Jef

Thank you

Is it possible to find more information about it in English? For example, why is there a snake at the lower end? What does the snake symbolize?

Hello again,Kvat.

You can find a website, I'm afraid in Dutch, at www.onderscheidingen.nl/nl/index.html. . I saw the medal could be awarded by police, fire brigade, National reserve Corps, Dutch Red Cross, Volunteers Nederlandse Antillen.....

So far, I wasn't able to find a dutch website with English section. Maybe a Dutch user gentleman might help?

Kind regards,

Jef

Hello Kvart,

According to my referencework "Onderscheidingen " Bussum 1985, is your medal " de vrijwilligersmedaille ( 1985)" It's a volunteer medal for long service ( 10 years or more) as a volunteer with a reserve unit.

kind regards,

Jef

Sorry, Error :"De vrijwilligersmedaille" was instituted in 1958, not in 1985

Does any of you gentlemen know what kind of medal this is?

Hello Kvart,

According to my referencework "Onderscheidingen " Bussum 1985, is your medal " de vrijwilligersmedaille ( 1985)" It's a volunteer medal for long service ( 10 years or more) as a volunteer with a reserve unit.

kind regards,

Jef

Sorry for the late reply. I was just going back and reading old threads posted before I became a member of GMIC. Actually, I have been looking for one of these medals for my collection. It is a Commemorative Concentration Camp medal given to survivors of the Concentration Camp Breendonk in Belgium 1940-1944. Many people were sent from this camp to death camps in the occupied countries if they had not already died in this camp.

Thank you for your message, Gldank

Jef

Yes it?s wrong, this is an Hungarian (modern) medal ribbon...

regards

Miguel

Thank you , Miguel

Jef

Hello Dave and Kevin,

You are speaking about two possible ribbons for the Signum Memoriae: red and half red/half white. Is this ribbon a wrong one, or is it a Hongarian issue?

kind regards,

Jef

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_07_2008/post-761-1216145710.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_07_2008/post-761-1216145731.jpg

Sorry Jasmore,

It seems my second attempt to post a clear pic failed again. I took the scan from an 7/10 scale reproduction of the original. I'm sure if you are able to find an original Sheet 28 NW or a CD with trench maps you would see more details.

Anyway hope this is helpful,

Jef

I am hoping to locate a bunker position of the First World War for personal research. The only details I have are from a book A History of 154 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, France 1916 -19 by M.C. walker.

The book describes to position as follows.

"A rough description of our position may give some idea of how we were situated. The guns were placed in enchelon alongside the road running from Shrapnel corner to Zillebeke Village, or rather the remains of it. Our exact location was at a point known as Manor Halt, where the Ypres-Comines railway crossed the road. To the east and south lay the chain of hills composing the Ypres Ridge, Stirling Castle, Mount Sorrel and Sanctuary Wood were the most prominent features. On the left flank was Zillebeke Lake, a a wide expanse of water nearly a square mile in area. A deep mined dugout under the road with two entrances formed theaccommodation for all the gunners. The remains of Manor Farm, strengthened with concrete and iron, served as a BC post and officers' quarters combined. This building was rather unique as it contained no less than nine dugouts, all of which were connected up with each other."

Question. Would this position be shown on trench maps? If so, which one?

Is it possible that anything remains of this position?

Would greatly appreciate any information or guidance on this subject.

Regards,

Jasmor58

ne?

Hello Jasmor,

Attached you will find a scan of a copy of a trench map. It is taken from sheet 28 NW, Ordnance Survey April 1917. Maybe another map dated 1918 might give more information?

Next time i'm in the yper area i will visit the place to see if there still are remains of the bunkers you mentioned.

With kind regards from Flanders,

Jef

Thanks Jef

Is Wervik in or near Ten Brielen? I believe the latter is on the French/Belgian border North west of Lille? The writer dates this "Tenbrielen 17.4.71"

Thanks Rob

Hello Rob,

Ten Brielen is a hamlet of Comines-Warneton (french speaking part of Belgium) It's along the road from Comines to Zandvoorde. On modern maps it's marked as Timbriele. It's about 2,5 Km from Wervik.

Jef

Hello Rob.

Here goes:

Gruss und Kuss or greetings and a kiss;

Nichts Neues weiter or nothing new so far;

Anbei meine neueste Aufnahme or enclosed the newest photo of me.

The rest I am unable to make out.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hello Rob and Bernhard,

A small addition... that photograph is taken in Wervicq. That's a small Flemish town near the French border. In modern Flemish it is Wervik

Kind regards from Flanders,

Jef

Sorry, something went wrong sending the pics. Have one more pic to show.

Jef

Hello Rick and all,

I am fully aware the books i mentioned are not very reliable sources. Written by German and Belgian authorities this books are twisting the truth. But what do you think of books written by neutral reporters? For example, the book Fighting in Flanders (jan 1915)by E. Alexander Powell . He was correpondent of the New York World . He apparently drove his car between the fighting armies ( Belgian & German) and was as American (at that time neutral) tolerated.

In that book are pics of German and Belgian soldiers as well as destroyed civilian targets. Altough i understand his preference for the Allied countries, some pics don't lie. It's not always easy to separate propaganda from the truth, and I understand the truth can be used for propaganda.

Kind regards,

Jef

Hello Eduardo,

In the book "Antwoord op het Duitse Witboek van 10 mei 1915, part III" ( printed in 1916 by the Belgian Department of Justice and Department of Foreign Affairs) which was an answer on the German " Die v?lkerrechtswidrige F?hrung des Belgischen Volkskriegs" i could read about the event you mentioned. They speak about 12 persons killed and the rest of the civilians were driven out of their homes. Most of the houses were plundered and several were burned down.

I enclosed an attachement. I'm afraid it is written in dutch but since you have cousins in Flanders, i assume you understand a little dutch.

With kind regards,

Jef

1914-1915 .... 1

1914-1916 .... 1

1914-1917 .... 1

1914-1918 .... 1

kind regards

Jef

Hello Alexandre,

Attached is a closer scan and the reverse.

Jef

What is MEDEC? Would you be so kind as to summarize the article?

Thanks-

Hello Ulsterman,

Medec is a selected group of Belgian Order and medalcollectors. Please see http://users.skynet.be/medec for info. Sorry it's written in Dutch and French. The article in the bulletin is written in Dutch ( my own language) by Loek Jansens, a specialist non official Belgian medals. The main thing in the article is : medals which are not instituted by the government are not allowed to be worn in public ( just like Veteran told). The article is written in parts and I'm looking forward to read the next issue within a few month's. There is not much info about (Belgian)non-official medals available in literature. And that's one of the reasons why i got member of Medec. It's bulletin gives interesting information. Hope you like their website.

With kind regards,

Jef

Hello Jef

I fully agree that unofficial veteran medals are a matter of their own. They range from medals awarded by cities to the troups who liberated or defended them (i.e. M?dailles de Verdun, Dunkerque, Trois Cit?s) to commemorative medals issued by veteran groups having fought in the same areas (M?daille de la Somme, Ypres, etc..). Those are "tolerated" when worn on the occasion of veteran meetings and ceremonies, such as November 11. But they are in no case allowed on a military uniform during active service.

The make-believe "orders and decorations", especially if they mimic the Legion of honor or use ribbons normally given with an official award of the Nation are absolutly banned.... Some people get away with them, but few really try to wear them during public functions or when government or military authorities are present. The wear has to be outrageous to be prosecuted, but potentially it is possible.

In fact, one wonders when they are worn at all, except privately or during private functions.... but then you can also dress as an archbishop in your home if you so please.

I hope I have answered your question. This being said, as I wrote in my previous message, since they exist why not collect them if they appeal to your taste. This is still a free world.

Cheers

Veteran

Thank you for your answer, veteran. By chance, today I received the last bulletin of MEDEC with an article about wearing of non -official medals. It explains a lot.

kind regards,

Jef

Hello Jef

Jeff Floyd's post is very accurate. I would like to add a comment to the information he offers : these "private orders" and "decorations" have no official significance. In fact, they are purely the inside products of "mutual admiration societies" or worse (send so much for "chancery expenses" and you will get a "commander's badge") type of thing.

French law forbids public wear of such material. They are absolute make-believe. Serious collectors like to know about them in order to stay clear.

Some collectors like to gather such material. Why not indeed ?

But please be clearly aware of what they are.

Regards

Veteran

Thank you for your wise words, Veteran. You wrote :"the French law forbids public wear of such material". In the first place nobody is allowed to wear orders, medals which are not your own. I believe in Belgium there is a penal legislation for this. But if someone should wear a non-official medal in France, do you think there is a chance he will be punished?

For example: every veteran organisation in Belgium has (a lot of) medals, non-official medals. Is this the same in France? And are those French veteran medals tolerated?

Again thank you for your help,

Jef

Unofficial "order" for humanitarian service. The French seem to create these with great regularity, and copy the design of the Legion d'Honneur as closely as possible.

Thank you for your reply, Jeff. So I guess the order was established by a humanitarian organisation and given to military and civilian people for humanitarian acts?

with kind regards,

Jef

Hello friends,

Recently this medal found its way into my collection. So far i wasn't able to find any information. On Ebay I saw a knight's class, in this way i know the medal needs a green ribbon with a tiny french tricolor on both sides. Was wondering if any of you guys could give me more info. Above the medallion i can read " Oeuvre Humanitaire "

with kind regards from Flanders,

Jef

The ring shows the perron; it's is a monument representing the independence of the people of Li?ge "LG" wich means " Libertas Gentis", "Freedom for the People". Because of it's shape I think it's an older, ring perhaps between the wars 1 and 2 ? Is it edited for a special military event like the end of WW1? What medal could be depicted?

I'm interested in your opinion.

Cheers,

Benten

Hello Benten,

"Le Perron" is a monument near the townhall of Li?ge. Although the monument was used in many WWI representations (see pic of medal of Liege 1914), it is much older. You will find enough info on the website of Li?ge: http://www.liege.be/svcommu/perron.htm .

with kind regards,

Jef

We Will Remember Him

Jef

Hello Jef,

The CE at the top of the tag is the religious denomination, in this case Church of England. As this chap is Army Service Corps the MT might stand for Motorised Transport.

A nice ID disk as well thanks for showing it. I will have to see if I can find some more as I quite like them.

Hi Paul,

Do you have a photo of the tank corps disk? That would be a very nice one to own.

Cheers

Chris

Hello again, Chris,

Thank you for the explanation about CE and MT.

Jef

Have wanted an example of one of these for a while and managed to get one last week in an online auction, it arrived today and I am chuffed with it. These erased coin ID disks seem to be a fairly common way for kiwis (and probably other commonwealth troops) to beat the deficiencies of the issue fibre I.D. disks. I have seen the odd French or European coin pop up in an online auction every now and again but what makes this one cool is that it is Turkish coin. It originally belonged to 8/2837 Percy Campbell Austin of Dunedin who embarked for overseas service as part of the 7^th reinforcements, Otago Infantry Battalion on the 9^th October 1915. I might be stretching it but because it's a Turkish coin and because he left NZ in October, Percy might have picked up this coin from Gallipoli before the allied evacuation in December 1915.

Would be very interested in seeing some more of these coin ID disks if anyone else has one to show.

Hello ChrisB,

As requested a coinID disk from my collection. As you will see, it's made from a French coin. Hope you like it. Can you tell me what the abbreviations C.E. ( at the top), and M.T. ( below) means?

with kind regards from Flanders,

Jef

Good point, Jef ! Until further notice, "Notre Dame de Lourdes" it is ...

Cheers,

Hendrik

Maybe another question for Loek Jansens? Looking forward to hear his answer.

Jef