Owen

I have also posted this on the BMF, so apologies, but thought I would share here too. For me, this was a case of one thing leads to another, with a welcome surprise at the end. As mentioned before, my main interest is Napoleonic wars and Waterloo campaign medals, but I am increasingly being drawn into the mid Victorian Indian/Afghan wars. Anyway, the more I look into that period, the more I am drawn into the later Indian/Afghan exploits (and medals)...after all, it is a continuum (even to today). I realise that most of you will know a lot more about this period and Tochi than I do - I am very much a beginner, so happy to be corrected. Recently, on impulse, I bought an India Medal with clasp 'Punjab Frontier 1897-98', to a 8870 Private G. Francis of the 3rd Rifle Brigade. I had no research or history to go on. Initial results have been pleasantly surprising, sad and disappointing with equal measure. Turns out that this medal belonged to 8870 Private George Francis and that he was with 3 Rifles during their ill-fated (certainly for 3 Rifles) expedition with the Tochi Field Force. The medal roll confirms his medal and clasp...also that he was "deceased". His service papers were located and they showed that he attested on a 'Short Service' engagement, into the Rifle Brigade, at Winchester, on 25 March 1887. Born Takely, Bishops Stortford in Essex, aged 18 years and seven months. Trade given as Groom. Father given as Samuel Francis. At his attestation medical, he was described as being 5 feet 5 1/4 inches. 134lbs in weight and a chest measurement of 33inches. Fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. Wesleyan by religion. Following training (home), he served in Egypt from 19 October 1887, then South Africa on 2 August 1888 and then finally to India on 21 April 1894 (where he served for 8 years and 140 days up to his death in the Tochi Valley). He was granted 1 GC badge on 3 August 1889 and a further 2 GC badges on 23 February 1893. He extended his service (in order to to complete 12 years) on 31 March 1894. He died at Datta Khel, in the Tochi Valley, on 21 July 1897, after 10 years and 121 days service: The Rifle Brigade Chronicle for 1897 describes, at Pages 123/4, how Private Francis was the first man of the Bn to die in the Tochi Valley Expedition (as Batman to the CO), on 21st July 1897, and describes: "On the 21st (July 1897) occurred the first death in the Battalion, during the expedition (Tochi), Private Francis, the Colonel's batman, dying that evening of dysentry. How little did any of us then anticipate the terrible numbers we were to lose later on in that real Valley of Death, the Tochi, which at the date of writing, the 8th December (1897), stand at 3 officers, and 98 rank and file." I believe that the Private Francis referred to in the Chronicle is 'my Francis' as the only other Pte Francis listed on the medal roll for 3 Rifles at the time is an 'A. Francis'. This Francis does not show in any casualty lists. Also, the date of death fits with his service records and the 1897 Chronicle (at Page 229) lists Rifleman Francis G (8870) having died at Datta Khel on 21st July (1897). Following is a brief resume of the fearsome trials and tribulations that George Francis would have been exposed to during his part of the Tochi expedition: Tochi Field Force was formed in June 1897, with aim to exact retribution on the tribes (around the village of Maizar) who (a month earlier) had ambushed the Political Officer for Tochi, and his army escort. The Force included 6 Indian battalions and 2 British battalions (2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and the 3rd Rifle Brigade). The 3rd Rifles were stationed at Rawalpindi and the assembly point for the force was Datta Khel (some 15 miles to the north east of Maizar). 3 Rifles travelled to Khushulgarh by train arriving on 30 June and, that same day (evening) they began an 8 day march to Bannu (averaged 14 miles per day). With daytime temperatures in excess of 100 degrees F, marching was done at night, when it was a slightly more bearable 98 degrees! Despite many severe heat cases there were no fatalities for 3 Rifles (although the Argyll's lost 3 men). At Bannu they rested for 3 days, then marched west, through the Tochi valley, to Miranshah (approx 3,000 feet above sea level) and then, after a rest, onto Datta Khel where they arrived on 18 July. Of the 801 Riflemen who had begun the 170-mile march, only 726 completed it, the rest having left at various stages of sickness along the route. With all the battalions present at Datta Khel, the Tochi Field Force was complete and ready for operations (39 days after the Maizar ambush). Unfortunately, as we now know, George Francis did not make it to the 27th of July, when his Batallion marched out to join the 1st Brigade in the systematic destruction of all the houses there and around Maizar, as punishment for the ambush of 10th. June. As we said, George had the dubious honour of being recorded as the first in his Battalion to die from dysentry. Dysentery and fever were rife and by August/early September the number of men reporting sick daily was in three figures. and the force HQ decided that the battalion had to return to India to recover its health. It left Bannu on 30th October and there ended the the Rifle Brigade's Tochi expedition. They had marched through the Derejat and Tochi valley in midsummer amid duststorms and plagues of flies without ever seeing the enemy, until by the end, "we had now only a mere handful of sound men with us; the others pale, feeble and worn out, were either hospital patients or too weak to get along without assistance and had to be carried in bullock carts". Not a single man had been lost in action but over 120 died from Fever and Dysentery. So, in conclusion, I was pleased that the medal belonged to a soldier who had a story to tell (and I know that there is more to discover about his service), but sad and disappointed that it ended the way it did. I still consider myself to be a complete novice at research and this is very much outside my knowledge base, so, as always, I would be very grateful for anything that anyone may have to add or wishes to comment on -including the medal itself (and the edge naming). I have to assume that this is his only medal entitlement. However, when I next have time, I will visit Kew and see what more I can find in the Muster records about his service. Sources: Rifle Brigade Chronicle for 1997 (http://www.archive.org/stream/riflebrigadechr02owngoog#page/n130/mode/2up) WO 363 Series, for his Service Papers (Ancestry) WO 100/89, for India Medal Roll The London Gazette, 7 September 1897, Issue 26889, Page 4989 (https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26889/page/4989 As a footnote, I have come across an interesting picture of the CO who Pte Francis served, as his batman, at the time of his death in the Tochi Valley: Lt. Col. Curzon was CO of 3 RB during the Tochi expedition - some brief biographical details follow, including a note about how badly the Tochi experience affected his health in later years: Owen

Thanks Mervyn, an interesting character indeed...someone you just know you would have liked to have known and probably a great dinner guest! Also makes me feel a bit inadequate....I need to buck up on the exploits front! Now, if I could just add his medals to the chamberstick...if anyone has a spare few thousand pounds they don't need! I had actually assumed that the chamberstick was a parting gift i.e. whilst it was made/hallmarked in 1848, it could have been engraved and presented later. Of course, you could be right on it being to mark an anniversary or similar....also, perhaps to mark (finally) the long awaited/overdue issue of the MGSM to recipients (of which he was one) in 1848....not something I had considered until your post! Owen

Thanks Mervyn, nice to be back! Although, given the pace of life here, I fear lots more absences...there are times when I realise weeks have gone by and I have barely seen the light! As for the pictures, it was nice to have had them for a while...but, having them in my 'box of interesting things' was not doing them justice...so, it was the obvious thing to do for me. Pleased I have done it and it was jright to give back to a Corps who gave me my 'life'. Best wishes, Owen

Thank you for sharing these and sorry for a very belated reply - it's all interesting, but the Waterloo Certificate for the Nassau Waterloo medal is something I have never seen before...a real treasure. Kind regards, Owen

Still working in Palestine and apologies for my long absence, but it has just been full on for so long now. Anyway, I though I would re-engage by sharing a post I made on the Napoleonic Wars forum some time ago. Hopefully, it is of interest here too. This was a bit of a random purchase, but one which nevertheless appeals to two of my main interests, the Napoleonic Wars and collecting period silver. Anyway, I thought I would share it with you like it or not! And, this is the reason for buying it: Inscription reads: "PRESENTED TO GENERAL SIR GEORGE BOWLES, K.C.B. BY HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA" So, here we have a large and quite heavy (nearly 16 ounces) mid Victorian silver chamber candlestick (made by the highly regarded silversmiths Charles Thomas Fox and George Fox, in 1848). The connection to this forum period is that it belonged to General Sir George Bowles KCB, who served through the Napoleonic Wars (from the third coalition). So, who was General Sir George Bowles? Well, I have been doing a bit of research into the man and, whilst it remains very much a work in progress, I would like to share what I have discovered so far about this remarkable man. His memoirs of service at Copenhagen (1807), the Peninsula and Waterloo are captured in the book A Guards Officer in the Peninsula and at Waterloo - The Letters of Captain George Bowles, Coldstream Guards 1807-19 (http://www.garethglovercollection.com/CaptainGeorgeBowles.htm). Born in 1787, Sir George was successively an officer in the 1st & 2nd Battalions of the Coldstream Guards, with whom he earned the MGSM (with 6 clasps) and the Waterloo Medal. Later, as a Colonel and then Major General he was appointed (reputedly upon the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington) to be Master of the Royal Household (to Queen Victoria), followed by appointment as Lieutenant of the Tower of London and Colonel of the 1st West India Regiment (by then a full General). Sir George died in his 90th year, one of the last surviving officers of Wellingtons Peninsula army. All in all, not a bad innings! Potted History of George Bowles (one of the last of Wellingtons surviving Officers): 1787 - George Bowles was born 2nd son of William Bowles (once High Sheriff of Wiltshire) of Heale House, Wiltshire. Heale house was sold in 1813 to pay Williams debts as a bankrupt, but was famously where Charles II hid for a week (in disguise), in October 1651, before he left for France. 1804 On 20th December, aged about 17 years, George Bowles, Gentleman, entered the army as an Ensign in the Coldstream Guards. 1805 to 1806 Ensign George Bowles cut his operational teeth in the north of Germany, as part of the British force under Lord Cathcart (Third Coalition). On 30th August 1805, Ensign George Bowles marched with 1st Battalion from Chatham to Deal...then to Dover and then on to Ramsgate, where they embarked on 23rd October 1805 (Ensign Bowles is included in a Return of Officers for 1st Bn on that date). Despite embarking on 23 October, the Battalion did not set sail from Dover until 4th November. They disembarked at Cuxhaven (N. Germany) and then marched to Bremen. However, on this occasion, Bowles did not see action as, on 2nd December, the French were resoundingly victorious at the Battle of Austerlitz (effectively ending the Third Coalition). As a consequence, they returned to England (from Bremen) and the Battalion disembarked at Ramsgate on 23 Feb 06 (from where it marched back to Deal Barracks). 1807 Ensign George Bowles was back on the continent; at the siege, bombardment and capitulation of Copenhagen. On 9th August 1807, Ensign Bowles arrived at Elsinore Roads (having embarked with 1st Battalion at Chatham). Ensign Bowles is included in a Return of Officers for 1st Bn Coldstream at Copenhagen. It seems that an unfavourable wind prevented the transports from reaching Copenhagen itself, so the Battalion were landed, in boats, at the village of Welbeck (mid way between Copenhagen and Elsinore), arriving in the early hours of 16th August. They waited on the beach until the evening and then marched, in 3 columns, for Copenhagen (making a halt that night, until daybreak). 1808 31st December, Ensign Bowles (later Lieutenant and Captain with effect from 01 Feb 1810, by purchase see Army List for 1810 (London Gazette has date as 03 Feb 1810) embarked with 1st Bn for the Peninsula. George remained in the Peninsula until the end of the war in 1814 (except for the Winters of 1810 & 1811, according to Harts Army List of 1870, Page 358) and was present at the passage of the Douro, the battles of Talavera, Salamanca, and Vittoria, the capture of Madrid, the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajos, Burgos, and San Sebastian, the passages of the Nive, Nivelle, and Adour and the investment of Bayonne. Ensign George Bowles was wounded at Talavera whilst carrying the Coldstream Colours. However, he also had a lucky escape when half a loaf of bread, stashed in his pocket, stopped a musket ball from killing him! The six clasps to Georges MGSM: Talavera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca, Vittoria, Nivelle and Nive. 1815 Captain George Bowles served at the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo and then the occupation of Paris. Captain George Bowles attended the Duchess of Richmonds Ball (he was included in the official guest list, but may also have been there in his capacity as an ADC to the Duke of Richmond...as well as being a Regimental Officer at the time) and famously relates, in a later memorandum, the moment when Wellington and the Duke of Richmond discussed how Napoleon had humbugged Wellington... describing the scene at the ball: Wishing him goodnight, (Wellington) whispered to ask him if he had a good map in the house. The Duke of Richmond said he had, and took him into his dressing room, which opened into the supper room. The Duke of Wellington shut the door and said, Napoleon has humbugged me (by God), he has gained twenty-four hours march on me. The Duke of Richmond said, What do you intend doing? The Duke of Wellington replied, I have ordered the army to concentrate at Quatre Bras: but we shall not stop him there, and if so I must fight him here (at the same time passing his thumb-nail over the position of Waterloo.). George claims his account was based on what the Duke of Richmond told him just minutes after his conversation with Wellington. Captain George Bowles was also present, at Quatre Bras on the morning of the 17th June, when Wellington received news of Bluchers withdrawal, from Ligny to Wavre. In one of his often quoted letters, Captain Bowles described the scene and the moment: On the morning of the 17th, my company being nearly in front of the farmhouse at Quatre Bras, soon after daybreak the Duke of Wellington came to me, and being personally known to him he remained in conversation for an hour or more, during which time he repeatedly said he was surprised to have heard nothing of Blucher. At length a staff officer arrived, his horse covered with foam, and whispered to the Duke, who without the least change of countenance gave him some orders and dismissed him. He then turned round to me and said. Old Blucher has had a damned good licking and gone back to Wavre, eighteen miles. As he has gone back we must go too. I suppose England they will say we have been licked. I cant help it, as they are gone back we must go too. At the battle of Waterloo itself, Captain George Bowles was with the 7th Company; the 7th & 8th Companies stayed on the ridge, above Hougoumont, to guard the Colours. Captain Bowles was awarded a Brevet-Majority for Waterloo. 1818 to 1820 Major George Bowles served as Military Secretary to the Duke of Richmond in Canada (Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond). In 1819, the Duke was bitten by a pet fox and died of rabies on 28th August. 1821 to 1825 Lt Colonel George Bowles served as Deputy Adjutant-General in Jamaica. 1838 During the rebellion of Lower Canada, Lt Colonel Bowles went with his Battalion (2nd Coldstream) to Canada. The revolt had been brewing, but broke in open revolt in November 1837. 800 men of the Coldstream Guards were sent as re-enforcements to Canada (together with 2nd Bn Grenadiers). They set sail from Plymouth on 17th April and arrived on 11th May. However, the rebellion was effectively over and the Coldstreams were not involved in action. 1843 30th May, Colonel George Bowles retired on half-pay and took up duties as comptroller of the Vice-Regal household in Dublin. 1845 4th April, Colonel George Bowles was appointed Master of the Queen's household (his appointment was reputedly at the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington). On 9th November 1846, Colonel George Bowles was promoted to Major General . 1851 16th July, Major General George Bowles resigned his appointment in the royal household, on account of ill-health. He was made KCB same year (nominated on 22 Jul 1851 Army List for 1853 refers) and appointed Lieutenant of the Tower of London (Army List for 1853 List of Maj Generals shows him as Lt of the Tower). 1854 On 20th June, Major General Sir George Bowles KCB promoted to Lieutenant General. 1855 On 9th September, Lieutenant General Sir George Bowles, KCB appointed Colonel of the 1st West India Regiment. 1862 On 9th November, Lieutenant General Sir George Bowles KCB (Col of the 1st WI Regt & Lt of Tower) promoted to full General. 1876 On 21st May, Sir George Bowles (unmarried) died at his residence in Berkeley Street, Berkeley Square, London, in his ninetieth year. Sources used: 1. The History of the Bowles Family Compiled and published by Thomas M. Farquhar in 1907 2. Army Lists & Harts Army Lists 1804 to 1876. 3. The Coldstream Guards by Charles Grant. 4. London Gazettes (1804 1876). 5. Origins and Services of the Coldstream Guards Vol II, by Col MacKinnon, London 1833. 6. A Series of Letters of the First Earl of Malmesbury, His Family and Friends, from 1745 to 1820, Volume 2, by The Earl of Malmesbury, London 1870. 7. Gentlemens Sons The Guards in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, by Ian Fletcher and Ron Poulter, Spellmount Ltd, 1992

A few weeks ago, I donated these photographs to the Royal Military Police Museum at Southwick Park in Hampshire. They have Major Broacke's uniform and medals on display, so it seems right. I can thoroughly recommend a visit to the museum http://www.rhqrmp.org/rmp_museum.html Regards, Owen

Thanks again, this is all very helpful indeed. With the help of a German friend, we have written to the Staat Archives in Wolfenbuttel (with a million questions!). I am hopeful that we will learn some more about Johann. It seems clear from my reading so far, that the Brunswickers bore a large brunt of the fighting at Quatre Bras and that the Lieb-Battalion in Bossu Wood took a heavy toll of casualties, particularly from skirmishing fire. I believe that it was in part the Lieb-Battalion that the Duke was trying to rally when he was shot. After the misery of the intense close quarter fighting at QB, Johann was plunged straight into the thick of things at Waterloo. The Lieb-Battalion were posted (together with the Avantgarde and the 1st Light Battalion) at the North West corner of Hougoumont. So, they were under direct fire from the very outset. Although Otto Von Pivka (in his 'Brunswick Troops 1809-15') relates that it was a further 3 hours before the Brunswickers at Hougoumont became seriously involved. Serious it was too...Johan faced the Allies first massive French cavalry attack as the massed might of Millhaud's 24 Squadrons of Cuirassiers and Lefebvre-Desnouette's Light Cavalry Division of the Guard (7 Squadrons of Red Lancers &12 Squadrons of Chasseurs a Cheval de la Garde) ascended the slope straight at the Lieb-Battalion and others (in square)...the sight and sound of this massed cavalry pouring over the allied cannons to the front of the Lieb-Battalion must have been simply terrifying...and then of course the cavalry horses, swords and lances layed into the squares (maybe this is when Johann was killed). The Brunswickers appear to have fought bravely (as well as any vetreran British unit, according to Otto Von Pivka) and the attack was fought off. The Brunswick Hussars and the Uhlans took part in the counter attack...pushing the French out of the Allied lines. The French cavalry re-grouped and attacked again...this developed into a cavalry battle in which the French outnumbered the Allies by 2:1...despite this, the French were again pushed back (after some particularly bloody fighting) and the Brunswick Squares (including the Lieb-Battalion) were instrumental in this - pouring fire into the French Cavalry. The Brunswickers were commended for their bravery in this action. Whatever the truth of how Johann met his end on the battefield that 18th June (whether by cannon, shot, sword, lance or trampled under horse) it is clear that he was in the thick of the fighting for two days, with a long march and a night under the pouring rain in between. Utter misery.

Ah ha...I have just come across the last Waterloo man standing (perhaps)! From the New York Times, 16th July 1905: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F50D13F73C5C1A728DDDAF0994DF405B858CF1D3

I don't know who the last Waterloo survivor to attend the Banquet was, but I think the last surviving Waterloo Officer is thought to have been Lieutenant Colonel William Hewett...nice to think he might have attended. Hewett was born 2nd July 1795 (Hampshire, England) and died 26th October 1891 (aged 96). He fought as a Captain with 3rd Bn, 14th FootHe is buried at Southampton Old Cemetery, Hampshire, England (just down the road from me!). Hewett's Waterloo medal was sold at auction by DNW back in 1992 - link here, which gives a fuller biography of Hewett http://www.dnw.co.uk/medals/auctionarchive/searchcataloguearchive/itemdetail.lasso?itemid=2340 Also, his gravestone is pictured here: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=57144145 Very interesting indeed, I didn't know that....bit overwhelming for the soldier I suspect - far more frightening than facing the enemy in battle!

Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and valuable insight, I am very grateful. Grateful too for anything else you can discover. It really helps breathe some life into Siebrecht's medal. Even in the period/time that these events played out, the Siebrechts must be considered unlucky (and brave). Do you know what type of Unit the 'Ouvriers Kom' were (i.e. what does it mean?...is Kom short for Komissariat?)...my guess would be a sort of Blacksmiths & Other Trades type of Unit? I am not on facebook, so guess I am missing a lot of info there, but I am in touch with one of the Germans working on the book you mention. I will also be writing to Wolfenbuttel Staats Archive to see what they have on Johann (I have a German friend living in Berlin who will hopefully act as my middle man/interpreter!). Following is a copy of a print that came with the medal (not sure what it is from) - unfortunately, the scanner has not done a particularly good job of copying it (took a picture too, but the flash has also affected it...grrr). There are also copies of pages from a book or books (some in what appears to be 'old German' script that came with the medal. They are bound together, so not easy to scan and in German so I can't read them! Have attached a scan of one page that seems to have a notation (there is a margin mark on page 70 and a note on page 71 (again it is the best scan I get from the bound pages....so, not sure if they are readable)...also, not sure if it is relevant to Siebrecht?? Owen

I have included pictures of the medal, which arrived yesterday, in this thread (http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/4166-napoleonic-era-awards-of-all-german-states/page__st__200__gopid__520269#entry520269) Thanks, Owen

I have just added another Brunswick Waterloo to my collection - arrived yesterday! It is named to Johann Siebrecht of the Lieb-Battalion, a Jager who is listed as Killed in Action at Waterloo on 18th June. Johann was from Meinbrexen. He is shown here http://www.denkmalpr...2_1809-1815.htm an extract of which is: (The translation is by google translate) I am at the start of my research journey on this one and have posted a query & a bit more information in the Napoleonic thread (which was a bit daft as I should have done it here). Anyway this is the link:(http://gmic.co.uk/in...military-units/ If anyone can help with any info, it would be great. I will come back with anything I learn...

I have just bought a new Brunswick Waterloo medal, named to Johann Siebrecht of the Brunswick Leib-Battalion. I don't have it in my hands yet...it is inbound from Spink. Johann Siebrech (from Meinbrexen) was killed in action at Waterloo. As soon as iI have the medal, I will post something a bit more specific. In the mean time, I am trying to do some armchair research - a bit of a rush on as I am due to head overseas for another stint shortly. Early research tells me that two other Siebrecht's (also from Meinbrexen) were killed or wounded during the Napoleonic wars in the period 1811-1812 (in Wesphalian service ...perhaps with the French army?). These 2 men are: 1. Ludwig Siebrecht, a 'Schmied' (a metal smith) with the "Ouvriers-Kom"; 2. Wilhelm Bernhard Siebrecht, a Soldat (Private soldier) with the 3rd Battalion, Feld Regiment. I have no idea if the 3 men are related, but it seems likely - i.e. all with the same surname and living in Meinbrexen around the same time. The info on Ludwig & Wilhelm came from http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/Verlustlisten/vl_hzgtm_bs_1811-1812_s-z.htm I just wonder if any of you have come across the Siebrechts and could shed some light on them - obviously my main interest is in Johann Siebrecht, but anything regarding the relationship between the men is of interest. Also, if anyone knows either of the two military units mentioned (Ouvriers-Kom & 3rd Bn, Feld-Regt)...it would be great to hear what you know. At the moment, both are a mystery to me...I wonder if they are French. Many thanks, in anticipation... Owen

Good luck Neil, it would be great to put a name etc to this Bobbies face...

Hello Geoff, Power of the internet! Very interesting indeed - thanks for letting me know. I have sent you a PM asking where/when you are selling it (as guessing it can't be mentioned on here). Also gives you my own e-mail address. Do you have any research material that adds anthing to what I have discovered so far? Regards, Owen

Thanks Mervyn, I agree...and when you do a super zoom on the medal and play with brightness/contrast etc (whilst still massively blurred) the similarities are quite convincing. I do like mysteries! Must be the (old) policeman in me... Also, hope we hear back on who the bobby was...with a collar number and the award, there must be a fighting chance of pinning him down. Owen

Hi, a bit more googling has given up the following: http://www.specialis...php?photo_id=17 Have a look at the link...seems to be a forum where someone might be able to shed some light on your medal. Also..might be worth getting in touch with the Greater Manchester Police Museum, which has archive material for Salford: http://www.gmp.polic...aboutaliens.pdf The medal auction house Dix Noonan Webb describe the Salford Humane Society as follows - it also makes reference to the medal pictured above as being current from circa 1884: "The Humane Society for the Hundred of Salford was founded in 1789 and was revived in 1824 after being dormant for some years. The rather scarce 1st (circular) type was replaced c.1884 by the more common hollow cruciform type." Good luck and let us know how you get on. Owen

Hi, I wonder if it is a 'Humane Society' type of award, which I think he would have been entitled to wear? There is a similar one shown here - sold at Tennants Auctions - which is described as a Salford Humane Society medal (link below): http://www.tennants....ots/143057.aspx Just a thought... Owen

Nick, Thanks for taking this on and for persevering. Everything is much faster. Owen

Hi Mervyn, yes I think it probably is. Maybe there are some tucked away in collections and I think there is one at Apsley House, but I have never seen another 'out there' (and I am constantly on the prowl for things like this!). Owen