WW1 trio

[Noor]

Hi,

Here is my new bar what I got from post today.

Nothing rare or very fancy but help me to balance my small WW1 collection.

First at all.... is there some service cards available? Who would be the right contact for that?

Victory medal is wrong way mounted on the bar.... is it just mistake or post to be mean something?

Now the text....

1914-15 Star - 1494 A. BMBR:E.J.JEWELL R.F.A. - Like I understand then R.F.A. is Royal Fleet Artillery. But what mean A front of the Bomber??

British War Medal - 1494 A-BMBR. E.J.JEWELL. R.A. (Now, just R.A. is it Royal Artillery or can be indicate as well Royal Fleet Artillery???)

Victory Medal - 1494 A-BMBR.E.J.JEWELL. R.A. (again same question about the R.A. as above. Also what can be the acronym for Victory Medal?)

[Noor]

Also with the group came British Legion badge

[Noor]

And one patch (what is this?) Some kind a vet org. coat of arms?

[Noor]

Text on the 1914-15 Star reverse

[IrishGunner]

Noor;

RFA = Royal Field Artillery

RA = Royal Artillery

The Royal Artillery consisted of the RFA, RGA (Royal Garrison Artillery) and RHA (Royal Horse Artillery)

RFA is the field artillery - the lighter guns in direct support of the infantry

RGA is the heavy artillery - the bigger guns at corps and army level

RHA is light artillery serving with the cavalry

A BMBR = Acting Bombadier; a rank equal to acting corporal in other arms like the infantry

The Ubique badge is the regimantal badge for the Royal Artillery

The other badge you have; British Legion = is a veterans organization

You can download the Medal Index Card from the UK archives for 2 Brit Pounds; this will show you the medals he to which he's entitled. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/medals.asp

[Gunner 1]

Irish Gunner is correct about everything except the equivalency of the rank Bombardier. Currently Bombardier (2 chevrons) is equivalent to a Corporal in the Infantry, but during the Great War the Royal Artillery also had a rank of Corporal (two chevrons) so the rank of Bombardier (one chevron) fell between a Gunner (Private) and a Corporal, essentially equivalent to a Lance Corporal in the Infantry.

A/Bmbr E J Jewell went to France and Flanders on 8 July 1915 and survived the war. The 1914-1915 Star normally shows the component of the RA that the man belonged to (i.e. RFA, RHA or RGA) but the British War Medal and WWI Victory Medal only indicated 'RA' regardless of whether the man was RFA, RHA or RGA.

Regards, Gunner 1

[Graham Stewart]

I suspect the very low number of this man would indicate he was a member of a Territorial Artillery Brigade, as regular artillery numbers were into five figures by the outbreak of the war.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Graham Stewart

[Mervyn Mitton]

Does anyone else think the two 'LL's' in his name seem to be a different style ?

[Tony]

Does anyone else think the two 'LL's' in his name seem to be a different style ?

They do look a little different but I think it could possibly be the angle the photo was taken at.

Tony

[IrishGunner]

Irish Gunner is correct about everything except the equivalency of the rank Bombardier. Currently Bombardier (2 chevrons) is equivalent to a Corporal in the Infantry, but during the Great War the Royal Artillery also had a rank of Corporal (two chevrons) so the rank of Bombardier (one chevron) fell between a Gunner (Private) and a Corporal, essentially equivalent to a Lance Corporal in the Infantry.

Regards, Gunner 1

Absolutely, stand corrected on Bombardiers. And I should have known better since I have WWI medals representing all ranks of the RA!

I answered too quickly and had a few Guinness. :cheers:

Edited December 31, 2009 by IrishGunner

[IrishGunner]

Does anyone else think the two 'LL's' in his name seem to be a different style ?

I wondered more about the colon " : " after BMBR than the L's. I haven't seen that before; but that doesn't mean a darn thing. I would think it odd to fake a common rank/name/regiment; but anything is possible.

[Gunner 1]

Mervyn Mitton wrote:

Does anyone else think the two 'LL's' in his name seem to be a different style ?

and Irish Gunner wrote:

I wondered more about the colon " : " after BMBR than the L's.

.

Actually, the colon after the rank, the irregular letters and the square stops are all characteristic of the Type I naming on 1914-1915 Stars that is found on stars issued between April and June 1920 (see photo below). For more information, see my article "Naming and Suspension Rings on British 1914-1915 Stars - A Preliminary Analysis" in the Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America, May-June 2003, p. 23-28.

Regards, Gunner 1

Edited December 31, 2009 by Gunner 1

[Tony]

Mervyn Mitton wrote: and Irish Gunner wrote: .

Actually, the colon after the rank, the irregular letters and the square stops are all characteristic of the Type I naming on 1914-1915 Stars that is found on stars issued between April and June 1920 (see photo below). For more information, see my article "Naming and Suspension Rings on British 1914-1915 Stars - A Preliminary Analysis" in the Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America, May-June 2003, p. 23-28.

Regards, Gunner 1

I found that strange too so grabbed a Star to check as I thought the stops were always round. The Star I grabbed (to the ASC) also had square stops, that's something I've never noticed before.

Tony

[Noor]

Thank you guys for all this excellent information! I learned something new and looks like even old British collectors did the same!

Yeah, those acronyms are pretty hard for me because my pretty poor english but I will learn each day!

Thanks again! I will try to find out more about Mr. Jewell and dig the lost history back next to this set.

Still, how common is to see Victory medals wrong way on the bars? Should I turn it back or leave it like it is?

[Tony]

Thank you guys for all this excellent information! I learned something new and looks like even old British collectors did the same!

Yeah, those acronyms are pretty hard for me because my pretty poor english but I will learn each day!

Thanks again! I will try to find out more about Mr. Jewell and dig the lost history back next to this set.

Still, how common is to see Victory medals wrong way on the bars? Should I turn it back or leave it like it is?

I'd leave it if that's how it's always been.

Tony

[Brian Wolfe]

I'd leave it if that's how it's always been.

Tony

Hello Noor,

I agree with Tony. I have several examples of medals in groups being mounted up backwards. I have one that is a single that was mounted on a hanger that can only be worn with the reverse out. I think it is important to leave the medals in the state they are found, especially considering the mounting, as each group is an artifact onto itself and reflects the manner in which the recipient wore the medals.

Just my two cents worth.

Great post by the way, everyone, very informative.

Regards

Brian

[coldstream]

I agree an excellent and informative thread. Just one observation is that the patch or perhaps blazer badge in post 3 bears the later Queen Elizabeth crown and not the earlier crown worn during the Great War. Perhaps a later acquisition worn proudly by the recipient.

Simon

[Michael Johnson]

His MIC shows his first theatre of war as France, from 8/7/15, which should narrow the search a bit. If he was a Territorial he didn't serve after 1917, as he doesn't have a new number (which would have told us his unit).