bigjarofwasps Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 "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." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted September 23, 2006 Author Share Posted September 23, 2006 "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." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted September 23, 2006 Author Share Posted September 23, 2006 "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." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted September 23, 2006 Author Share Posted September 23, 2006 "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." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 Was chatting with someone on another forum, who had this to say.......OK, I asked a retired Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) instructorwith about 40 years of experience. As for gold coins in evasion "barter kits," the last time that the USAF and theother services used these was in WW II. I have heard stories from old pilotsabout how they would try to appropriate these coins from survival kits, suchthat some units resorted to encasing the coins in large bars of wax to preventtampering.Notably, the CIA used gold coins in the early 1960s and Francis Gary Powers wasfound with gold barter coins after his U-2 was shot down, these were presentedas material evidence at his espionage trial. The USAF considered the idea of gold barter coins in the very early days ofVietnam, but the SERE people vetoed the proposition rationalizing that anisolated person is worth more as a prisoner without valuable property, than asa prisoner found with valuable property (in which case they would probablyend-up being a robbed corpse). In Vietnam, some Air America (CIA) pilots woreheavy gold bracelets when they flew, the object was to use these to buyassistance while evading, but it was a personal preference and not officialpolicy. Now the British continued the tradition of gold coins up to Desert Storm, andon one particular occasion an evading SAS unit obtained some very unwelcomeattention in a village when they used their coins while evading in a countryother than Iraq -- they very quickly ran out of coins.The short answer is that gold barter coins were last used in WW II (maybe inthe early Cold War), but never used by American crews in Vietnam nor later inDesert 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leigh kitchen Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Andy McNabb's Bravo State 00 or whatever it's call sign was were issued with them were'nt they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted February 26, 2007 Author Share Posted February 26, 2007 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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