France Building the perfect medal bar....

[Chris Boonzaier]

Ahhh...

2 more points I need to do...

1) I also qualify for the medaille commemorative with bar "Ex-Yugo" which I should apply for

2) During operation Baumier I managed to loose my award document for my Outre Mer with moyenne orient bar and my temoinage de satisfaction for the gulf. I must see if it is possible to get these done as duplicates.

[Riley1965]

I agree with VETERAN about wearing a M?daille Coloniale instead of the Current Overseas medal. I am glad that you are pursueing the awards that are rightfully yours!!! I've had to do the same for a couple of mine. It's a shame that we have to jump through hoops to get what is due to us!!!

Doc

[Veteran]

Hello Chris

The Paris Mint (Administration des Monnaies et M?dailles; you will find them on the 'net) offer the silver issue of the M?d. O-M. It is regulation and the finish is always the best.

You are right about the Combattant volontaire part in my message. I was intitled because I signed up "for the duration" and not a traditional contract. That would have made the difference. I am sorry I brought up a false issue.

Aubagne should be able to deliver duplicates of papers lost in operations. After all, such an instance is a "risque du m?tier" is it not ? I lost my whole "paquetage" during the battle in and around the Moulin de Jebsheim early 1945 and received a full replacement when I came back from military hospital.

I am quite impressed with the number of awards you have received or you have a right to claim. Your medal bar will be 6 or 7 long by the time you complete your home-work. You are a case of "Join the Legion and see the World" ! The lot should look very good indeed. (It took me 43 years war and Reserves services to get that many ! PM attached)

Riley 1964

I can understand your remarks about getting one's due when it comes to gongs. Important awards are usually delt with by the hierarchy whose job it is to see that special services or outstanding behaviour is rewarded. Others have to be claimed. Some come with the rations. I would think all men in the Services know about this.

Things are different for awards which are created after a man's contract is over. Veterans have to keep posted if they really want to be keep up with their rights. Veteran organisations are very good for that.

Am I right to think that we are a number here to have served wearing the grenade with seven flames ?

Cheers

Veteran

Edited January 13, 2008 by Veteran

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

I have found an old OM on the French forum that looks as good as the Colonial.

To be quite honest, I would not have had big problems using the Colo. The Colo and OM are the same award, just different times. You can buy from some suppliers uniface Colo/OM medals for framing, and on the French forum there is a privately made one without "Medaille Colonial" or "Medaille d'outre Mer" but with the recipients name.

Anyway, now I have a line on the silver OM so its academic really.

Doc,

You are right, but it is the difficulty of trying to follow up on guys who are spread all over the world and who may not even be interested in recuperating awards.

Vet,

Indeed, if my money multiplied like modern medals I would be a rich man. The big multiplier are the other nation things (UN, Kuwait and Saudi) and redundancies. To get the CC you need at least to qualify for the TRN. Sooooo.... if you hace the CC then maybe the TRN should not be on the bar. To get the CCV you need to qualify for the CC (And the TRN) so.... if you have the CCV on the bar maybe the CC and TRN should not be?

It seems a bit like wearing the gold, silver and bronze Defense national all at once....

To be quite honest, it makes me blush when I see how much it is and when I think that a Poilu at Verdun would have experienced way, way, way more in just a few days at Verdun.

All the best

Chris

[Ulsterman]

Really good Chris, I am impressed.

Any chance we can see what they'll look like all together when you do remount them?

Will you name any of them for posterity...or perhaps just the mounting bar itself?

Edited January 13, 2008 by Ulsterman

[Veteran]

Chris

Don't be embarrassed about the amount of "fruit salad" your contract brought you. It is a fiting representation of your services as a soldier in your time and environment. You earned it, period.

I fully concurr with your analysis of the cascade of awards which sometimes occurs. To be frank, I have always worn both the Croix du combattant and the Croix du combattant volontaire as a compliment to those who had the Croix du combattant but not the other one because they had been draugnted or called up as reservists. On the other hand, although I am intitled to the Temoignage de reconnaissance de la Nation, I have not had it encluded on my medal bar and I have not made up my mind about it yet. Not wearing in might be snobish toward those for whom it is the best award they have.

Still wondering about that.

Sent a PM yesterday after-noon.

Cheers

Veteran

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi Vet,

I sent you an email yesterday, did it come through?

I dont think there is anything wrong with the TRN as such. I think some of the guys are getting a bad deal by only getting it. I found a forum online that is just about OPEX and CC... some of the guys are very frustrated because they dont qualify and I see their point.

Seen that way, the TRN in a number of cases represents as much as the cc does.

Back to "The Surge".....

I think all armies nowdays are spreading the medals around. Even the British are giving medals out instead of just bars (Although they still remain the most conservative).

I begin to feel like a russian general ;-)

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Chris and Veteran.

I am in receipt of the Card du Combattant for some years which also substantiates the Croix du Combattant.. Obtained as Veteran described and also by me in an earlier post reply.

Upon the strong recommendation received from a former officer of the unit I belonged to during two tours of duty in Indochina ( 2. Groupement Amphibie / 1. Regt. Etranger de Cacallerie) I have recently submitted a letter to the Bureau des Anciens de la Legion Etrangere requesting a clarification of any medals I am entitled to after my discharge in 1957.

During my active service in the field I have witnessed the occasional "massive" descent of decorations but also on at least one occasion the mandate from "higher ups" that no requests for decorations be submiitted . This instance involved a very unfortunate affair the telling of which has no place in this thread.

BTW: it seems the three of us represent three generations or so of fellows having served in a number of conflicts of which I was marginally involved in the two lost ( Indochina and North Africa ) but have no regrets.

Chris, best of luck in your endeavor. Veteran, I always read your posts with great interest.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Veteran]

Hello Bernhart

Nice to hear from you. It is great fun that we all enjoy medal collecting (or what is it else you collect ?).

Let's keep posted.

Cheers

Veteran

[Chris Boonzaier]

OK.... I intend to revive the idea of "jeweler made" pieces or as the Germans call them "Spangenst?cken" for these two clunkers...

For these two.....

1) the absolute best solution would be to get these both done in Sterling silver, top to bottom. Silver is cheap (relatively, and I assume it could be done with molds made from the originals.

The Kuwait one could use a better bar than the one one it so the join to the madaillon would have to be neater than this and a proper bar that goes all the way across instead of just the 2 pins that go above the ribbon.

If that proves to be too expensive...

2) A THICK silver plating for both. The ring on the Saudi changed to a little bar as seen on the drawing. If possible the Bar on the Kuwait one a little improved and put on a bit neater.

[Chris Boonzaier]

back....

[Chris Boonzaier]

For those who dont know them, the Saudi medals were effeciently stamped out by some firm who probably makes key rings. I dislike the chrome finish (I suppose it is supposed to be "Silver") so I want it in the silver color it is supposed to be.

The back has one of those patters you see on key rings etc. I dont suppose these was a specific order for that, so I will go with flat.

As they were stamped the back edges of the rays are sharp as hell... I am going with old school smooth and have rounded them off on the back as they did in the old days.

I am sure a purist or two will frown and we will hear from them, but I think I am more in line with what the original designer had in mind before the European key ring stamper got the contract....

[Chris Boonzaier]

hh

[Ulsterman]

In case you don't want to go through all that work-FJP had a gold and silver Saudi medal (spangenstuck) on offer that had been made by a Texas jeweler. It is/was superb-a thing of beauty.

By the way, this thread would make a nice article in a magazine of some sort-hint-hint-

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here is a thought placed in my little head after seeing Veterans group....

How to get them mounted? The French style is 3 in a row, row under row.

But I am no longer in France. As a South African/Canadian we have the British tradition of all on one bar.

Would it be out of line to get them court mounted?

[Veteran]

Hi Chris

Pleased to read you have received my P.M. The british style of mounting is OK I believe for any one who is not in the French regular forces. But I would suspect a full court-mounting might appear to be a little bit thick, if it does not include British awards. It intails a lot of ribbon material.

On the other hand, if you simply want to display your set of awards, they can be arranged very neetly in a row in a glass-frame, don't you think ?

Your idea of having an "improved" Gulf medal sounds very attractive.

Cheers

Veteran

[Chris Boonzaier]

OK... the devil makes work for idle hands...

I have realised... scratching through my boxes, that I have everything twice.

I shall do 2 bars. One swing mounted on a regular bar (Brit/colonial) style. and one in old French style mounted mounted with the "Ball bars"...

Watch this space.... ;-)

[Veteran]

Hi Chris

Nice project. Keep us posted with the results and tell us how you feel about both mounting techinques

Best regards

Veteran

[Chris Boonzaier]

OK, we have a winner....

In the pic below we see...

1) My original early 90s issue Overseas medal.

2) An early 90s regt tailor bought one

3) The original "Colonial" one (the colonial medal became the overseas medal) which I liked much better

4) Arrived today... an early sterling silver overseas medal that Vet posted about. I managed to find one....

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here from the back (The order reversed...1) Early silver 2) Colonial 3) Regt tailor 4) award piece)

[Chris Boonzaier]

The silver piece ready for mounting...

[Chris Boonzaier]

Out of interest, 2 colonial versions, a stone aged patina one with Maroc bar and the small indochina era one.

The silver ones (Dark one here and 2 in above post have the mane of the die cutter Georges Lemaire on them

[Guest Rick Research]

There is such an ENDLESS variety here... private purchase, etc etc

how can anyone detect a quote-unquote FAKE French... medal of anything????

[Chris Boonzaier]

There is such an ENDLESS variety here... private purchase, etc etc

how can anyone detect a quote-unquote FAKE French... medal of anything????

Hi,

it has more to do with the fact that the medals were made over a longer period of time... and no LDO to control ;-)

I think all the overseas and colonials above are official, just different times and makers. I think also the mint in Paris produced discs that were finished by other companies (i.e. the rings etc.) or so I understand from the French forum.

All the best

Chris

[Paul R]

You should use the Colonial medal for your bar!! I like the "been there" look on it. I am glad to see you get your awards together. You have every right to be proud of what you have earned. I can hardly wait to see the finished product!