Temperance Medals

[Thomas Symmonds]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am not sure whether this is the correct forum to post this, I had a very quick glance through and thought this the best one - I ask direction if it is inappropriate.

But, never the less I am excited about this new buy. I think I am about to tangent off in a new direction - again! I came across this little beauty, and I mean beauty because I really think this is a handsome medal, and the detail exquisite.

I know nothing more other than what you see in front of you.

"Presented to a Mr Charles Wood by the Committe (sic) of St. James' Branch C.E.T.S. Collyhurst - April 1880".

I would be very interested to know if one of the members actively collects Temperance medals.

best regards

Thomas

[Mervyn Mitton]

Thomas - an interesting medal - I presume the initials stand for Church of England Temp. Soc.. - I wonder where Collyhurst is ? The Victorians never fail to amaze me , the way they gave out silver awards - seemingly 'at the drop of a hat'. I posted - some time ago - a pair of military Temp. medals - but, I don't think many people collect them. At that time they were a drunken lot and Gin wasn't known as 'Mothers' Ruin' without cause.

[Brian Wolfe]

I have always been interested in these but only have one in my collection. It too is hallmarked and silver.

It is hard to imagine that the military could be so "lost" to drink to actually need such medals to award temperance.

Such a different world compaired with today where it is hard to find an off duty military man or police officer in his cups.

I understand that there were many sports clubs started within the military of the times to give soldiers more to do with their off hours than drink.

Cheers

Brian

[Thomas Symmonds]

I have two direct family members who have battled drinking problems. One had already passed away before my birth, but her addiction is very much present in my mom's general outlook to life. My father-in-law struggled for nearly 30 years, and one recent Christmas just turned cold-turkey. To me that kind of tremendous mind-over-matter control "deserves a medal".

I can only imagine the terrible conditions that these soldiers were asked to endure. Pulled away from loved ones, travelling over rough seas for long periods, to go spend months / years of putting their life on the line, fighting against people with whom they had no real personal gripe - and then they get asked to give up the one thing that probably makes the whole experience tollerable! "Deserves a medal" takes on a whole new perspective.

Brian your quote of, "It is hard to imagine that the military could be so "lost" to drink to actually need such medals to award temperance.", is perhaps indicative that while we can all easily imagine the bloody battlefields, and the need to reward participation and valour through medals, the unbearable, nervous waiting between contacts is not mentioned. And maybe your second quote of, "I understand that there were many sports clubs started within the military of the times to give soldiers more to do with their off hours than drink." is more valid than we might initially perceive.

Mervyn, on your last post Temperance medals, Leigh posted a picture of the Northumberland Fusiliers in India with a number of the men wearing (displaying) their Temperance medals with justified pride.

I think I am off to see if I can find some more of these "stories-behind-the-lines" medals...

Thank you for your posts so far.

Regards

Thomas

[Mervyn Mitton]

I always think that these 'odd' items are a direct insight and link to the past - which is what makes our hobby so interesting.

Brian - I was trying to read the top of your medal - does it say Royal ? Any ideas on it's origins ?

[peter monahan]

Brian your quote of, "It is hard to imagine that the military could be so "lost" to drink to actually need such medals to award temperance.", is perhaps indicative that while we can all easily imagine the bloody battlefields, and the need to reward participation and valour through medals, the unbearable, nervous waiting between contacts is not mentioned. And maybe your second quote of, "I understand that there were many sports clubs started within the military of the times to give soldiers more to do with their off hours than drink." is more valid than we might initially perceive.

Along with the sports movement were the reading rooms introduced, especially in places like India, to provide 'improving' pastimes. Partly the result of Victorian social mores, which justified much imperialism and capitalism by coupling it with social reforms: universal literacy/schooling movements; temperance movements; prison reform , the Salvation Army and so on. However, one has only to look at the defaulters and court martial records, never mind the stats on alcohol consumption, in the first half of the 19th C to see the sheer scale of the problem and extrapolate on the costs to military efficiency.

One regiment stationed in the Canadas in 1810-1815 had over 300 courts martial of private soldiers in that period, over 75% of which were linked to alcohol: drunk on parade, drunken assault, theft to pay for alcohol, etc etc. Before the provision of permanent barracks, many soldiers were billeted in taverns and even when they had proper billets, alcohol was the cheapest and often the only 'entertainment' available to illiterate, single men posted in the many corners of the empire. Alcohol played a huge part in social life at all levels of society. Reading journals and biographies of the period 1775 - 1840, one could easily form the impression that most of the upper classes began drinking before noon and carried it on till they went to bed! Many of them may not have been sober for years, at least not by our standards.

So, the temperance, which often seems a bit comical to modern viewers, had a serious and important purpose and attempted to address a major social problem of the time. Yes, going cold turkey and sticking to it in the face of social pressure, aspersions on one's manhood and constant temptation probably did deserve a medal!

Last note: I have regretted for years not picking up a "Total Abstinence" medal I saw in a Toronto shop: on the same pale blue ribbon as the medals above, hallmarked silver, diamond shaped and featuring a Sphinx on the front [awarded to one of the units who wear that badge], named on the reverse to a sergeant. A lovely piece! In fact, I believe that members of the temperance movement were referred to as 'blue ribboners' in popular parlance. As someone said, a fascinating glimpse of another facet of life in a pervious age.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Peter - there is an interesting comparison with the first Metropolitan Police. They marched out in 1829 and in 1830 had a strength of approx. 3300 officers and men. Between 1830 and 1838 - 5000 men were sacked and a further 6000 made to resign. Again, it was drunkeness that was mainly responsible for these figures of nearly four times the original force number.

Your comment about regretting not buying the medal, is unfortunately something we all learn the 'hard' way. When I was actively collecting I reached the conclusion that money makes itself again - even if it takes time -- but, one-off pieces, are just that and may never be seen again. Twice in the 16 years with the shop, we have had customers come to blows over items each wanted, so buy when you can...

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Mervyn,

Yes the word at the top of the medal is "Royal". I have no idea of the origins of this medal other than what is was awarded for. There is a great temptation to start collecting these but I need to keep my focus to the areas I have decided to concentrate on otherwise I'll be broke.

Hello Thomas,

I agree with you completely. I do hope you didn't think I was making light of any addictions. I know all too well how serious this can be, however, making light of it does help at times. I don't want to get this but opinions to drunkeness have changes so much even in my lifetime. The comedian whose act is based on being drunk is no longer accepted by society, thank goodness. My comment was simply poking fun (in a good natured way) at men and women who have served, it was not meant as a slight. Not that you are sayng it was, I am just making it clear that there was no ill will in the post.

Regarding battlefields, I doubt anyone can really imagine to the fullest the horrors of being on such fields. I recall the reaction to the movie "Saving Private Ryan" regarding the landings on D-Day. Men who were there said they had never seen a movie that was so close to the real thing. Note the wording "close" as this movie was still not accurate in presenting what it was like. True horror.

Hello Peter,

It must have been a monumental change in attitude brought on be the seriousness of the situation in the military at the time. The creation of so many programs to actually improve the quality of life for the soldiers took some "out of the box" thinking for the times. The idea of military life of the time with nothing but drinking as a break in the monotony must have been devastating to the moral of the men, both to those who did and did not turn to alcohol.

Regards to all,

Brian

[Thomas Symmonds]

Hello All.

Peter and Mervyn those figures are just staggering!

"So, the temperance, which often seems a bit comical to modern viewers, had a serious and important purpose and attempted to address a major social problem of the time. Yes, going cold turkey and sticking to it in the face of social pressure, aspersions on one's manhood and constant temptation probably did deserve a medal!" - Absolutely spot on Peter.

Brian, I had no problems with your post at all, in fact maybe I am to blame for not making it clear that no offence was taken initially. Maybe I should use more of these things.

In the off chance that this gets called "off topic" ( ) - does anyone have stats (or best guess) on substance abuse in the military? I say substance abuse, because I suppose "recreational" drugs might play a greater role, and be more prevelant, than alcohol these days. I am not trying to dig up any dirt here, I am merely trying to ascertain if we are now alot smarter to the psycological pressures of soldiering / policing, and are thus better prepared through implemented policies and "R&R" structures, to pehaps avoid the need for temperance medals. I am assuming that they are no longer presented (?)

regards

Thomas

[peter monahan]

Thomas

I have only a slight acquaintance with the current crop of Canadian soldiers - half a dozen acquaintances serving - but I do live very near our largest base, Canadian forces Base Borden, and read the news locally and nationally. To start, I would say that the 'military culture' still tolerates if not promoting heavy drinking. Young men living together in sometimes high stress situations and a very 'male' ethos make alcohol use a given. In fact, a recent new story says that the police in Barrie, the city nearest to base Borden, will have their evening patrols reinforced by Military Police from the Base when the bars let out on weekends. Speaks for itself, no? And I certainly remenber the furor a decade ago when Canadians with the UN Kosovo force were discovered drinking and partying with nurses at a hospital there. My response was "well'duh! Did you think they spent off duty time studying for MENSA?"

I suspect that the unofficial policy towards at least 'soft' drugs, as for gays in the US military, is 'Don't ask, don't tell.' It would be miraculous if the demographic represented by soldiers, especially in the combat arms - heavily male, 18-30 - did not mirror the behaviour of their 'civvy' peers. In other words, soft drug - marijuans, hashish, some pills - use is certainly going on and may be common. Not sure what the military penalties are and whether their more effective as deterents than civilian criminal law, but I doubt it: the effectiveness of any deterent is dependent on the potential offender thinking ahead to possible consequences, always problematic with young males! I know that one unit going out to Afghanistan last year had their luggage searched and a half dozen privates were found to have illicit drugs. I believe they were held out of the rotation but don't recall seeing any other reference to their long term fate.

And finally, the Toronto Star, one of our larger newspapers, has very recently published a series of stories on Cdn soldiers who - almost certainly suffering PTSD, have been arrested and in some cases jailed for dugs, alcohol and violence, often domestic violence. The stories point out both the apparent reluctance of the military authorities to deal with or even acknowledge the problem and the kinds or pressures which have led to such self-destructive behaviours. Another 'dirty little secret' from a proud, and deservedly proud, group of men.

[peter monahan]

A quick scan of Cdn news sources provides the following info. - two articles on drug use in the CF. BTW, during the enquiry into the deaths of 4 Cdn soldiers killed by 'friendly fire' from a US warplane, that the American pilots were flying 8-12 hours each way to get on station over Afghanistan and were therefore, apparently with the knowledge of their commanders and medics, on a steady diet of amphtamines - 'uppers'- and sleeping pills. Both sad and scary!

September 11, 2007

?

OTTAWA ? Some 250 soldiers who tested positive for drug tests, were not allowed to serve in Afghanistan, the Canadian Forces confirmed Tuesday.

According to documents obtained by CBC News, the military has tested almost 7,000 soldiers since mandatory drug testing of personnel headed to Afghanistan began in 2006.

The results were for the period September 2006 to last May, which show that most of the soldiers who failed tested positive for marijuana. The report also said some military personnel were found to have traces of harder drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and amphetamines in their systems.

?When you want to send our soldiers there, you don?t want to send kids who are addicted or who have a drug problem. They have to be clean,? said Liberal Defence critic Denis Corderre.

The Canadian Press , May 2008

Random tests conducted on more than 3,000 military personnel from coast to coast found more than five per cent of Canadian soldiers and sailors in non-combat roles tested positive for illicit drug use.

The results provided to the Canadian Press show that over a four-month period, 1,392 sailors in the navy's Atlantic and Pacific fleets and 1,673 soldiers in the army's four regions and training branch were subjected to blind drug testing.

Averaged out, 6.5 per cent of those tested in the navy and five per cent in the army indicated positive results, almost entirely for marijuana.

Lt.-Col. Lisa Noonan, spokeswoman for the chief of military personnel, said from Ottawa that the use of illicit drugs in the general Canadian population is about 12 or 14 per cent.

"So we are less than half of the prevalence rate of the Canadian population," she said.

The results have prompted broader testing across the entire Canadian military ? roughly 65,000 regular members and 24,000 reservists.

"Any kind of drug usage, of course, is not condoned in the Canadian Forces," said Noonan.

"We have a number of programs and policies in place to deter this drug usage and to continue to ensure that we get it down as close to zero per cent as possible."

Testing staff caught soldiers off guard

The blind drug tests, which began in mid-December last year, were done without prior notice.

She denied the tests had anything to do with a series of high-profile cocaine and marijuana charges laid following a military sting operation that netted a half dozen non-commissioned members aboard a coastal patrol ship based at CFB Esquimalt on Vancouver Island in early 2006.

Noonan said the tests will be stepped up to eventually look at drug prevalence rates on every single base and air force wing.

The information will give the military a better overall indication of drug use, she said.

"Then we can adjust our programs and policies accordingly," she said, adding that the Canadian Forces' policy of zero-tolerance won't change.

Soldiers testing positive are treated, not fired

Forces' officials explained a positive drug use result does not necessarily mean the end of a military career because the Canadian Forces invests too much time, effort and money into training and maintaining its personnel.

Results from a safety-sensitive drug test cannot be used in court.

But there is an "administrative follow up" consisting of a medical assessment for drug usage, a determination of whether a treatment program is required, and whether the person will be removed from his or her position.

If that person does carry through with the action required, they may be able to resume their position as before.

The Forces also operates a separate mandatory testing program in so-called "high-risk, safety sensitive" military occupations, which includes all personnel deployed to Afghanistan. That program has been in place for two years.

In documentation supplied to the Canadian Press, the military said initial testing of combat-bound personnel in the spring of 2007 "saw 4.3 per cent of soldiers test positive, whereas more recent testing [winter 2008] found only 1.8 per cent of soldiers test positive."

Noonan attributed the drop largely to the drug testing.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Thomas - you ask for info. of crime statistics for uniformed forces - sorry, I haven't got a clue ! Probably would require a Parliamentary question in the House of Commons to find out. However, from my own experience, I can say that even in the police there are wrongdoers.

When I was at Hendon Police College in 1967, they operated a thirteen week training course - you started at class 13 - worked up to Class 1 , had a parade and were then posted to your Division. I think I was in about class 10 and we were having our morning break in the canteen, when in marched the Ch. Supt. accompanied by two RAF police officers. They went straight to the table for class 2 and arrested one of the men. Turned out he was a deserter from the air force - and in under 10 days would have been on the streets. During my time there, one of the classes just ahead of us had a trainee who was always dirty and unkept. Used to go to the toilet many times each day - which aroused suspicion and senior officer' followed him. Turned out he was injecting heroin. The question you have to ask is - what makes them try to join the police ? This is why the British Police maintain the two years probationary period - in my original class of 28 - only 6 of us were still serving at the end ....

[Thomas Symmonds]

Hello all - time to revive this old topic. I have been inactive on GMIC for awhile, although I have been following various threads, but it is good to be back typing again. I have been chasing after a few temperance medals, (and Mr Harris' book), and have found a few - I shall post two tonight - (and I managed to get not one, but two new editions, of "A Guide to Military Temperance Medals" by Mr David Harris - sorry Mervyn I kept the signed copy.) The different types of Temperance medals is amazing, not only in their design - I got so used to the disk-shaped medals, that these intricate and detailed items were quite captivating - but in their distribution according to which Association was represented. The variety, and subtle differences between associations, makes the number of medals and accompaning bars etc quite large. Soldiers and sailors are where my (our) interest lies so the National Temperance League (NTL), Soldiers' Total Abstinence Association (STAA), Army Temperence Association (ATA), Royal Army Temperance Association (RATA) and the Royal Naval Temperance Society (RNTS) - and their associated regimental, sport and shooting medals, as well as various campaign bars - was the obvious place to start - deep breath - I just dived in and this is what I have come up with ... The numbering in brackets is from David Harris' book as mentioned above. My first medal is the Army Temperance Association: India (ATAI.2) 1 year medal. Named the "Gregson Medal". This after the Rev John Gregson (Baptist missionary) who founded the STAA. The STAA medal differs in the wording around the outer rims, obverse and reverse, and the date 1862 as opposed to the ATAI 1887. The second medal is the Royal Army Temperance Association 6 year - India only. At "Home" the RATA.5 was adorned with a "Watch and be Sober" bar which denoted the sixth year. "Lion" hallmark The ATA India medal differs by not having the scrolled Royal above the lion. regards Thomas

Edited September 24, 2009 by Thomas Symmonds

[Mervyn Mitton]

Thomas - sorry, I missed this post and it is interesting. We all tend to concentrate on the official and valuable medals - sometimes this is a mistake. Temperance medals are a comment on the conditions of a period in our - fairly recent - history, and to my mind are an important collecting field in their own right. I'm surprised that so few have been added from other members - they're not that rare.

[Don Dickson]

Hello, I found the information on these medals very interesting. I have been reading of an event in that occured to a Leinster Soldier whilst serving in India in 1894.

Pte Patrick O'Hara, 24 years old and serving with the 1/Leinsters in Ahmedabad was executed following a Courts Martial for killing fellow soldiers whilst drunk. Just before his sentance was carried out he was give an opportunity to make a statement in which he blamed his drunkeness and sought forgiveness. His statement was subsequently published as a pamphlet by one of the temperance societies, (do not know which because no "ownership" was printed on the pamphlet) and given the information in the above posts, I now have more information and possible search routes. If any one knows of any other examples of such pamphlets that would be useful.

[Thomas Symmonds]

Hello Gentlemen, and welcome Don - I hope you get a response to your request. you will be amazed at what knowledge is stored away in some of the member's grey matter ..

Another medal to my little collection. The Army Temperance Association: India 4 year medal (ATAI.4 in Mr Harris's book).

The crown, the ATA and the roman IV are gilded. The ATA is on a raised dome, hence the difficulty with focus when scanning.

An interesting note in "the book" is that on the RATA.4 (Royal Army Temperance Association 4 year medal) can only be distinguished from the ATAI.4 in medals hallmarked after 1905. These medals carry additional marks "GK&S" and "JAR". Mine has only a single lion -

regards

Thomas

[Don Dickson]

Hello Thomas and thank you for the welcome. It seems that Temperance Medals are part of the social culture of an era that believed in demonstrating the qualities of the wearer. I also have come across School Medals issued to pupils around the same period for achieving certain personal standards. The Victorians and Edwardians were keen on the social demonstration of virtues. Anything that comes up I will be greatful for.

By the way, looking at your recent medal post and considering the fact that your temperance medal was scanned, the quality is reasonable for showing the features, however did you ever consider using a digital camera?

Amongst my talents (?!) I am a bit of an amateur photographer and a digital camera will capture the detail in a medal that a scanner cannot. Being new to the forum this reply may be offtopic, but to demonstrate the quality I have just taken a photo of a 1915 Star, but I have not attached it because it is not a temperance medal. If anyone would like me to upload it just to demo the quality that is readily achieveable I will be happy to do so.

Don

Edited October 27, 2009 by Don Dickson

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hi - Don. Welcome to GMIC. Good to see some one else with an interest in these Temperance Medals - TT started a good thread with them. I agree with you on using a good camera, rather then a scanner - however, you will see in past posts on the Lounge, that scanners have a BIG following - I suppose it's really a matter of which you prefer.My posts are always by camera - Canon 1000 - and then Photo Impressions and Irfanview - I like that I can trim and edit the photos.

[Jordan Myerscough]

i have the same medal but mine has gk&s aswell as a lion hallmark a shield hallmark followed by a capital p hallmark

[Mervyn Mitton]

Jordan - welcome to GMIC. The shield could well be for Chester - although others also used a shield.