azyeoman

Great group! I´ve read Gordon McGregor´s book "German Medals, British Soldiers and the Kalahari Desert" on this most interesting subject!

Thanks for the tip. It'll be on my list of summer reading!

What a great group!

Sorry, but the clasp seems to be recent fake and the bar looks rather like a 1930s bar for the Hindenburg cross...

Thank you very much! I have cancelled the order and learned that I should have posted it for inspection prior to popping for it; sometimes you see what you want to see when collecting. BTW, the dealer was a gentleman about it, but would like to know exactly why the "Orleans" bar is a fake.

; ) A lesson to us all; caveat emptor.

Haven't added anything to the collection for a long time... just couldn't pass this up; tailor's label and all for the Franco Prussian War, and I used to live in Orleans to boot.

What appears to be a very nice early singleton; quite unusual as such and especially for the Franco-Prussian War; sadly the "Orleans" bar is a fake and someone has replaced an original Hindenburg Cross with a Franco-Prussian War Medal. The tailor tag and bar are original though: caveat emptor.

E. Schneider, Graveurmstr.

Sportpriese-Veriensartikel

Berlin N4, Jnvalidenstr. 133

Bordered by black line

Black on round edge aluminum rectangle

Stitched via holes on each end.

I've been looking for the Turkish UN Medal for years and finally found one!!! FYI, the Turks replaced the traditional blue and white ribbon because it is the same color as the Greek flag. Despite Turkey having one of the largest contingents, with 14,936 Turks in Korea during the entire conflict, it's one of the more difficult ones to find.

H. Acker

Stuttgart

Konigsbau

Brown on white

Great addition and a new label for many to see! Thank you!

Godet medal bars never need comments on how attractive they are, and this one is no exception.

How true! : )

I like the yellow ribbons.

Started acquiring enamel ribbon bars due to a wonderful thread on this site. : )

Recently found this trio to a vet from Oldenburg in enamel.

I recently acquired this nice Second World War medal group of three to a confirmed D-Day participant who was KIA on 8 June 1944 when H.M.L.C.T. was sunk by torpedo:

1939 - 1945 Star, France and Germany Star, War Medal (all unnamed as issued).

Commonwealth War Graves Commission show the following:

John Henry Percy Nye Rank: Leading Wireman Service No: D/MX 102969 Date of Death: 08/06/1944 Age: 21 Regiment/Service: Royal Navy, H.M.L.C.T. 390 Panel Reference: Panel 91, Column 1. Memorial: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Additional Information: Son of Henry William and Rachel Gertrude Nye, of Littlehampton, Sussex.

With his original Admiralty casualty condolence medal entitlement slip awarded to John H. P. Nye, Admiralty death notification, Navy medal issue box addressed to Mr. H. W. Nye, 47 Maxwell Rd., Littlehampton, Sussex, a photograph of the recipient in uniform and a newspaper cutting obituary. The obituary specifically mentions that he was in the landings. It seems as though H.M.L.C.T. 390 was torpedoed and sunk with Leading Wireman John Nye going down with the ship.

I'm interested in finding out which flotilla H.M.L.C.T. was with on 6 June and if anyone knows if the wreck's location is known. Any and all assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the overview; it's greatly appreciated. I like your ribbon bar very much; congrats!

Great group and thank you for posting it!!!

Gunner Len Dann wrote about his Campo 53 experiences in this extract from his book "Laughing- We Ran".

"All the talk was of spies and several raids had been made in the area to round up young Italians for forced labour and at the same time to collect any British Prisoner who got caught in the net. I myself, like thousands of other POW's had fled from a prison camp, when Italy tried to make a separate peace and now were scattered the length and breadth of the country, or rather those of us who still remained at large, for many had been taken either within a few hours, or collected one by one as the Germans came across them in the ensuing months. I, with many others, had come from the "Campo di Coneetramento P.G. 53" at Maracerata, slipping away in the early evening with a friend, and managing to get some five or six miles before the sound of a machine gun, told us the enemy had arrived at the camp we had so recently left."

"I remember that day clearly, we had been paraded in the recreation field and the Senior British Officer spoke to us of the separate peace, then told us the Allied Forces should be with us in a matter of days and he didn't want any "Bloody silly heroics", at this stage. Any man disobeying the order would find a court martial waiting for him, should he ever reach the Allies... In an hour or so it was noticed that the Italian sentries had gone and this fact alone worried me. Perhaps they had heard more than we had. I talked it over with my friend John and he agreed to leave the camp with me after the evening meal. I suggested we wait for this, for we would have no idea how long it might be before a cooked one came our way again. Of the seven thousand men in the camp six thousand chose to stay put, while the remainder, grabbing what kit they could, ran out through the gates, holes in the wire and over the walls. This before the exits were sealed and the sentry boxes manned again, but this time by our own men, who in the traditions of the regiments from which they came, carried out their orders without imagination. John and I crept out by a small semi-hidden gate, thirty seconds ahead of the party bent on closing it."

"Being a country chap, I was no sooner out of the gates than I had insisted on striking inland towards the mountain range, some thirty miles west. John was at first against the climbing and cross country going, but soon saw the wisdom of my choice. I said "What if it does taken an effort to get up into the mountain, we can look down on anything on the roads below, and come down again in a few days when our army arrives". So together with Ginger, another escapee from the camp, we made our way slowly westward deeper into the foothills, walking by day and spending each night with Italian families, who without exception welcomed us with open arms. Never did we go to sleep without a hot meal, or leave the next morning without a loaf of bread and directions on how to avoid the roads. We received many requests to stay and wait for the Allies to come, but stay I would not, refusing flatly to even consider the idea, until I could look down on the countryside, and know I had time to get away across the "campi" before any approaching vehicle could reach our level."

"After a year inside none of us was as strong as we thought we were and three days march, either up a hill, or down, never on the level had taken what little strength we had. In the farm house of "Francesco Biagoli" we stayed for a few weeks, then split up into three different houses as the burden of keeping us had become too great for the family. I stayed with Frank a while longer in Poggio, then finally moved to a house in San Costenzo. In my walks around the area (I liked to know the lines of retreat) I had met an Officer from the Italian Air Force, who at the time of capitulation had fled back to his native countryside to avoid transportation to Germany and he asked me to join him in his house. A typical farmhouse and farm now being run by his mother, sister and sister in law. All the work was done by the women, who carried immense loads on their heads, toiling from dawn till dusk to get the farm chores done. With the coming of myself to join "Toni" some of the heavy jobs were taken off their hands, mucking out the oxen, hoeing the fields, carrying fodder, anything to repay for the food, warmth and shelter provided by these kindly people... This was to be my home for the next nine months." For his complete story go to: http://www.pegasusarchive.org/pow/len_dann.htm

Peter Oliver, whose father was 4275708 Sgt. Samuel Oliver of 1 Bn. NF and held in PG 53, visited the camp and wrote, "I was surprised to find that many of the buildings used for PG 53 were still intact. Prior to use as a POW Camp it was a factory with concrete buildings which were now used by small businesses. The camp entrance and iron gates were still standing and the recreation area remained overgrown with some evidence of the perimeter fence. In 1944 the camp had been used as a Jewish Concentration Camp and an Israeli organization had mounted a memorial at the entrance."

His father wrote the below, which gives a good overview of what Langan and his fellow PoWs.

My stay at Campo 73 was broken short when on the afternoon of 13th February 1943 I left for Campo 53.

Transfer to Campo 53 near Macerata

On leaving the camp we were issued with a loaf of bread and a tin of Italian bully beef each. This we ate on the train journey not realising that this consisted of our following day's ration, and on arrival at the new camp, it was only through the generosity of the men there that we obtained any food at all that day. My chief concern on leaving Campo 73 was three miles march from the camp to Corpi station as I was not sure whether my leg would stand the strain of that distance. My fears were unfounded however because I arrived at the station in a much better condition than a good number of other men who were with me.

The train journey commenced about four o'clock in the afternoon and we arrived in Modena an hour later. We had a stay of four hours in Modena during which the guards obtained hot water for us to make tea from the houses close by. We travelled all night during which I made several attempts to obtain some sleep, through the cold and the confined space we were in. When daylight broke we found that we were travelling through mountainous country dotted with numerous farms.

Soon after we arrived at our destination and were met by a strong military escort. At the moment I have been unable to obtain the name of this locality but the village only consists of a few houses. After walking for a very short distance we arrived at what had obviously been a factory of some description. On entering we were searched and then placed in the No. 2 compound. Here we were issued with a spoon, a bowl, a pillow, two white sheets, and two blankets. The issue of two white sheets came as a very pleasant surprise to us. The wooden bunks were three tiers high and about 500 hundred men slept in the building that I was allotted to. The water supply was very unsatisfactory and consisted of a few taps connected onto a water pipe. However improvements in the camp were under construction and better organisation was being instituted.

The food was identical to the previous camp but I thought we obtained a little more. The strength of the camp was some six thousand men. The administration was the same as Camp 73 with the padre, the medical officers, and the warrant officers in command. The camp was divided into 3 compounds and we had a large exercise ground including a football pitch. I spent a good deal of my time on the exercise ground as walking was improving my leg but I deeply regretted being unable to play football. The camp was situated no great distance from the Adriatic Sea and the snow clad mountains made an impressive sight. These mountains I believe to be the Appenines that run roughly north to south across central Italy. The greatest surprise I received at this camp was meeting the majority of my company who told me of the difficult times they had experienced since I last saw them.

They were all under the impression that I had been killed and my company commander also believed me to be dead. They were all very pleased to see me and they paid frequent visits to my compound to have a chat with me. I learnt from them that one of our officers whom I thought to be dead was safe as a prisoner of war. They also told me that the Camp Army Commander had promised a grand reunion when we once more regained our freedom.

At the time of my arrival in this camp the death rate was at a high figure but I was told it had decreased. During my first few days in camp one man had dropped dead on the exercise ground and another man was found dead in bed. Red Cross medical supplies had only just arrived at the camp and previous to that the medical officer had little or none at all. The Camp Commandant was a strict disciplinarian but I was told he had greatly improved the camp since he took over command.

Reveille was at 6.30am every morning and roll call was held at 10 o'clock in the morning and about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The majority of lights were put out at half past nine at night. Periodical searches were held and inspections of sheets and blankets. If sheets or blankets were damaged in anyway the holder was made to pay for them. The supply of Red Cross parcels up to the time of my arrival had not been good but had improved a great deal since. As a POW Red Cross parcels are our first consideration as we would have great difficulty in existing without them.

This account has now been concluded up to the time of writing, February 21st, 1943. My hopes are that by the end of this year or early in 1944, I will be released from captivity.

During my first 2 weeks in Campo 53 further drafts of prisoners came in and at the moment the camp is overcrowded and the sleeping accommodation is inadequate. My first tour of duty as orderly sergeant was difficult to that of Campo 73. My duties included the following: a tour around all platoon areas at 07.00 hours to ensure no man was too sick as to be unable to get out of bed, to open all windows in the barrack room at 09.00 hours and to keep them open all day, to parade all fatigue parties required that day, to warn the following day's orderly sergeant that his tour of duty was approaching, and finally to put lights out at 21.00 hours.

On the late afternoon of February 24th one of our prisoners was fired upon by an Italian sentry and killed. I do not know at the moment the full authentic circumstances of his death. Inside of the main barbed wire fence and placed about three yards from it was a trip wire attached to small pickets about 50 inches high. This trip wire extended right around the camp and prisoners were warned that they had not to approach over this wire. Apparently the prisoner concerned was on the wrong side of the wire and was fired upon by a sentry.

On February 23rd I had a most pleasant surprise when an old school friend of mine, John Phillips, visited me. We both live close to each other at home and it was difficult to ascertain which of us was the more surprised. He wore signs of the difficult times he had experienced but was still very cheerful. We talked of old school friends and future reunions we would attend at school. Both being married men we also talked of our future domestic worries. We now see each other regularly.

The camp is not in a very happy state at the moment as the number of Red Cross parcels available for issue is not great. I have visions of eating olive oil and bread as I once had to do at Campo 73. I thought then I would have difficulty in convincing my people at home that I had been reduced to such a state.

The nearest place of any importance to the camp I am in at present is Macerata. I saw the name on the vehicle that brings the camp rations in daily so I think I am correct. During the past few weeks the strength of the camp has increased to over seven thousand men and the result is that the camp is overcrowded. For the past week I have been suffering with a very severe cold but I appear to have recovered from it now.

A large number of men in the camp spend their time constructing many useful articles from empty Red Cross food tins. These tinsmiths have produced some amazing work to suit their various needs. As is to be expected, amongst the large number of men in the camp, there were many who possess a great deal of talent in many different subjects. Consequently an Arts & Crafts exhibition was held and the works displayed in the Camp Chapel. Prizes were awarded for the best entries. The Camp Commandant viewed the display and also offered prizes. Amongst many articles displayed were tin cups and plates, xxxxxx, drawings, cloth embroidery, packs of playing cards, xxxxx, and tin suitcases. The highlight of the exhibition was a clock made entirely of tin that kept the correct time. A close second was a tin cross dedicated to the fallen of this war and a portrait of a girl.

This exhibition must have greatly impressed the Italians. To relieve the Sergeant in charge of our platoon of some of his work my friend and I took over the platoon canteen. Since then we have had a very busy time juggling with masses of figures on paper and sorting onions into kilos. The staple food of POW's in this camp is definitely onions in my opinion. I received a pleasant surprise last night, 8th of March, when my name was called out for a cigarette parcel which I should receive today. On or about the 12th March two of our men succeeded in escaping from the camp but unfortunately they were caught the following day. As a result of this attempted escape we now have nominal roll calls very frequently. The two white sheets we had issued to us have also been taken from us. The reason given for this was that Italian prisoners in our hands were without sheets and so the Italian authorities had to adopt similar measures.

The camp is now almost 8,000 strong and is perilously overcrowded. During recent days the news has been in our favour but the news of two severe air attacks on Newcastle on successive nights caused me some concern. Conditions at the camp greatly improved when the new shower baths were put into operations. Nearing the end of March an earth tremor shook the camp buildings and I might add the prisoners also. The months of April and May brought us favourable news of the war in Africa and brought to our minds the possibility of an invasion of Italy. During these months almost 3,000 men left camp to work. The majority of these men were detailed and had no other choice than to go. Their going improved the camp in that there was more space in the rooms and this improved health conditions. The supply of Red Cross parcels has been very good and we have seldom been without them during recent weeks. At the moment slit trenches have been dug around the outskirts of the parade ground, no reason was given for their use.

I love your British mounted mini bars with Japanese decorations. Thank you for sharing.

Another WWI PoW pair to the W. Yorks/Green Howards with cap badge.

34619 Pte. J. W. (James William) Gedney, West Yorkshire Regt and later 35144 Yorkshire Regt. (Green Howards) was born in Whaplode, Lincolnshire and lived at Thorney, Cambridgshire. He enlisted at Wisbech. He was formerly 34619 in the 9th Training Reserve Bn. He died on 8 December 1918, not even a month after the war ended. He was a PoW and died in Germany and is buried in the cemetery at Niederzwehren, Hessen, Germany. (Grave IV.F.*.) He is commorated at Middlesborough. 68 Green Howards died in captivity. Gedney is also commerated on the war memorial at Thorney Abbey in Cambridgeshire. (see photos) Entitled to plaque.

(Note : Although SDGW reports that Private Gedney was "Killed in Action", he would, in fact, have been a Prisoner of War. The Green Howards Gazette of September 1918 reported him as missing, captured in July 1918, and as a PoW in March 1919.)

The cemetery near Kassal was begun by the Germans in 1915 for the burial of prisoners of war who died at the local camp. During the war almost 3,000 Allied soldiers and civilians, including French, Russian and Commonwealth, were buried there

In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries. Niederzwehren was one of those chosen and in the following four years, more than 1,500 graves were brought into the cemetery from 190 burial grounds in Baden, Bavaria, Hanover, Hesse and Saxony.

There are now 1,796 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the Commonwealth plot at Niederzwehren. This total includes special memorials to 13 casualties buried in other cemeteries in Germany whose graves could not be found.

Another addition of an escaper and his wife's medals too.

1939 Star

Africa Star with 8^th Army bar

Italy Star

Defence Medal

War Medal

Mounted as worn with original documents including his Record of Service Card and his Soldier’s Release Book, also with other documents including a reference from his employer and a letter regarding an insurance policy. And with his original Emergency Certificate issued by the British Consul at Zurich (damaged), which contains a photograph of the recipient and states that John Richard Langan was born in Liverpool. There is also a copy of his Escaper’s Report too and a 12th Lancers cap badge.

7911773 Pte. John Langan served with the R.A.C. (12th Lancers) 13/6/40 to 14/2/45 and with the Royal Army Pay Corps 15/2/45 to 8/5/46. He joined the 12th Royal Lancers Regimental Association on 9/4/46.

Pte. Langan was born 4/7/14 and was discharged from 15th Bn. RAPC as a clerk, having been a driver and salesman before enlisting. His conduct was "exemplary".

He was taken prisoner in North Africa and was held at Campo 53; however he later escaped and made his way safely to Switzerland. According to his PoW Escaper Report, he was taken prisoner on 6/6/42 when his truck broke down during the fighting at 'Knightsbridge' and he was taken prisoner next day by a German artillery column. When the Italians surrendered he was working on a farm at Monticello; he stayed there for the next three weeks and was then taken by a guide working for an unknown organization by train to Luino from where he got across the border to Agno in Switzerland on 30/9/43.

Sgt. Bill Cooper wrote the following on his time in Campo 53 from which he escaped.

Campo Concentremento 53 was located in Sforzacosta, which is on the railway line 12 miles south of Macerata and close to the east coast of Italy in the Marche region. The camp itself was about one mile from the town railway station. In 1942 the prison camp was on the western edge of the town and was a fairly modern building having been built to refine sugar beets. The outline of the camp was almost like a large capital "E" and entrance was made through an archway built into the wall of the main leg. The north and south parts of the camp consisted of tall storage buildings which, when I arrived, housed about 800 prisoners each on just the one floor with no room divisions. By the time I left there must have been more than 2000 men in that one area!

Between these two large buildings were another two smaller ones which had previously been the factory's administration blocks. They also now housed prisoners. In total when I first got there, the camp had 2000 inmates and this rose to 8000 by the date of my escape.

The buildings were fairly modern and were made of thick concrete. The west of the refinery was an open area of about six acres, the fencing consisted of an outer fence about 30 feet high and an inner one 15 feet from that and 10 feet high. The space between was filled with every scrap of barbed wire that could be found and was continually being added to with more old wire. At the corners of this wire and every 50 yards were wooden sentry posts with machine guns.

For this mass of humanity there was only one small crude toilet block, 12 "squatters" and only three stand pipes providing water.

The camp was commanded by a "Blackshirt" Colonel who had made the "March on Rome" with Mussolini. Under his command he had a number of elderly officers, an ample supply of sentries, dogs, Carabinieri, (who circled the prisoners living quarters night and day) and two interpreters. One of these was from a well-known Glasgow ice cream firm who had returned to Italy to bury his grandmother and was nabbed by the army at the outbreak of the war. He was called "Wee Jock." The other interpreter was a waiter from the peacetime Savoy Hotel who had also got his timing wrong. His name, for some reason I never found out, was "Harry's Brother."

The Italian administration was not very good but there was of course the British Camp Administration which was much more effective. However, in my opinion, this admin had become much too friendly with the Italians. The general camp were always hungry but I know these admin staff got extra food (and wine!) into the camp for themselves, but could not (or would not!) get such escape items as radio parts in. They seemed to go out of their way not to rock the boat for the Italians even to the extent of offering to guard the camp themselves to stop escapes when Italy withdrew from the Axis forces!!

Langan's wife’s pair

Defence Medal

War Medal

Mounted as worn with original Release Book

Cap badge and pair of collar insignia.

Cpl. E. Marsland, Auxiliary Territorial Service

Ethel Marsland was born 11/4/20 and enlisted 16/4/43. She was a clerk attached to the R.A.P.C. With a copy of the 'Stockport Express' containing a photo of her first husband, Cpl. James Marsland, reported missing. She married John Langan in Stockport in 1947.

A bar made by Richard Franke

Richard Franke

Minden West.

white on black within white frame

Attached by sewing through two loops on each end

Hi Pieter,

Thank you very much! Words cannot express how grateful I am to know the mystery of the Kanji on the scabbard. For years I've wondered what is says and I've asked some of my Japanese students, but they were so young they couldn't read it; at least that was the excuse they gave me. I can't thank you enough and sincerely wish you a very safe trip to Japan. You're a scholar and a gentleman! All the best, John

F. Thiel & Sohn

Rostock

gold on black within stylized frame

stitched on ends and tacked on all sides

Wow, that's very nice; very very very nice; very very very very nice... I want one. Congratulations!!! Who was the recipient and what did he do in Korea???

A nice Sedlatzek of Berlin ribbon bar.

Thanks for posting this Kimj. I've never seen one before; they must be rare as I don't believe there were many Swedes in Korea.