An Instant South African Mini-Collection

[Guest Rick Research]

The Traveling Museum has come and gone again here at Global Epson Centre in a "global warming" interlude and these have been left behind for me as my Aurich Goldfinger lust for ribbon bars is well known, eh?

Trio: South African Campaigns 1834 through 1879 Medal***, Cape of Good Hope campaigns 1880-1897, and Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1901. (How odd is THAT as a threesome? )

MINIATURE quartet: QSA, Natal 1906, BWM, WW1 Victory

MINIATURE quintet: BWM, 1939-45, North Africa with tiny "8"th Army device, Italy, and (this puzzles me) WW2 Africa Service medal but neither the 1939-45 War nor Defense Medals!!!??? Also have another both-World Wars 6 ribbon bar which HAS the Africa Service and a 1939-45 War Medal but it is so large that it doesn't scan neatly with these little pieces.

The very nice WW1 collar badges might have been worn by any of these groups' recipients.

This makes my oldest British Empire/Commonwealth ribbon bar AND first civilian suit (?) lapel "ribbon bars.

MANY THANKS TO THE TRAVELING MUSEUM!

**** PS to Alert Reader for pointing out to me that my 1974 edition of Tapprell Dorling has ribbons #s 74 and 75 reversed for identifications. It is now, I suspect, too late to get my money back! :cheeky:

Edited January 22, 2010 by Rick Research

[Guest Rick Research]

See what I mean?

This thrifty old veteran obviously had his 1939-45 War Medal well before getting the African Service Medal, and squooshed that in as Ribbon #6 onto a sturdy bar made for 5 ribbons.

[Tony]

MINIATURE quintet: BWM, 1939-45, North Africa with tiny "8"th Army device, Italy, and (this puzzles me) WW2 Africa Service medal but neither the 1939-45 War nor Defense Medals!!!??? Also have another both-World Wars 6 ribbon bar which HAS the Africa Service and a 1939-45 War Medal but it is so large that it doesn't scan neatly with these little pieces.

This makes my oldest British Empire/Commonwealth ribbon bar AND first civilian suit (?) lapel "ribbon bars.

MANY THANKS TO THE TRAVELING MUSEUM!

**** PS to Alert Reader for pointing out to me that my 1974 edition of Tapprell Dorling has ribbons #s 74 and 75 reversed for identifications. It is now, I suspect, too late to get my money back!

Rick, do you think the recipient may have left the 'obviously should have had' ribbons off the bar to keep the size down?

Was the single BWM only for troops who policed the Empire e.g. India? Or did those who served in S. Africa only also receive the BWM without Victory medal?

A nice grubby set, I like them in a used condition.

Tony

[Brett Hendey]

The Africa Service Medal ribbon was the first awarded to serving South African soldiers during the war and by the war's end it was commonly seen on uniforms, often together with the ribbon of the Africa Star. I don't know why the ribbon of the War Medal would have been issued later than those of the 39/45 Star and Italy Star, but I suspect it is the ribbon that has been squashed onto the bar.

Single WWI War Medals were issued to South African troops that did not travel overseas and also soldiers that got as far as Britain but did not cross to France.

Brett

[Guest Rick Research]

Ahhh! The U.S. did the same thing, handing out authorized ribbons before the medals were even manufactured.

Would the miniature ribbon bars have been worn on civilian clothes or on some form of military mess dress? Those are completely new to me as a style.

[Brett Hendey]

I cannot recall seeing miniature ribbon bars in the militaria shop I frequent, although miniature medals are not uncommon and are mounted for wear mainly on mess dress.

Interestingly, there seems to be no local demand for full-size ribbon bars and there must be dozens of them stored in boxes and seldom seeing the light of day.

Brett

[Tony]

I've seen miniature ribbon bars worn in Ypres on 11th November by a number of men in civvis but mess dress is probably the norm.

Tony