Nightbreak

Just trying to figure out if that snowflake is merely decorative or has another meaning.

My first truncheon finally arrived from the UK, purchased after seeking advice from Mervyn and others on here: Nice William IV Baluster style, shown with my regular-sized mouse for scale purposes.

Over on another forum, the cry usually goes up three weeks before the actual date of the medal auction: "The catalogue is online!" The first thing one does, if one happens to live in Canada, is check the five-hour time difference between here and the UK, to make sure that most of the British collectors are safely in bed and won't be using up all the website's bandwidth. Then the apprehension starts: What will they have up this time? Will there be anything for me on there? What if there's *too much* for me on there this time? Do I have enough money in the Fund to pick up something shiny? I open the search function on the catalogue and enter my terms. Then I click and wait. The list of items within my interests shows up and I start scrolling down. That's nice; so is that ... then one particular listing catches my eye. I know those medals. I've seen them before. Not just once, but twice, offered for sale from various medal dealers. Every time I've gotten the money together to snag them, they end up being sold, only to reappear a few months later in another shop window. The price, oddly enough, has stayed somewhat constant, allowing for time, inflation, and expenses. There's nothing wrong with the set, or so I think. Those medals which are named are named properly. Those which aren't are authentic. The pictures all appear to be of the same medals, just taken in different environments, showing the whims of the individuals to photograph them in their own way. The dealers are reputable, as is the auction house. I've got a canny bid in on this set and would like to win it. But even if I don't, I have a feeling I'll be seeing them again shortly... But why do they keep coming back? I've seen this happen before, with Rex Cosh's set of 10. They went through two or three auction houses and a dealer before I snagged them. I've seen it with some other sets. One dealer sells to another, who sells the set. Then they appear a year or two later on E-bay, only to wind up across the pond in the UK, for sale again from yet another dealer, now all nicely mounted together rather than loose. What keeps some sets in the purgatory of cycling around and around?

Bayonet Training Medal, I believe. http://www.vcoins.co...?idProduct=2895 What you have may be one of the medals issued through the staff of "Physical and Bayonet Training", who operated competition and sports in France during WWI, and the Army School of P & BT. (I'm going off bits and pieces that Google is revealing to me, using phrases like "Physical and Bayonet Training"... ) That lettering on the bottom part of your medal may provide more information.

Thanks for that, Frank! I've had quite a few in the last few years. They do seem to hop into my hands. Must recognize a friendly home!

I might be interested in a tipstaff. I've been reading about them in Chris McCreery's new book, "Symbols of Canadian Authority".

Just fell across this set at an antique dealer's table in the middle of a shopping mall. He tried to tell me he doesn't know much about medals, but that's never an easy thing to believe! Major Miles Conrad Morton Cameron, Royal Canadian Engineers (Captain on CD, Lieut. for MiD and Belgian awards, all confirmed.) Aside from the usual WWII stars and discs, he's got a UNMOGIP or UNIPOM ribbon (Both missions were in India and Pakistan, just about 15 years apart, and both used the same ribbon.) and the 1977 Jubilee medal, much more tarnished than the others. I think that when his set was mounted, that one didn't get silver-dipped like the others. He was awarded both Belgian orders 'with palms', but there's only the palm on his Croix De Guerre. Might it just have gone missing from his Leopold II, or did the mounter feel it would be too awkward and not include it?

Yes, he had the NATO clasp to it, as he served at CFB Lahr

Some of the CAFLSMs I've had pass through my hands in the last year. Sgt. W.K. Bennett, 10th Royal Regiment Sgt. William Parker Lawton, 26th CEF Major James Neish, Royal Winnipeg Rifles Quartermaster & A. Capt. Henry George Monger 46th CEF

Wilfred Betcher had 34 years of service with the RCEME. 2 bars with his CD

Put my order in.

Related note: I have Stephen Pallas's book "Canadian Recipients of the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officer's Decoration and the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal". And it shows some General Orders from the 1940s. Given that the CAFLSM was replaced in 1930, why issues this late?

Someone wants Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decorations and LS Medals? I've had several come through my hands. And Michael, if you're here, I want to know more about Foord's CAFLS

Thanks, Mervyn. I've been a 'member' for a bit, but I'm more active on the BMF, although I'd be happy to contribute more around here.

Gentlemen: The DNW auction listing at the end states : "Sold with copied research and with case of issue for Efficiency Decoration (Canada)." However, I have no such case. At some point, these items parted ways, perhaps with whomever purchased them from DNW and before they ended up in southern Ontario.

If anything, Rex wouldn't have gotten the EDVII VD, but the CAFOD, even though he enlisted in 1914 with four priors years experience. But that's the odd thing about the Camerons & the Ottawa Highlanders. I've seen two other sets to them that have both the ED and the CD. They're long lasting, these Highlanders.

Actually, no. I bought them this summer of 2011. Let me go through things a bit more thoroughly now with notes and paperwork. The answer has to be in here somewhere. I also note that Digby Cosh was awarded the DSC & was MiD.

Hi, guys. Thought I'd chime in here, as I'm the current possessor of Cosh's set of ten and his miniatures. I have a theory as to how the EDVII ended up in the box, too, although there's no way to verify it. Is it possible that the EDVII belongs to another and the case is merely Cosh's? Cosh has the George V ED in his set here. Miaoulx: If you want to contact me at all, I'm reachable. I picked up Rex Cosh's set of ten from Fraser Medals in Stouffville, ON.

The Royal Order of George I was abolished in 1975. The Order of Canada started in 1967. And: "The Greek military merit medal (4th class), awarded to Greek officers for meritorious service in the army. The medal was instituted in 1917 by the Revolutionary Government of Thessaloniki shortly before Greece entered WWI and was awarded from 1917 until 1974 in 4 classes, depending on the grade of the recipient. On the back side it is written “GREECE 1916-17”." This person would have had to have rendered services to both countries for some years to cover the span of medals, plus be very old to have received them all. So, a Greek Officer who received the Order of Canada ... and was a member of the Order of St. John.. Can't dig one up offhand. I'm here in Ottawa and can ask the Chancellery of Honours to see if they'll give up the name to go with the number, but that's a long shot.