Owen

Hi Mervyn, now there's a thought! Shame I am still so 'Janet and John' with IT! The great thing is that the owner of his medals is in Australia - the power of the Internet has brought us together on a common purpose....we are in touch and will hopefully get together for a beer in London at the RWC next year. Yes, settled as much as it's possible to be settled in the Palestinian Territories...tricky times here and all around us. But, looking forward to Christmas...I am here for Christmas and New Year, but hopefully will make the Christmas Eve service in Bethlehem...always good to have a direct line to the Him at this time of year! I will say a few words on behalf of you and the good folk on the forum. Take care and Merry Christmas! Owen

Thanks Chris, yes pleased to have his Chamberstick and to be able to use it. Although shame it wasn't his Queen Vic Chamberstick on the table in the picture! That would really have made my day.... Owen

A fellow collector, who holds the Waterloo and Peninsular war medals for George Bowles, very kindly sent me a copy of a picture he has of General George Bowles, wearing his Order and decorations. It's great (for me) to finally put a face to the name...particularly having trawled every available source I could think of, in vain...just shows, don't give up! Regards, Owen

Hi, found an Edmond Richard Darkin on the 1911 Census (on FMP)...aged 15 and living in Richmond, Surrey. Not sure if he is your man. Different spelling of Edmund.... Owen

Thanks to both of you for taking time to comment, I always hope the medals and info will be of interest and use to others. Owen

Dear All, Recent addition to the collection is a Corunna MGS to a Private (Job Hardman) of the Royal Scots or 1st Foot. In researching him, I came across his name in a newspaper article from the "Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser, June 23 1849" He was part of an annual dinner, held in Preston, to mark the Waterloo anniversary...the article states that for some years the Peninsular war vets had also been included. Notably, in the year of this report, the veterans of the peninsular were wearing, for the first time, their long overdue MGS medals...and some comment was made upon them, the number of clasps, and the pride with which they wore them. I can not explain better than the actual text of the report, so have included some of these below...hope you find the descriptions and names of interest: This is not the full article, which goes on for many paragraphs with speeches and references to the band of the 52nd Foot....if anyone would like the full article, which I have PDF'd then please just pm me. I would like to make reference to one quote on the long awaited issue of the MGSM: "I trust you will cherish and value them. Keep them to your dying day, and, after your death, I trust they will be valued by your children or nearest relatives". How I would like to have been there to witness it.... Job Hardmans papers state that he was wounded in the hand at Walcheren and this was the reason for his discharge. Paints a pretty miserable picture of service...the epic events of Corunna followed by the disease and other dramas of Walcheren...yet, still he paraded proudly (I presume) at Preston in 1849. As a retired soldier and officer, I know well how time and distance dims the 'bad bits' and amplifies all the good bits...comradeship in adversity, adventure and etc... Owen

I have been looking through various contemporary news articles on the Tochi Valley expedition, courtesy of the British Newspaper Archives, and found this article, from the Edinburgh Evening News of March 16th 1898: Always reluctant to consider one article in isolation, but it is fairly explicit in suggesting that the deaths and incapacitation incurred by 3rd Bn Rifle Brigade were avoidable, had lessons of recent precedence and on the spot medical advice been acted upon....

Irish, I should add that I agree - that this could be "the greatest period of "untold stories" for the British Army". My appetite to learn more is well and truly wetted...

Hello both of you, thanks so much for your inputs. Dubious was probably the wrong word/sense...I simply meant for Private Fancis to have been noted/recorded, for posterity, in the chronicles of the Rifle Brigade would normally be a bit of an honour...but to be noted as the first person to die of dysentery in the battalion on the Tochi expedition, was a bit tragic....I.e. A bit of a dubious honour...oh well, the fact I need to explain, means I probably got it wrong! Maybe the muster rolls will tell me more about his time in Egypt and South Africa, although I suspect not much more. Sadly it will have to wait until I am next in UK, which is some time away. Thanks for looking though, it all helps. Kind regards....Owen

Hello Peter, many thanks. His record shows that he was in Egypt between October 87 and August 88....I know that I will need to check the muster rolls for more on this period, but is it likely that he was with the Camel Corps then? Regards, Owen

Apologies, just realised that I should have posted this in the IGS 95 thread...maybe it can be moved? http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/8008-india-general-service-medal-1895/?hl=tochi#entry76609 Owen