I went home. The morning of 10th December dawned with still the very heavy fog and I doubted whether the trip would be on. I said goodbye to Doreen and hinted I would probably be home in the evening unless the weather lifted. After a slow trip by train to Tempsford, we attended briefing in the afternoon, but the trip was in doubt because of fog. The briefing was a bit misleading because the Army major who dealt with anti-aircraft positions had said that the trip would be a “milk run” because the route had been planned in such a way that we were totally clear of all anti-aircraft emplacements - how wrong he was. I think that because of the delay thru’ weather, information had been leaked to the enemy because they were waiting for us. Tempsford of course, was a top security airfield, but because of the many “foreigners” engaged in this type of work, information could have been leaked. We were due to leave about 8 pm at 10 minute intervals in the following order:- McCarthy, O’Shaughnessy, Weeden and Bull. We were last because we were a non-officer crew. However, take off was all mucked up due to delays in fitting the canisters, and we finally took off at ½hr. intervals. We were the only four aircraft operating that night, therefore, the radar defences only had our one batch of aircraft to follow. Being as the trip was to be at roof top height, we debated whether to take our parachutes, but decided to carry them. A good job we did. We finally took off at about 2040 hrs. in Lancaster 111 No. ED 886 for a Special Duties operation over France to drop canister supplies in the Boulogne area near a place called Doullens. We headed over the Channel at wave height to keep below the radar, and crossed the French coast at a point west of Boulogne. We then turned S.E. flying at 50 ft. on the radio altimeter to pick up our dropping field in the Doullens area. We came to a small village in I think the St. Pol area, and on approach we climbed to about 300-400 ft. so as to recognise the village and make sure if it was our turning point. It must be understood that navigation was by visible map reading, and, therefore, to find our dropping field meant extra surveillance especially at turning points. As we approached the village and climbed a little, we saw a fire burning ahead and possibly should have given some thought that it might have been one of the three aircraft ahead as it certainly turned out to be. Had we thought of that eventuality, we could possibly have foreseen the ferocious flak attack we were about to be subjected to. We climbed to about 350 ft when suddenly light flak batteries opened up on our starboard bow and I watched the incendiaries heading our way, but they seemed to be drifting below and I immediately rammed the throttles to give maximum power to enable Chuffie to take evasive action. Being full moon we could see the houses on the ground, and as Chuffie threw the plane around the skies I watched the shells coming and I watched the last incendiary shell go under and I yelled out, “We’re through”, but that last shell hit the inboard port petrol tank and the whole wing went up in flame. Chuffie immediately gave the “bale out” orders and flashed the signal lights to all crew positions in case their intercom was not working. Immediately the order was given Norman Batey (bomb aimer) opened the nose hatch and jumped followed by Mick Chamberlain (navigator) who pulled his ‘chute in the cockpit which I bundled into his arms, and followed by the mid-upper gunner and then myself. Prior to going I had attempted to clip the pilot’s parachute on, but every time he eased his weight on the controls, the aircraft tried to slip away down to port, so in the end the pilot told me to go as he could not hold it airborne much longer, so I went and it is miraculous to me that Chuffie was able to get his ‘chute and jump to safety because by this time the aircraft was diving and very low. He landed in a church graveyard jarring his knees, dropped his parachute into a water barrel and crawled from the church-yard on hands and knees into a pair of jackboots, and for Chuffie the war was over, but we met up later. Meanwhile, Mick, Norman and I landed in the same field and gathered together and decided which way to go. Somewhere near us, McWilliams, the mid-upper gunner, must have landed but he took off on his own and from all accounts made himself known at the nearest house and was soon back in England - 6 weeks. We, having taken notice of escape lectures in England, decided to do things by the book, headed South, opposite way to what we could be expected to go, and decided to avoid all houses like the plague. I suppose we walked a couple of hours when Norman, who had lost a shoe on his descent, began to feel the effects of walking on snow covered fields and told us to go on as he could walk no further. We decided not to leave him but go into a village in the hopes of picking up a shoe of some sort. We made our way into a small village and decided to try the church where at least we could bind his foot with a leather hassock. We entered the church to find that the congregation area was boarded off, probably used for war supplies, so as it was now about 3 am, we decided to climb to the belfry and lay up for the day and then decide on what to do. We climbed one behind the other up a spiralling iron staircase until we got to the landing where there was a short 8 ft ladder to the belfry itself. I went up the ladder first, followed by Norman with Mick bringing up the rear. As I climbed up and put my head through the hatch into the belfry, a voice spoke from the darkness and I could not understand him so I tried him in French and English. This bloke was in a queer position because he could tell by the noise we were making that he was outnumbered, but kept talking away until Mick Chamberlain said, “Christ, it’s a bloody Gerry”. We promptly did an about turn and climbed all the way down whilst the Gerry blew a whistle to attract attention. We stepped out of the church and then the Gerry in the tower put a bullet over our heads which stopped us. A couple of minutes later two Panzer troops, armed with sub-machine guns, came round a corner and took us prisoner. We were marched to a sort of guard room where we were searched and watches etc., were removed, but we were treated well, fed and given smokes before being locked up in a room. Later on that day we were taken by truck and slung into Amiens gaol. We lay there all day and about 4 pm a Luftwaffe feldwebel (Sgt) and two airmen arrived to take us to Paris and then by train to Dulagluft (Air Interrogation Centre) near Frankfurt. All three of these Germans spoke English and tried to get information from us, but to no avail so they gave up. We suffered no ill-treatment, and about midnight our guards came to the cell and said, “All out we are off to Paris by truck”. We went out of the gaol and climbed into the back of the straw filled truck and a voice yelled out, “Get off my bloody legs”. It was Chuffie. He had been held in the same gaol. The truck drove us to Paris arriving about 6 am and then we used public transport to move from one station to another for the train to Frankfurt. We were hoping that the underground would rescue us etc., but no one seemed to take any notice. The train journey took quite awhile, but our captors were friendly, but at no time were we allowed out of the carriage on our own, and so we finally arrived at Frankfurt station, made our way outside where we had to wait for a tram. The German people weren’t friendly and threw things at us, but guards did their job well and we boarded a tram and headed for Dulagluft which we reached in about ½ hr. On arrival we were documented, photographed, finger-printed and thrown into a small cell and left to think about our position. We were not near each other, in fact we were not to see any of our crew until we were finally released and taken to the P.O.W. camp. Over the next 15 or so days, cannot remember how long, we were in these little cells, subtle methods to get us to talk were tried but to no avail. For the first three or four days, we were left alone and were given a form to fill in. It included lots of information regarded as secret, such as Squadron Number, where stationed, targets etc. All this stuff we ignored and just filled in our No. rank and name. These forms had been dropped in our cells by a very nice chap who said he was from the Swiss Red Cross and if we would fill in the forms he would let our next of kin know we were safe. He was very nice, gave us cigarettes and sweets etc., and said he would be back the next day to pick up the completed forms. When he arrived next day I gave him my form and he said, “Oh come now, you have not completed the form”, so I said that I had filled in all I was required to do and the other information we did not have to divulge. He then said that he would leave it another day as my parents and wife would be notified sooner if I gave all the information and really it did not matter, they knew all the answers anyway. When he came back the next day and saw I had not completed the form, he became a raving maniac, screaming and shouting and demanded that I stand in front of a German officer. I remarked, “How can you be a Red Cross rep one day and a German officer the next?”, and he stormed out cursing blue murder. We had been warned in England of false Red Cross reps and to only give number, name and rank. As they got no information from the four of us, they then commenced a series of interrogations to last about the next 2 weeks. I must explain that we were in small individual cells and had no contact whatsoever with any other members of the crew. The cells were fitted with heaters and our first 2 or 3 days we were treated well, fed, and no disturbances at night. I had one interrogation on the second day, and it was held by a psychiatrist in civilian clothes. It did not amount to much and I gave the usual number, name and rank. He did not pursue matters much except that I may as well tell him what he wanted to know because they knew it anyway. He tried to convince me by saying my squadron number (which they can tell by the aircraft letters), and base and various operations I had been on. What they really wanted was the weight (confirmed) of the bomb we had used on our previous raid on the Antheor Viaduct. After several repeats of number, name, rank, he said, “Oh! take him away and soften up” - all in English. From now, although I suffered no physical interference, the mental anguish was quite acute. The cells had no internal toilet buckets, so if you wanted to go you had to turn a handle on the door and a flap would fall and the guard would eventually arrive and take you to the toilet. It was the way they played it which caused the anguish, because after being put in the cell I waited until I wanted to go and then turned the handle, but it took the guard about an hour to come for me. Next time I turned the handle very early and he arrived immediately and abused me because I did not really want to go. It was the mucking around which upset people. Another way was to interfere as much as possible with our night’s sleep and one way of doing this was cell heating. I would go to sleep in underpants because it was warm with cell heating on, but about 1 am they would turn all heating off so I would wake up, put all my uniform on and all the blankets, and finally after about an hour get back to sleep. Then the heating would go on full and you would wake up sweating and disrobe again only to have the heat go off. This went on all night and you can imagine that one went to his daily interrogation feeling like a “wet week”. On my third day’s interrogation he went through the usual questions and threats but gained nothing. He then said we would all probably be killed because we were saboteurs and spies. Apparently the supplies carried in the canisters contained money, clothing, arms and ammunition which made us supporters of saboteurs. You can imagine the worry it would cause because you saw nobody else to discuss it with. On the third interrogation, the psychiatrist had a secretary with him and he began his usual questions and I gave my usual answers, and then he made me go and sit in the corner and then for the next hour he dictated to his secretary my life from the time I joined the RAF until mid 1942 - the time of Crete. He had all the details, where I had served, courses I attended and marks attained, my parents address etc. He even had a record of athletic races I had won in Iraq in 1939. The purpose of all this being to get you to talk because they knew it all anyway. Of course part of the technique at this time was insufficient food, no books etc., just all day to lay on our bed and think of whether they really could shoot us or not. On my fifth visit my interrogator was a thuggish looking chap in uniform, and he questioned me and issued threats but got nothing in return. He said, “You may as well talk because some of your crew have already talked and have been sent now to a P.O.W. Camp and away from all this nastiness”. I disbelieved it of course and went back to my cell. Next meeting was with the bloke in civilian clothes and he wanted to know the weight of the bomb. Whilst being interviewed he had a meal sent in and ate in front of me, but offered me a meal if I would confirm the weight of the bomb. From this moment on, the type of questioning changed because the questions asked were of the type that required a yes/no answer, and these clever psychiatrists were I am sure able to read the answer to these questions by your manner of answering or your eyes. He would ask a yes/no question and you had to look at his eyes when you answered. A new innovation was that a photograph of the bomb was placed in front of you, propped up, and he would say, “Have a good look at the photo”, and then would say, “Look at me”. He, would say, “That’s it isn’t it?”, and I am sure it would show yes or no in your eyes. It was a photo of the bomb and taken on our base, but where they went wrong was they had the figures 5,000 kgs on the photo and I would not have known whether 5,000 kgs was 12,000 lb or not. Succeeding interrogation carried on in the same manner until about the 15th day (I think), and they said we were to be released and sent to normal P.O.W. camps. On our release a big feed was put on for the number being released and then we were on our way to Stalag IV B at Mühleberg about 20 kms from Leipzig on the eastern side of the River Elbe. The stay in Dulag Luft must have been controlled by the demand for space. I know at the time we were released they had a general clear out and it occurred at the time that air losses were reasonably high, and, therefore, they had lots more captives to interrogate. My memory of the period of release from Dulag Luft to the arrival at Stalag IV B is a bit hazy and I cannot remember whether we travelled together as a crew, but somehow think I met them on arrival at IV B. I know that I was in the same block as Chuffie and we sort of got together, but I do not remember having much to do with or indeed seeing Mick and Norman.

Here's a fine addition to the collection and finally a RAF group with an Air Crew Europe Star to a F/Sgt - WO who was in the 617 Squadron; the Dambusters. There were 9,838 PoWs from Bomber Command. WWII Caterpillar Club Member Group RAF - 1939-1945 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; and War Medal 1939-1945. Un-mounted, original ribbons, extremely fine. Accompanied by his Royal Air Force Service and Release Book (named to "1479659 W/O N BATEY", with Class of Release noted as "PoW", multiple stamps on the inside back cover under Receipts for Encashment of Postal Drafts, 105 mm x 137 mm); his Caterpillar Club Membership Card (named to "W/O N. BATEY", signed by Leslie Irvin, Honourable Secretary of the European Division of Irvin Parachute Co., address label affixed to the reverse, numbered "01169", laminated, 57 mm x 82 mm); a Caterpillar Club Letter (dated April 19, 1945, addressed to "Mrs. Batey, Newcastle-on-Tyne", 127 mm x 202 mm, fold mark, lightly soiled); his 617 Squadron Aircrew Association Membership Card (named to "N. Batey L 120", laminated, 62 mm x 95 mm); and his Bomber Command Association Membership Card (named to "Norman Batey", numbered "3024", 55 mm x 88 mm). 1479659 Warrant Officer Norman Batey, 617 Squadron, Royal Air Force served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve from August 11, 1941 to November 1, 1945. He is credited with having escaped injury by parachuting from his aircraft, as evidenced by the accompanying Caterpillar Club letter. He was taken prisoner by enemy forces and held as a Prisoner of War from December 11, 1943 to May 16, 1945. During this time, it was acknowledged in the aforementioned form letter sent to his wife, dated April 19, 1945, that the Irvin Parachute Co. was very pleased to hear "that he had saved his life with an Irvin chute". They forwarded his membership card with the letter, however, it went on to state that "I regret that due to supply restrictions we are not able to order Caterpillar Pins for Prisoners until after the War, but one will be sent as soon as available." One month after receipt of the letter, he was liberated. Batey was a crew member on Lancaster bomber ED886 which was hit by flake. He bailed out on the night of 10/11 December 1943 and was captured. His PoW number was 267434 and he was interned in Stalag IV B. See: http://www.rafcommands.com/Air%20Force%20PoWs/RAF%20POWs%20Query%20B_1.html Lancaster III ED886 of 617 Squadron crashed near Terramesnil, in the Somme Département, not far from Doullens. Two were killed (STEWART and THORPE R.C.A.F.) and are buried in this village. Pilot BULL and 3 others were captured. F/Sgt J.H. McWILLIAMS evaded capture. Following Chorley's normal crew order, he would be the mid-upper gunner. Bill CHORLEY also note that his Lancaster took part in "Chastise" when it was captained by F/Sgt W.C. TOWNSEND, D.F.M. The crash site was subject to a dig, which may not have been official, and one of the survivor attended the recovery. The extent of wreckage that was unearthed, and where it went is unknown. Sgt (Bombaimer) John McL. STEWART - 1368456 and Reargunner F/Sgt Donald M. THORPE - RCAF R/117355 killed and buried Communal Cemetery Terramesnil, Amiens. Also PoW: W/O G.F. BULL - 748719, Sgt C.C. WILTSHIRE - 538790; Sgt C.M. CHAMBERLAIN - 1037311 and F/Sgt N. BATEY - 1479659. Operational records: 11.12.43 W/O. Bull, F/O. Weeden and crews reported missing from operations whilst on special detachment. Eight aircraft on night bombing practice. Six further ground crew personnel proceeded on special attachment. (Bull and Weedon were shot down carrying out an ammunition arms drop to resistance forces in Europe.) Stalag IV-B was one of the largest PoW camps in Germany during WWII. Stalag is an abbreviation of the German Stammlager ("Main Camp"). It was located 8 km (5.0 mi) north-east of the town of Muhlberg in Brandenburg, just east of the Elbe river and about 30 mi (48 km) north of Dresden. A sub-camp, sometimes identified as Stalag IV-B/Z, was located at Zeithain, 10 km (6.2 mi) to the south in Saxony. The camp, covering about 30 hectares (74 acres), was opened in September 1939. The first inmates were about 17,000 Polish soldiers captured in the German September 1939 Offensive. For the first two months they lived under the open sky or in tents. Most of them were transferred to other camps. In May 1940 the first French soldiers arrived, taken prisoner in the Battle of France. In 1941 Australian, British and South African soldiers arrived after the fall of Tobruk, and later in the year Russian PoWs from the invasion of the Soviet Union. In October 1944 several thousand more Poles arrived, members of the Armia Krajowa ("Home Army") captured after the Warsaw Uprising, including several hundred women soldiers. In November 1944 the Polish women were transferred to other camps, mainly Stalag IV-E in Altenburg and Oflag IX-C at Molsdorf. At the end of December 1944 about 7,500 Americans arrived from the Battle of the Bulge and At least 3,000 of them were transferred to other camps, mostly to Stalag VII-A. On 23 April 1945 the Red Army liberated the camp. Altogether soldiers from 33 nations passed through the camp. Interestingly, the British prisoners published two periodicals: the wall newspapers The New Times and a richly illustrated Flywheel. The Flywheel was founded by Tom Swallow, and comprised pages from school exercise-books that carried hand-written articles with colour illustrations from whatever inks the editorial team could produce from stolen materials, like quinine from the medical room; these were stuck into place with fermented millet soup, kept from the meagre camp rations. One copy per issue was produced, to be circulated among members throughout the camp. When extracts were published in hardback format in 1987, the book ran to two reprints. An additional periodical, The Observer was published between December 1943 and May 1944. The camp's Welsh soldiers also created their own periodical called Cymro ("Welshman"), edited by prisoner William John Pitt. The magazines were produced between July 1943 and December 1944. Eight issues of the magazines were created, and out of these one was lost in the camp. Although most of the issues are in English, two pages are in Welsh

And yet another beautiful 1870 bar with a Gust. Uhlig label.

A great frack 1870 bar with label.

Keep it the way you found it; it's great!!! I remember bargaining for things in the Souk in Jeddah etc. and I always started off at 1/3 the price and would walk out two or three times with the guy chasing me. I usually ended up getting it for 50% of the orginal price at the very most. I bought a very very nice BEM to a New Zealander for the Korean War; one of only five awarded for a song. To make a long story short, today it is polished and in the hands of the original recipient! It's a small world.

WWII Battle of the Bulge PoW group to: Staff Sargeant 35676063 Elmer E. Merryman, 99th Infantry Division Group consists of: Bronze Star - Elmer E. Merryman PoW Medal Good Conduct Medal American Campaign Medal European, African, Middle East Campaign Medal Victory Medal Occupation Medal with Germany clasp Elmer E. Merryman, 74, of Lexington, Ky., died Sunday, April 7, 1996, after a long illness. Born in Versailles, Ky., he was a son of the late Edward and Eliza Bumgardner Merryman. He was a U. S. Army veteran of WW II, serving with the 99th Infantry Division. He was wounded and captured by the German Army in the Battle of the Bulge and remained a POW until the end of the war. Survivors are his wife of almost 50 years, Blanch Million Merryman; a daughter, Peggy Lee McCord of Lexington; three sons, Edward Hughes Merryman of Hopkinsville, Glenn Ray Merryman of Marietta, Ga., and Elmer Daryl Merryman of Quinton, Va.; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Burial in Camp Nelson National Cemetery in Jessamine County, Ky.

WWII PoW group to: PFC 36881353 Randall W. Breedlove, 351st Infantry Regiment, 88th Inf. Division Dental Corps; captured Italy. PoW 26 October 1944 - repatriated 25 June 1945. Group consists of: Bronze Stare - Randall W. / Breedlove PoW Medal - Randall W. / Breedlove Good Conduct Medal - Randall W. Breedlove American Campaign Medal European, African and Middle Eastern Campaign Medal - two stars WWII Victory Medal Combat Infantry Badge Ruptured Duck From the Good Conduct Medal, it appears that these were late issues. http://www.ww2pow.info/index.php?page=directory&rec=47479 Randall Wilson Breedlove died in 2008 at the age of 87. He was drafted on October 6, 1943 and went overseas in March 1944, spending a few weeks in North Africa before the invasion of Italy began. He was captured in Italy and transported to Germany and imprisoned in Stalag VII A (Moosburg). The camp was liberated on May 2, 1945. In June 1945, Randall was returned to the U.S., his wife and infant son. He and Elizabeth had three more children. He described his capture in an article his hometown newspaper wrote about his return on June 12th: "We were making a roadblock to keep the Germans from getting through on hill in the north when the Jerries outnumbered us. Being Americans, though, we certainly weren't going to let them take us without our fist putting up a good fight, but they were just too many for us. We were disarmed and marched in the pouring rain to a German observation post where they relieved us of our raincoats. Then we were questioned by German officers. They wanted to know all about our movements, our plans, how many men there were in the whole outfit, and how much equipment we had; but we didn't tell them a thing. They soon found it was useless to try to force anything out of us. We were marched up the main highway and then shoved into trucks to Mantavia where we were put in box cars, like cattle, for the trip to Mooseburg, the journey taking three days and nights through the Alps. Our next stop was Stalag 7-A. There were always guards with ready rifle butts close by. Sometimes they hit the poor fellows that were too weak to work. They hit them any place they could -- on the head, across the back, they didn't care. Not long before we were liberated we were served grass soup, yes that's what it was, and our ration of bread that tasted like sawdust. In all the six months we were prisoners we never had clean clothing. We wore the same shirt, pants and underwear and were pestered by lice. On May 2nd, I was working in the kitchen when the first American scout came up the street. We were liberated that day by the 14th Armored Division. Well, you can probably guess the excitement that followed." For more information on the 88th Infantry Division in Italy: https://armyhistory.org/09/the-88th-infantry-division-in-italy/ For more information on Stalag VII A (Moosburg): http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/indeng.html

I'm happy to take them. What do I need to do???

All of the above PoW groups for Italy and Germany ended with the man making it home after the war. Here, this new addition is to an unfortunate other ranker who died in captivity in a German PoW Camp and ended up making it to Berlin, but to be buried there. A Palestine Arab Rebellion and Second World War North Africa battle of Gazala and fall of Tobruk prisoner of wars group awarded to Private R.O. Smith, 1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, PoW June 1942, interned in Italy and died while a PoW in Germany on 4th March 1944. Group consists of: General Service Medal 1918-1962, 1 Clasp: Palestine: (4975730 PTE. R.O. SMITH. FORESTERS.), 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, War Medal. Robert Owen Smith served as a Private (No.4975730) with the 1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, and saw service in Palestine during the Arab Rebellion. With the outbreak of the Second World War, he then saw service with the 1st Battalion in North Africa being present at the battle of Gazala in June 1942, where two companies from the Battalion fought in the "Knightsbridge Box" and others were in action in the Tobruk perimeter. The unit suffered heavy losses during the battle and the survivors were then taken prisoner at the fall of Tobruk. Smith was taken prisoner of war, and initially interned by the Italians at Campo 70 at Monturano near Fermo. When Italy surrendered in September 1943, the Allied prisoners were transported by train to camps in Germany, and while Smith was there, he died on 4th March 1944 under unknown circumstances. He may have suffered from illness, been killed by an allied bombing raid, or else have been shot whilst trying to escape from a camp; the reasons are unknown. Smith was 26 at the time of his death and is buried in the Berlin War Cemetery. For info on Campo 70, please read: http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/pow/pg70.html In June 1940 the 1st Battalion was moved from Palestine to reinforce the Garrison of Cyprus, where they suffered their first war casualties in an air raid. Early in 1942 the Battalion was moved to Egypt, converted to a motorised role, and joined the Desert Army. Unfortunately, after a sharp engagement in the Knightsbridge Box, the Battalion was ordered to surrender when the garrison in Tobruk capitulated. TOBRUK At the end of August 1941 the 1st Battalion moved to the Western Desert, where in the summer of 1942 they took part in the Gazala Battle and in the defence of Tobruk. The Gazala line stretched from Gazala on the coast some fifty miles south to Bir Hachim. It consisted of a series of isolated infantry localities, wired and mined, which were called "Boxes" and between which were large gaps that could neither be held by artillery fire nor plugged by tanks. One such locality was Point 187 near Acroma, midway between Gazala and Tobruk, where the Battalion stood to meet the German attacks. By 13th June 1942 the Germans had penetrated the surrounding defences and the battalion box became isolated. Enemy tanks attacked relentlessly and although some twenty of them were knocked out, all of the Battalions anti-tank guns had become casualties. Throughout the day the Battalion stayed true to its Motto of "FIRM" and as evening fell and with the desert a blazing inferno, orders were received for the Box to be evacuated. The German attack was launched on 20 June 1942 and was started by a fierce air bombardment followed by a well-co-ordinated artillery fire from both Germans and Italians. Next came a massive panzer attack and any attempt at a breakout to the coast was stopped by the Germans who were superior in number. A general surrender was ordered and because the regiment had withdrawn to safety, few escaped becoming PoWs. SMITH, ROBERT OWEN Rank: Private Service No: 4975730 Date of Death: 04/03/1944 Age: 26 Regiment/Service: 1st Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) Grave Reference 11. H. 11. Cemetery Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery The site of Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery was selected by the British Occupation Authorities and Commission officials jointly in 1945, soon after hostilities ceased.
Graves were brought to the cemetery from the Berlin area and from eastern Germany. The great majority of those buried here, approximately 80% of the total, were airmen who were lost in the air raids over Berlin and the towns in eastern Germany. The remainder were men who died as PoWs, some of them in the forced march into Germany from camps in Poland, in front of the advancing Russians. 

The cemetery contains 3,595 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 397 of them unidentified. 
There are also six non-commonwealth foreign national burials and in addition there are 265 post war graves of men of the British Occupation Forces or their dependents, or of members of the Control Commission.

Great group! Especially with the documents for the two non-combatant (China & DSWA) medals. Lucky you. ; )

Not all the recipients of the War Medal were awarded the Victory Medal; i.e., if they were only on the Siberian Expedition.

Haven't bought anything for this collection for a very long time, but couldn't pass up an enamel version after already having the cloth one.

Very nice pastel! Thanks for sharing.

Just picked this up today. If anyone knows of a nominal roll, please let me know. General Service Medal, EIIR, clasp Arabian Peninsula to: 2737 Pte. Rashid Muhammad, T.O.S. (Trucial Oman Scouts) The clasp "Arabian Peninsula" was awarded to entitled personnel for service in operations in resistance to border raids and against bands of dissidents in the Arabian Peninsula between 1st January, 1957 and 30th June, 1960, inclusive. a) Officers and other ranks of the British Army, including British Army personnel seconded or attached to the Sultan of Muscat and Oman's Armed Forces, who served for 30 days or more, not necessarily continuous, in Aden Colony, the Aden Protectorate, the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, or the Persian Gulf States while on the posted or attached strength of any unit in these theatres. b) Members of the under mentioned local Armed Forces who served for 30 days in the same conditions as Army personnel. (1) Aden Protectorate Government: Aden Protectorate Levies. Government Guards. Hadhrami Bedouin Legion. (2) Eastern Aden Protectorate:- Mukalla Regular Army Qu'aitiArmed Constabulary. KathiriArmed Constabulary. WahidiTribal Guards. (3) Western Aden Protectorate: From 1st January, 1957 to 11th February, 1959. AmiriTribal Guards. BeihanTribal Guards. Upper Aulaqi SheikdomTribal Guards. AughaliTribal Guards. Fadhli Armed Police. Lower YafaiArmed Police. From 1st January, 1957 to 11th February, 1960. Lower Aulaqi Sultanate Tribal Guards. Dathina- -Tribal Guards. From 1st January 1957 to 30th June, 1960. Upper Aulaqi Sultanate Tribal Guards. Shu'aibiTribal Guards. MuflahiTribal Guards. HaushabiTribal Guards. From 1st April, 1959 to 5th October, 1959. LahejRegular Army. LahejTribal Guards. From 11th February, 1959 to 30th June, 1960. Federation of Arab Amirates of the SouthFederal National Guard (4) Trucial States. Trucial Oman Scouts. c) Members of specially approved civilian categories, who served with the Forces on land were eligible under the same rules as for the Army, if they wore the approved uniform of: NAAFI. SSAFA Nursing Service. British Red Cross Society Welfare Service. W.V.S. Mission to Mediterranean Garrison. Soldiers and Airmen's Scripture Readers Association. Civilian employees of the Aden Protectorate Government, who were properly enrolled as Government servants, and served with, or in conjunction with the local Armed Forces listed above. The Trucial Oman Scouts was a security force established in 1951 (initially as the Trucial Oman Levies) to defend the seven emirates of Trucial Oman and keep the peace. TOS officers later established the Dubai Police (1956), the TOS Cadet School (196471), the Abu Dhabi Defence Force (196576), the Ras al-Khaimah Mobile Force (196996), the Dubai Defence Force (197196), and the Sharjah National Guard (197276). Upon independence, when the emirates merged to become the United Arab Emirates, the TOS was renamed the Union Defence Force. In 1976, the UDF, ADDF, DDF, and RAKMF were unified to form the UAE Armed Forces, and the SNG merged with the UAE Federal Police. The TOS had an impeccable record over the course of its twenty-year existence: it defended the emirates against hostile forces, peacefully settled tribal and territorial disputes, policed the land, served as a stabilizing influence, and provided an honourable career and valuable training for thousands of Emiratis. It was modeled on Jordans Arab Legion as a joint partnership between Arabs and Britons, and a combined Arab and British leadership with the Arab Legion providing the forces first commanding officer and NCOs. Established in 1951 as Trucial Oman Levies (T.O.L.), it was very small uniformed internal security and rural patrol force with originally one British major in command, two Jordanian officers [from the Arab Legion] and 32 other ranks (from the Arab Legion). It expanded to 30 British officers in command positions and a handful of Arab officers and Locally recruited soldiers, mainly from Abu Dhabi. There was one battalion under the command of a British major Headquartered at Sharjah. In1952, there was a mutiny at Buraimi when the British commander of the Trucial Oman Levies, Major Otto Thwaite was shot dead along with a Jordanian TOL Sergeant Major and a British Royal Air Force medical doctor by Arab soldiers of the TOL when his vehicle with four occupants was ambushed outside Buraimi. There was only one survivor, a British REME Sergeant. The TOL soldiers were believed to be selling their ammunition to the Saudi garrison. The Trucial Oman Levies were renamed in 1956 as Trucial Oman Scouts. In 1955 had 500 paramilitary personnel organized into 3 Rifle Squadrons. In 1956 there were 500 paramilitary personnel organized in four operational/Rifle Squadrons including 1 Squadron based at Buraimi oasis. By 1957 the TOS included 160 British officers & soldiers and in 1960 had 1,000 paramilitary personnel. In 1964 there were 1,324 paramilitary personnel including 38 British officers and 85 British other ranks organized into 5 Rifle Squadrons each with three British officers three Arab officers and 145 Arab other ranks. One group was equipped with machine guns and Mortars and there was one Signals Squadron, one motor transport squadron, one medical centre, one workshop, one boys squadron, one boys school and one training depot. By 1970, the TOS had 1,600 to 1,700 trained paramilitary personnel and in 1971 had 2,500 paramilitary personnel. The Trucial Oman Scouts were a highly respected impartial paramilitary armed regular internal security and rural police force and regarded as well trained, well paid efficient military unit that cost 2 million UK pounds a year to run and operate in 1971 with small garrisons based in most of the coastal towns and other key posts. There had been a base in Dubai since 1952 and a permanent garrison at Buraimi oasis of one Field Squadron Organized as highly mobile light armored cavalry. The TOS included 40% locally recruited Arab personnel, 50 Jordanian NCOs and the bulk of troops were Omanis, Iranians, Indians and Pakistanis all under the control and command of 30 British officers Head Quartered at Sharjah [since 1951 and equipped with armoured cars British weapons Landrovers Bedford trucks. The only major military operation the Trucial Oman Scouts were involved in was the October 1956 clash at the disputed Buraimi Oasis. Two TOS Field Squadrons were used, along with troops from the Sultan of Muscat & Oman personal guard to forcibly evict a 40 strong Saudi Arabian garrison of 40 armed police based in a old fort and a village. The Saudi garrison had been based there since August 1952 when the Saudi Arabian force of 40 armed men forcibly occupied the Buraimi Oasis following a armed clash in which three people were killed In the October, 1956 clash, nine people were killed including seven Saudi policemen/military personnel and two TOS paramilitary troops. In 1971 the TOS was renamed Union Defence Force (U.D.F.) on formation of United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) If interested, for another Arabian Penninsula unit, see http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/62534-aden-protectorate-levies/#entry588972

You don't see these often.

Napoleonic Wars Hanoverian Pair: The Waterloo Medal is silver and impressed "HUSAR FRIEDRICH KNIGGE, HUS. RGT. BREMEN KT VERDEN". The War Merit Medal 1813 was struck in bronze. Nice pair with original ribbons.

A couple more Sedlatzeks...