Johnny

Jim, Thanks very much for this information it's really useful! Sorry for the late reply but I've been away for a few days. Kind Regards Johnny

Thanks a lot for your reply it's really helpful. A couple of questions arise from it; You think the unknown medal might be his LS&GC but what I didn't show on the scan was a seperate entry just below this one which says LS&GC but it's dated 2 months later (14/10/53)so I'm guessing it has to be something different? Also do you know what the criteria for the coronation medal would be? He'd been in the Navy since 1936 so I assumed he'd be entitled. I received the golden jubilee medal for combined Army and Police service in 2003 so assumed he'd have been entitled after 17yrs Navy service but I suppose assumptions are dangerous things!

These are the other 2 pics which were too large to attach to the original post. The first pic is the unknown medal dated August 1953 and the second is one of him in unform showing some of his medal ribbons.

Hi, Help wanted please! I've just been sent my grandfathers RN service records and there are many things I don't understand or just can't read. Firstly there are his postings. He seems to have the name of land based postings (Eaglet, Cormorant & St Angelo) but next to them in brackets are the names of ships (Pentstemon, Wilton etc) and I don't know what this signifies. Was he on the ship or detached from it on a land base? I've attached a snapshot of his service card to illustrate my point. I'd assumed he was land based however he has an MiD in the London Gazette under the blanket heading of 'bravery and skill in the hazardous operations in which the allied forces were landed in North Africa'. When that was awarded his service card shows him as HMS Eaglet with Pentstemon in brackets next to it. Eaglet was in Liverpool but HMS Pentstemon was in North Africa at the time and directly involved in the landings. Also his medal entitlement card has a handwritten HMS Pentstemon 8/41 - 10/43 on it. Can anyone decipher the significance of this for me? Secondly what medals was he entitled to? On the photograph attached it seems to show his Africa Star with a rosette on it but I don't know what that means. Also his MiD oakleaf isn't on his Africa Star but that's where it was awarded? On his medal card (scan attached) several medals are ticked but some have an 'R' either as well or instead. What does that mean? I'm surprised he didn't qualify for the Defence medal and I was wondering if it's possible to find out if he was entitled to any bars to these medals? There is also another medal referred to on the remarks section of his card issued on 19/8/53 (scan attached) but I can't make out the writing it could possibly say ‘navy medal’?. Perhaps someone out there knows what it might be-a Coronation medal perhaps?

Thanks Jim, much appreciated! Johnny

Jim, Thanks ever so much for your help with that, it's really appreciated! Just one quick point to clarify as i know nothing about the Navy; What do POREL and LREM stand for?? Thanks again Johnny

I couldn't fit the battle pic in so That's attached now! Johnny

Thanks for your help! I've attached scans of the badges (I assume one is just a smarter version of the other?) I've also attached a pic of him which shows part of his medal ribbons and a stripe on his arm. Do you think you could identify any of them? I've also scanned in an old photo of some sort of action but i have no other information. Do you know anyone who would know enough to hazard a guess at what it might be? Thanks for your help again Johnny

Hi, I hope someone out there can help. My Grandfather died last week and he had served for many years in the Royal Navy (i believe right through WWII and for many years afterwards). I've been given his trade badge but don't know what it represents. I've searched high and low on the net and have been able to establish that he was a Petty Officer at the time he wore this badge but I've no idea what trade it is. It's the letter 'R' placed centrally on the badge with four sparks shooting off, one to each corner and it has a 6 pointed star underneath it all. I assumed it was radar but have found pics of other radar trade badges that don't look like this. For all my searching i haven't seen another example like this anywhere. Can anyone enlighten me? Also does anyone know where i can source good replica RN trade and rank badges? Thanks John

Graham and Leigh, Thanks to both of you for the interest you've shown in this topic! His name was Walter Charles Vockins b, 1895 in Ramsbury, Wilts. He was a Gunner 74087 and his unit details were as listed. He is buried at Vadencourt British Cemetery, Maissemy, France (ref 1. A. 23). I'm also interested in two other soldiers who appear to be buried with him; Gunner 217558 John Clunie Stobie Sgt 54895 Charles John Blackmore They appear to be buried in a distinct group of 3, offset from the other burials in the same row. They were also 108th Battery and were killed on the same day, my assumption being that they were perhaps members of the same gun crew killed by a shell or similar. (I have a photograph of the burials which i shall try to find and upload to illustrate my point). I would love to know where his unit was located when he was killed but don't know whether information with that kind of detail is available all these years later. Are there likely to be maps still in existence which show locations of batterys etc? I have been considering a visit to Kew to see if i can locate a unit diary. I have never done anything like that before so don't really know what information one might hold, but i'm hoping that an incident like that resulting in at least 3 deaths might warrant a mention. You might be able to advise me whether that would be a wild goose chase or not? Any help or advice you can offer that would assist me in discovering more about my Great Uncle would be really appreciated. Thanks again Johnny

Help needed! My Great uncle served in WWI from August 1914 until his death in action on 2nd October 1918. He started his service in 42nd Bde, Royal Field Artillery (part of 3rd Division of the BEF). The CWGC shows that he was killed in action whilst in 108th Battery, 23rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. At the start of the war 23rd Brigade was also part of 3rd Division BEF but my research shows that they left the 3rd Division in Jan 1917 and became an 'Army Field Artillery Brigade'. Clearly he moved Brigades (but within the same division) at some point during the conflict. Try as I might I cannot seem to find any reference to 23rd Brigade after Jan 1917 (either as a Royal Field Artillery or Army Field Artillery unit). Does anybody know anything about 23rd Brigade (Field Artillery) or what formation it belonged to after Jan 1917? Also, does anybody know anything about 'Army Field Artillery' units and what made them different to Royal Field Artillery units? Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope it makes sense! Johnny

David, Thanks for all your help and advice. I know exactly what you mean about the 's;lippery slope'! My wife heaves a huge sigh every time an envelope arrives marked 'air mail'. I'll keep scouring ebay. Thanks again Johnny

David, I have restricted my collections of photos to the semi mundane at the moment, the occasional grave scene, or a battle damaged town etc. I'm new to photo collecting and I'm very grateful to you for your advice. I must say it did seem too good to be true to have an original pic of a Totenkopf RK winner on ebay, thats why i asked the question on here. Thanks again for your help, needless to say i shall stay well away from this one and anything similar. Just out of interest where would u suggest would be a good place to pick original photos up, apart from places like ebay? I'm keen to expand the collection and some pointers would be very gratefully received. Regards Johnny

Thanks David, You're right I've seen the pic for sale on ebay as an original and this pic is what they've posted. Is it easy to fake a repro photo to make it look like an original. I've got quite a few original period pics from Germany and they're generally quite small with crimped edges. The pic from the site looks like that. Do you think it could be original? Johnny If you think it could be dodgy i wont go anywhere near it

Anybody able to ID this officer or know how i could go about it?