Strapper

I have seen a few of these type. The religious figure of Jesus seems to be replaced by girlfriends and mothers in later cards, maybe the horrors of war caused a questioning of religion and replacement with a comfort figure closer to home. Just a thought.

I looked at your awesome stuff for a while, trying to see where the Luger itself is? Where is da Luger? Wooooah....just had a brainwave...what if we did huge complicated drawings of trench warfare in ww1, Then just like "where's Wally" books, we call it "where is the Luger" you have to find the guy with the Luger. Patent office here I come:-)

I think a whole bunch of medals, a couple of gold braids, some scrambled egg on the hat..a pair of Raybans and they would fit in quite comfortably on our continent Melvyn...:-)

Nice pair, if I'm not mistaken the P is for " permenant force" South African for soldiers that are not national servicemen.

To my simple perspective on values, is you don't buy the medal, you buy the events that those medals or medal represent, therefore it stands to reason, that every added piece of information, every battle, wound or promotion will add value. We trade in human exploits and experience which are physically represented by awards and medals. Price of a medal...value is only the value of the metal. Add to it priceless provenance and a human face...these medals are as individual as the person who owned them, the value....well what is touching that piece of history worth to you.

No service record or information, just what is in the pics, you'd think with the uniforms, medals and such, photo's of cape police and even official pics would have been taken, I am also wondering why he didn't serve in WW1. Maybe they were absorbed into the SAP? Kind regards D.

Hey Chris, I know about that book. Everyone in the Eastern Cape is related, it is just a matter of degrees of separation.

That would be awesome Brett...thanks. I wonder what still lies in the bottom of draws round eastern cape...

Just my luck, when I was in the SADF the nearest thing they had to a woman was a freshly shaven national serviceman, with a liking for silk camisoles and fluffy slippers. Mind you...he was rather popular amongst some of the older PF Staff Sergeants. First one in our bungalow to get his own room in army HQ barracks...no idea why?

My ship...cast lead with an aero plane on the front...WW1 ish.

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2013/post-9930-0-33395800-1364030635.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2013/post-9930-0-76858100-1364030665.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2013/post-9930-0-23473800-1364030707.jpgI am Looking for any information, anyone may have regarding this grouping, the family are interested. As far as I can figure out, he was based In District 1, Queenstown, attested in 1896, served in Bechuanaland and boer war...The family say he was sent to the Rand Revolt in 1922 and retired in Uitenhage a Sergeant Ist class. Any idea of his uniform ,Hat or Cap Badge or why there is no WW1 Medals, But he served in the 1922 Strikes? Any ideas,,

When someone in the Eastern Cape arrives on your doorstep clutching and old chocolate box and says "The butcher told me you are interested in medals..." makes me cast aside my fishing rod and get excited. Opening the box it is dominated by large dress sergeant stripes and crowns. But...next to the original box of issue, an Cape of Good Hope GSM with Bechuanaland clasp..uncleaned, with a QSA, Orange Freestate and Cape Coloney Bars...uncleaned and KSA with box of issue and usual to bars. Issued to The CGHM to 1065 Pte GRP Van Onselen C. Pol The QSA to 1065 Pte GRP Van Onselen Cape. P.D. 1. and KSA to L/Cpl GRP Van Onselen C.P. Dist.1. With sergeant and First Class Sergeant Stripe and crown.http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2013/post-9930-0-95177600-1364030173.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2013/post-9930-0-89259200-1364030254.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2013/post-9930-0-89259200-1364030254.jpg

That is a humbling letter....:-((

Hi Mickey, koevoet regularly used red white blue on their flashes. I've seen a lot of your type and they sell for approx R85, or 10 $US. This particular pattern I have seen in pristine condition many times over, so the 200 story...not sure. A lot of fantasy or collectors versions of koevoet flashes exist and are not real issue. Kind regards Strapper.

So, they did not see fit to issue this medal during the lifetime of 95% who would qualified. My uncle died 5 years ago age 93, he was on these Russian convoys, what a pity he will never know how his service was valued. Two minutes in the water is all you have, rather die in the explosion than being left to die from exposure. Wow...they were almost like ww1 pilots with no parachutes, if the boat sank, you died, end of story. Any way, uncle fred never cared much for medals and if he were alive today he would probably say he risked no more than anyone else... A different breed of men.

Yes...the war store is way expensive, but a Sunday trip to uncle Tim's cabin in Benoni may be better, if they Have their antiques fair. Lots of military. Kaplans is more for auctions and not really geared for impromptu visits.

Gotcha.

That's right Chris, I enjoy sometimes that I was on the wrong moral side. That's just the obnoxious bit of me coming out, but the point is what "we" have in common is the fact we all served. In retrospect a privilege, today's youth will not share that bond. I remember we used to say "vasbyt" if things got rough. My grandfather said they used to say" let it roll" different words same emotion. I'm sure the legion had their own "Taal" and anyway... Back in the early 80's in jo'burg, bus rides were free for a boy in uniform and chicks dig a boy in uniform. Happy days.

I agree Peter. I was merely trying to show we had non of the knowledge of hindsight and were asked to make life altering decisions when most kids that age today only have to choose between pizza or chicken for supper. I don't deny them the right to anything but I had no other point of reference growing up that what happened around me was anything but normal. It may sound naive, but yes I was. I liked our maid and was sad when the police took her away, I liked our garden boy and missed him when he was sent back to Malawi. Did I find the road blocks, bombs or police raids normal. Yes. I did. I did not have opinion, it was good fun to sit at the bottom of the sports fields listening to the gunfire in Alexandra township in 1976. I have a load of black people I don't like and a load of white people I don't like...we have thankfully lived through an extreme period of change and still are. But...as my grandfather at the Somme and my other grandad at Dunkirk, my uncle in Cyprus and my dad in Germany, we all for one time another had one thing in common, a binding factor across generations. The army. I loved Rhodesia and enjoyed my time there, I do miss the "colonial" lifestyle. It was awesome. But at age 50, I feel like a Victorian in the swinging 60s. Sentimental about an era that actually wasn't even that good.

Which reminds me of a meeting I had some 15 years after independence with a black captain of industry, who was shot in the neck during the Soweto riots of 1976. In a top management workshop he asked me if there was anything I regretted about serving in the racist, fascist army that suppressed it's own people. The room went quiet and I replied " yes, there is one thing" and never being one to apologies for anything I have done in life, I said" yes, I regret we didn't win, I really do." We lost the business two weeks later. oh well.

I see some very guarded language and defensive or attacking positions on Rhodesia and I do find it sad from an emotional point of view that all those regiments, people and history, with the passing of time fades fast. I can only comment on my thought process an deliberation I went through before serving in the SADF. Firstly I di d not ask to be a white South African, but was. As such and not being of a heroic nature, I considered myself born on the white South African side. I knew black people hated us for what was done to them under apartheid, but as a 17 year old, I was pretty sure I had done nothing wrong to be threatened, and have my family threatened because of our skin colour. I was face with three possibilitys. Leave SA as a refugee, serve 6 years in detention barracks as an objector or serve in the defense force. I have NEVER regretted my decision. If I was born in 1930's Germany I would have fought for them. Politically right or wrong I did not like being told I was a white oppressor of a 40 million strong black race. I was 17 and my interests were Sex and parties. As Rhodesia has faded, with the history and traditions, we too shall fade, but at one time and one place in the history of this world, I made my choice, made my stand and gave everything to preserve the only life I knew. We were 17, you could not kill us or harm us, my decision may be unfashionable now. But am I proud... yes!!

Wow....that is brilliant!

I have a diary from a school boy jacobus petrus Ahrens, it goes from 1914 to1915 December. It is all about his school in potchefstroom, girls, family and such. 28 January 1916 he went to East Africa with 11SAI and died of dysentery on 28 march 1916. Age 18. What is so poignant is the diary holds the hopes and dreams of a young lad who died before he could fulfill any of them. I would love to find his medals. Regards David.

I must say, sometimes I feel like a frog being boiled. They take away, bit after bit of our culture, heritage and pride. Dishonouring our fallen and destroying our Proud military history. Maybe some will think this is deserved, but at the time we served and fought for the side we were born on. No Acknowledgement, no pensions, no medals and now...no places of refuge, no regimental history. The Transvaal Scottish ...I want to continue but F**K it. It is a bit too depressing. Have you seen the size of some of our present defence force personnel.

That would be Fantastic Mervyn Thanks and let me know the cost if you do manage to find a piece. Excellent. Thank you. Kind Regards David