fallschirmjager

Dear All Just received my latest buys on Epay today. Looking for comments. In my opinion they are good but welcome extra comments. I think the QSA may have been renamed at some point but (unknown to me at time of bidding), it is a 'ghost' QSA. Which makes it even more exciting for me and I think is a valid modification as there are not a lot of these around! Good even patina, unmessed with clasps and rivets, good rim (slighlty offset on QSA) etc. (Thanks to QSAMIKE for guidance!) KSA: Over to you QSAMIKE and others of course! For those of you who are not sure of the significance of these medals: Info on 84th Batt RFA My Great, Great Uncle fought at this action and was also wounded (as Hopkins was) but not to the same extent as this medal recipient! Cheers Mike

Mike You may be aware of this - Times Online The search seems to work quite well but then when you go into the articles they hit you with the cost reading the detail! If you are going to use it a lot then an annual pass makes sense but if not you could get away with a daily pass! I think the Guardian and other newspapers have them also! Mike

Took a punt on this on Epay... £30. It was advertised as: "LATE VICTORIAN SILVER BROOCH IN PRETTY GOOD CONDITION. IS GOLD WASHED TO CERTAIN PARTS OF THE FRONT. HAS BOBBLES ROUND THE HEARTS - 8 OF WHICH APPEAR TO BE A BIT SQUASHED. HAS A MAKER'S MARK AND OTHER HALLMARKS ON THE REVERSE WHICH ARE VERY RUBBED. I CANNOT MAKE OUT THE MAKER BUT I HAVE JUST MAKE OUT THE OTHER MARKS TO READ "Birmingham 1901". THE BROOCH HAS BEEN STRENGTHENED ON THE REVERSE WITH A SMALL PIECE OF SILVER WHICH IS VERY NEATLY DONE. PIN FITTING IN WORKING ORDER. MEASURES 45 X 21MM. " I would also add that there is a heart and a cross & anchor through the cross. There seems to have been a concentration camp here: My link Other than this all I could find on this town was that Lord Roberts took the town in May: Roberts Takes Kroonstad So the question I have, is does anyone know what theis brooch would have been for? Is it Boer (made in Birmingham - unlikely?), is it naval (anchor), is it a sweetheart broach (why Kroonstad). All ideas welcome and apologies for the pictures they are from my mobile!

Hi Jock! I'm the 'mike' that Stuart was referring too. I was very close to bidding on it but since i spent a pretty penny on some badges before it decided not to jump in! I'm no expert on these but what leaps out is the rubber cotton band. There is no way this is 100 years old, even WW2 rubber bands fall to bits and they are only 60 years old! But it may not be a big issue, are there signs of it being replaced from a string band or similar so the neck and helmet cover could be ok. Hogspear is a good guy I agree and seems totally honest. But beware, neither him or anyone can know about all the military items he sells, so he could easily be fooled into selling a repro item as genuine! p.s. anyone know where hogspear gets his amazing stuff from? p.p.s. I am getting a tad jealous now of your helmet.... It all looks good other than the rubber, maybe you should consider having it restored back? Cheers Mike

This may be of interest: http://www.german-helmets.com/LEATHER%20BALMS.htm http://warrelics.eu/forum/restoration-refurbishing/german-liner-restoring-leather-part-cleaning-3369/ http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222154

Alex / Peter Excellent work, wish i had the time to use PS more than I do, I know there is so much photo enhancing/repairing brilliance functionality within it! Mike

Stuart - you should go to the doctors about that, that Green screen sounds nasty..... looks more like a background replacement program than a full photo editing package but could be useful tool to have for those that want to swap around backgrounds! Never used it, anyone use it? Mike

Many thanks! I was watching 2 items on Ebay for this unit but i got completely blown out of the water on bidding I'm guessing people knew how rare they were and they were silver! Cheers Mike

Alex Excellent stuff! Thanks for the button, its less annoying now! Maybe I should email you the original so you can do a high def image for me? Post a pic of the 'before' pic please so I can compare BUT it looks fantastic the breastplate looks really weel done!! Mike

Alex Here is a challenge for you! Can you fix his right breast pocket so the button is fastened, I could do it with clone stamp etc but i think you know what you are doing better than I do..... That button has always annoyed me!!! Mike

Alex Yes lovely job! How long did that take you? Chris - here is a good link: My link

I found a good brief one on the net, will try and remember to post it tonight! It really was a simple yet brilliant tutorial, thats assuming you know some of the PS basics!

I found a good brief one on the net, will try and remember to post it tonight! It really was a simple yet brilliant tutorial, thats assuming you know some of the PS basics!

So you can imagine the full effect if you spent some time on it and selected the colours carefully as well as ensuring there was no overlap etc! I love photoshop!!! Cheers Mike

Just played around with photoshop to add some colour! this took me 10 minutes and some of the colours are a bit garish but you get the idea! Before: After:

Three pictures from the book 'Southern Cross Scots':

Reproduction boer war scottish horse slouch cap:

Australian Squadron of the SH (You would not mess with these blokes!!!): Cowans Scouts and SH and 5th IY: Another SH Badge looks very similar to the Type 1 above: W. English VC. I think this is just post Boer War after receiving his VC so may have had uniform upgrade:

I've started a thread on the Scottish Horse Headgera and Badges - to keep this thread clear! http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=44522

Scottish Horse - Headgear and Badges during the Second Anglo Boer War Period Dear Boer War Unit and Badges Buffs! I've started this thread after a few requests from others and since some of the information is being described elsewhere I thought it wise to condense into one thread. So feel free to add to this as you feel fit! The link below details some of the discussions already. I am putting together a Website on the SH during the Boer War so the info below will help greatly in this activity! http://gmic.co.uk/in...opic=43680&st=0 Opening discussion statement: The Slouch Hat: The SH wore slouch hats during the Boer War, bonnets did not come in till after the Boer War. NCO's and officers had the purgaree on the slouch hat and Troopers had a brown leather band. All ranks wore the black grouse cock feathers black with white trim and centre. I believe there were several different manufactured hats i.e. not just one supplier. There are pictures of hats being worn with no feathers and no badges. The Badge & Flash: There were several (three), designs of badge worn. Some say the 'ScH' Badge was also worn as a cap badge but I believe it was a large shoulder title. The SH during the boer war did not wear a wreath underneath the 'X', this was a post war design. The Murray of Atholl tartan was worn behind the badge either a square or a oval. The Yellow and Red flash behind the badge was either a very late boer war modification (unlikely) or more likely a post war indicator of the different regiments (1st and 2'd). I would welcome anyone who can provide dimentions of the badges in question and any further pictures! Some Pictures: SH Slouch Cap - No feathers, No wreath Badge, oval flash: SH Slouch Cap - No feathers, No wreath Badge, square flash: The Black Grouse notice his tail feathers (now a protected species in UK!): Badge Type 1: Badge Type 2: Badge Type 3: Badge Type 4 (Which I belive to be shoulder badge): Badge Type 5 Which I beleive to be a post Boer War Shoulder Badge: Trooper Scottish Horse with short lance: Trooper H. Middleton 2'd Scottish Horse - Feather on slouch cap: Will try and get some more pictures added over the next few days!

Stuart Interesting stuff - do you know if there were any Scottish Units in that brigade as that may help identify things? Now the 2'd Buffs fought at Bakenlaagte - I'm getting excited about this now.... Mike

No other takers on identifying these units in the pics? Leigh what about you? I gave you the para pic as a teaser, I have loads more, come on now you must be tempted to comment..... LOL

Mike Wow, I want one of these, I'll send you my address so you can send it along with your Scottish horseQSA.... Mike

Mike Where did you get the repro and is it tin or some resin stuff? Mike

Mike Been looking for an original 4 some time now! They are nice looking items but seem to be gold dust, presumably as most got used!! Mike