Ardent

I hope Lord Ashcroft starts collecting other stuff soon and not just the VC's as I might want to get rid of my (Royal Navy) MM group in the years to come (for pension enhancement purposes)

Hello Gents,

Several years ago I published some studies about the fightings in South West-Flanders, October 1918.

The 1st Bn. Newfoundland Rgt. fought their last battle (and got a Caribou monument in Harelbeke)in WWI. During the search for info, someone told me their nickname ( i'm wondering if the last word will show tiny stars?) : the five bob ######s. I was told the Newfie's were paid five bob ( five shilling's??) a day , more than a British soldier. Is there anyone who know's the pay of a British soldier during WWI?

Was wondereing if someone could confirm this, or can throw a light on this.

With kind regards,

Jef

Don't know about that far back but I can confirm from bitter experience that the rate of pay for a junior in 1981 was ?7.25 per day!

Just a thought but I notice there's a 62 CSM in the group - could the "mysteriously untraceable" bar be a NI gallentry award? I know (from personal experience) that many of these awards were not Gazetted for the security of the person and operational requirements

Obviously I didn't look carefully enough for the award mentioned!

The Americans have a Presidential Unit Citation which was awarded to, among others, the Gloucester Reg't (almost sure its them) for service in Korea, where a member won the VC. It is worn as a ribbon on the uniform of members of the unit receiving the award and, I think by all members, not just those serving when it was awarded.

However this is the first I've heard of the Br. gov't recognizing a unit of the armed forces with something other than a battle honour, unless one counts the award of the George Cross to the island of Malta for its stout resistance to the Axis in WWII. The George Cross, BTW, is now part of the flag of Malta.

Presumably someone will come up with a wearing protocol. At an outsiders guess, some version of the ribbon on the uniforms and maybe an "honour" on the colours as well ?

BTW, you British specialists, is this a unique occurence for a British unit?

Peter

The Royal Ulster Constabulary also received the George Cross

The 50th of Foot (West Kents?) were known as the Dirty Half Hundred due to the black facings on their tunics

Hello,

these insignia came from a old belgium para-commando ( he was in the '50 para-commando ).

I would like to know if these insignia are from the second war period of after war. I would like to have more information for the enamel badge with the dagger. the dagger seems to be the first sas dagger model.

the litlle enamel badge with the dagger has a mark on the back side : silver.

thanks to all for your informations

Won't guarantee anything without reading up on it later but certainly looks like the WWII commando Special Service Brigade which was disbanded due (in part) to its assumed similarity with the German SS at the time

As for the other badge it's certainly representative of a Fairburn Sykes fighting knife which is universally connected with commando forces rather than the winged sword (not dagger) of the SAS Regiment

The term " Ship taken up from Trade" has been used in a decent reference book written about the Royal Navy and the Falklands war.

The " Taken up from Trade" means what it says ..." a "Roll on Roll off" of ferry or container ship presed into service beacuse the RN did not the support or transport ships to do the job.

The Dunkirk spirit is quite fine but its a bit out of place in the modern world , even in the 1980's.

What other nation goes to war or leaves their armed services up the left like we do ?

There is some mind set which needs to be looked at - we no longer have a Fleet .

The man in the front line deserves better , time he got it.

Does anyone know the state of play with the new aircraft carrier which was to be built ?

STUFT vessels included much smaller craft such as tugs and "others" and the RN crews were issued with "HMS" cap tallys

THE BELT BUCKLE, due to extensive wear it reads "GIBRALTER" * * * * MARE PER TERRAM." its also been fixed with the belt inverted.

Kevin in Deva.

Most likely Royal Marines as the principal battle honour is Gibraltar and is worn above the globe and laurel (the laurel representing all the other battle honours world-wide) and PER MARE PER TERRAM is the Corps motto

Did you get an Epson 2400 scanner? That was !!!

Additional question: why is a CAMPAIGN medal, albeit one for Long But Generically Unspecific Services, mounted AFTER a Jubilee and not in front with the other campaign medals???

The Golden Jubilee medal seems an odd one - various rules allow it to be placed differently from other jubillee/coronation medals and I've seen people wearing them in all sorts of positions on the bar

Robin

Cheers for the information. I really would like to see a photo of it in wear.

Tom

I last saw it in use about 4 years ago - a Superintendent from Surrey - the satin facings were purple if I remember rightly - other than that it was much like Naval mess dress

Aren't these just sooo cool? :coola:

I believe this is an SAS badge. Can someone verify?

Special Service Brigade - not really a forerunner of the SAS

dispanded due to undue similarity with the German SS

Ralph

No 3 (deaths Head) is the 17th/21st Lancers Badge. Now called the Queens Royal Lancers. Not sure if it is a restrike as badges is not my area but it looks pretty good to me. The RNAS is unusual but I am a little suspicious of that one but as I say I am not an expert on badges so don't take my word for anthing.

Royal Naval Air Service operated the first armoured car battalions in Belgium during the 1st World War - could be that's where the badge came from (seem to remember seeing it before but not as a cap badge - perhaps over the rate badges of Senior Rates)

Ok, found this in a real old book, I am not sure what the tear drop shaped thing by the nose is?

VHF aerial?

It's great to see something like that still in the family and know they aren't forgotten. Is there a Victory medal missing?

I've never done a proper tour myself, I just seem to turn up and wonder around places that I've read about in books where the soldiers gave their own account of what happened. I do think that a tour is worth it though especially when travelling from so far away as you may get the chance to see things the average tourist misses, and someone with local knowledge can tell you so much about the area.

I always tell myself I'll do a personal tour one day, but as I only have a 4 hour drive there and the cost of just over a tank of diesel to get me there and back I keep saying I'll do that next time. I don't have a horrible 20 hour flight in front of me.

Have you seen the damage to the AIF memorial at Hill 60? Do you know if it's shrapnel damage?

I'll be there again in March but only to fill up at Hellfire Corner on my way back home, they sell the cheapest diesel for miles around.

I?ll drop you a line with a couple of links.

Cheers

Tony

The damage to the memorials (Princess Patricia's Light Infantry I believe) were caused by rifle fire during the second world war - similar damage can be seen on the Belgian memorial in Ieper despite an all-parties agreement that the city would not be a battlefield again

Here are two of the bunkers on Hill 60.

I sent my son running across the landscape from the road to attack the one hardly poking out of the ground but he gave up running through the old craters half way there.

Tony

If you look closely at these German bunkers at Hill 60 you'll see the concrete is full of shells (sea- not armour-piercing) because trade agreements were not broken off between Britain and Germany until the end of 1915 and the bunkers are made using Portland cement!

found a new one last night, although not royal navy but still maritime. The word Posh as used to describe those financially better off came from the return journey's made on ship from England to USA, and the word posh would be written on the ticket to show that the passenger would ride (PO) portside on the way out to observe the views of Britian and America as they left and (sh) starboard on the way in for the same reason. cool huh!

Although not strictly true it did refer to the passage to India rather than America so they could see coastline

Was derived from an old navy saying to "show a leg". When ships would put in port they would restrict the crew to the ship to avoid desertions, and they would allow the married sailors to have their wives join them aboard ship. When it came time for the ship to set sail, the call would be made in the bunk area to show a leg from underneath the covers and allow the females to dress and leave the ship.

Actually, women were carried onboard at sea - the term show a leg was so that hairy-legged seamen (as opposed to hairy-arsed stokers) would have to turn to but smooth-legged women could stay turned in