Ribbon Bar with two BWM ?

[christerd]

Hi, I just returned from a military market and one of the things a picked up was aribbon bar with the following awards

British War medal - 1914-15 Star - British War medal - Victory Medal

I will post pics later but my firsy question is : Was it possible to get two BWMs ? I suppose the normal order was Star-BWM-Victory but could he have been part of the

operations in Russia 1919-20 and got another BWM later and attached it first on his WW 1 bar ??

The ribbons look and smell nice , old silk ribbons but I have never seen this combo before , anyone got any clues ?

Pics will follow !

Christer

Edited March 28, 2010 by christerd

[Kev in Deva]

As far as I am aware two awards of the B.W.M. are NOT possible.

Kevin in Deva. :cheers:

[Brian Wolfe]

From what I have read over the years this would not be possible. The BWM 1914-1919 was intended to cover the actions taken in Russia from 1919 - 1920.

Having said that I have been watching a similar discussion on another forum as to what can and can not happen when it comes to medal awards. It would require producing the recipient's military records and his medal allotment for such a thing to be accepted in the collecting community.

Perhaps the serviceman did indeed serve in the Russian "action and felt he should have received the second BWM for his efforts and added the ribbon to the bar. It would not be the first time a serviceman felt he was deserving of another medal and simply added it to his medal group and/or his ribbon bar.

An interesting piece if it is contemporary.

Regards

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

He may have been attached to another unit for a while and appeared on their roll for awards - as well as his own unit. This was quite common for the QSA in the Boer War - where they moved around a lot. He certainly isn't entitled to two ribbons and it is totally mis-placed on the bar.

[Brian Wolfe]

He may have been attached to another unit for a while and appeared on their roll for awards - as well as his own unit. This was quite common for the QSA in the Boer War - where they moved around a lot. He certainly isn't entitled to two ribbons and it is totally mis-placed on the bar.

Hi Mervyn,

If this were a medal group with two BWM's we know of at least one collector who would jump at the chance of adding it to his collection, as crazy as that may be.

When you mentioned the QSA where you meaning the clasps or the whole medal could have been duplicated?

Regards

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hi - Brian - the medal was often duplicated for having served in different units. Sometimes with different bars - but that wasn't common - just that two units had submitted applications.

[Kev in Deva]

From what I have read over the years this would not be possible. The BWM 1914-1919 was intended to cover the actions taken in Russia from 1919 - 1920.

Having said that I have been watching a similar discussion on another forum as to what can and can not happen when it comes to medal awards. It would require producing the recipient's military records and his medal allotment for such a thing to be accepted in the collecting community.

Perhaps the serviceman did indeed serve in the Russian "action and felt he should have received the second BWM for his efforts and added the ribbon to the bar. It would not be the first time a serviceman felt he was deserving of another medal and simply added it to his medal group and/or his ribbon bar.

An interesting piece if it is contemporary.

Regards

Brian

Hallo Brian,

Another point being that a BWM would not be the first award ribbon officially

on a WW1 period medal bar, it would be the Mons Star ribbon or the 1914/18 Star

followed by the BWM ribbon and then the UK Victory Medal.

Also the stiching / sowing pattern to the rear of the bar seems to be off

when you look at the rear of the ribbons.

Kevin in Deva. :cheers: