American Military use of Gold Sovereigns...

[bigjarofwasps]

"British Sovereigns also have a fascinating military history. For decades, they were recognized worldwide as "emergency money." During World War II, Allied pilots carried British Gold Sovereigns in their survival kits and did American pilots in case they are downed over Iraq."

[bigjarofwasps]

"Often called ‘kings’, the British Gold Sovereign has been considered one of the world’s most popular coins and were often included in the survival kits of American Pilots during the second world war. Soldiers in Iraq have been known to carry them also."

[bigjarofwasps]

"Today British Sovereigns are known and recognized worldwide. They were used as emergency money by World War II Allied pilots. Even in the recent Iraqi War, American pilots carried these historic gold coins in case they were downed over Iraq."

[bigjarofwasps]

"In Desert Storm, American pilots carried them in case they were downed over Iraq.

The front of the coin honors King Edward VII. The reverse shows the mythical "Saint George slaying the dragon" design found on a variety of official British coins."

[bigjarofwasps]

Was chatting with someone on another forum, who had this to say.......

OK, I asked a retired Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) instructor

with about 40 years of experience.

As for gold coins in evasion "barter kits," the last time that the USAF and the

other services used these was in WW II. I have heard stories from old pilots

about how they would try to appropriate these coins from survival kits, such

that some units resorted to encasing the coins in large bars of wax to prevent

tampering.

Notably, the CIA used gold coins in the early 1960s and Francis Gary Powers was

found with gold barter coins after his U-2 was shot down, these were presented

as material evidence at his espionage trial.

The USAF considered the idea of gold barter coins in the very early days of

Vietnam, but the SERE people vetoed the proposition rationalizing that an

isolated person is worth more as a prisoner without valuable property, than as

a prisoner found with valuable property (in which case they would probably

end-up being a robbed corpse). In Vietnam, some Air America (CIA) pilots wore

heavy gold bracelets when they flew, the object was to use these to buy

assistance while evading, but it was a personal preference and not official

policy.

Now the British continued the tradition of gold coins up to Desert Storm, and

on one particular occasion an evading SAS unit obtained some very unwelcome

attention in a village when they used their coins while evading in a country

other than Iraq -- they very quickly ran out of coins.

The short answer is that gold barter coins were last used in WW II (maybe in

the early Cold War), but never used by American crews in Vietnam nor later in

Desert Storm.

Bill Jones (LM #91)

I was particularly interested in his story about the SAS, which I`ve asked for more info on if he has. If so I`ll post it here, for anyone whopse interested.

[leigh kitchen]

Andy McNabb's Bravo State 00 or whatever it's call sign was were issued with them were'nt they?

[bigjarofwasps]

Andy McNabb's Bravo State 00 or whatever it's call sign was were issued with them were'nt they?

Sure did, as it various other call signs & RAF pilots, etc. See Military use of the Gold Sovereign, During the First Gulf War (1991), on this topic for more details if your interested.

Gordon.