Rescued and restored!

[kingsman64]

Dear Forum

Just thought I would share a recent acquisition a lovely group that came up at a local auction house split into three lots!

(1) Q.S.A. 4 clasps SA.01, Transvaal, Orange Free State and Cape Colony
(2) 14-15 Trio
(3) T.E.M. Badges and postcards

A polite phone call was made to the auction house only to be told:

"sorry Sir our duty is to maximise the sale potential for our client we reserve the right to split lots at our discretion, after all some people just collect Victorian medals and some collect just WW1 medals"

I couldn't let it happen so after a battle for the QSA another for the Trio then complete lack of interest in the TEM

The group was mine!

It had been neglected for many years so a gentle clean (no polishing as the silver awards are almost black) Ribbons had to be replaced as three were missing and the others were only threadbare fragments. So I replaced them with suitable vintage silk and mounted them up myself.

Both postcards are annotated to the rear to my Darling Wife and babies love from Dadda DJP

While I know there are many members of the forum who would have done the same to keep such a nice group together, these are completely off my collecting theme. (8th Foot, Kings Regiment and Northamptonshire Regiment).

Then having arrived home and failed to look solvent She who must be obeyed asked something she has never asked in 23 years "Okay is this on theme? Or completely off theme with an excuse for buying it"? Woops, but even she agreed it would have been a sin to see them split up, so with that knowing, "this will cost you" look she left me alone to research the group.

The medals are named as follows

QSA 26374 Pte D J Parkes 6th COY Imperial Yeomanry (This was the Staffordshire company).
Trio 197 Gunner D J Parkes RFA
TEM 197 W-CPL D J Parkes 3/N.MID B RFA

David Jesse Parkes was born July 1878 in Rowley Regis Staffordshire the son of John and Mary An Parkes, he was 22 when he enlisted in the imperial yeomanry, the medal roll confirms the clasps and is also annotated:

"Discharged January 02 no longer fit for service".

The 1911 Census finds David now married to Elizabeth Parkes and living withh their 5 Children at 8 Poplar Avenue West Bromwich. His occupation is given as factory carpenter.

The imperial service badge shown indicates David was a pre-war Territorial who committed to overseas service he eventually arrived in France on the 5/3/1915.

Sadly he passed away aged just 58 in 1937 his death recorded in Somerset.

Ancestry and a family member provided one last bonus meet David Jesse Parkes 6th Imperial Yeomary and 3rd North Midlands RFA.

[paul wood]

What a lovely group, well done for keeping them together and a shame on the cretins in the auction house.

Paul

[Rogi]

wtf is wrong with these auction guys, keep it together, omg.

Great save btw glad to see it found a nice home

[Jock Auld]

Good on you mate!

I hope you were not too much over what you thought!

Nice to have the support from the 'long haired 0A'!

Jock:)

[Brian Wolfe]

Congratulations and very well done. The group needed to be saved and luckily you were there.

I'm happy to hear that your wife realized that it needed to be done.

Regards

Brian

[Brett Hendey]

Well done! You have kept this man's memorial intact and, hopefully, it will now stay that way.

Regards

Brett

[brian conyngham]

Congrats for a job well done!

Brian

[Alex K]

Hi Just spotted this post, Well done for spending the time and effort to "Restore" such items. Many people frown on restorations, this shows that it can be with great care and resolve. Does it matter that the ribbons are replaced? no imho, these may well have been worn and the "Original" ribbons replaced several times previously, an attractive set

Alex K

[kingsman64]

Hi Just spotted this post, Well done for spending the time and effort to "Restore" such items. Many people frown on restorations, this shows that it can be with great care and resolve. Does it matter that the ribbons are replaced? no imho, these may well have been worn and the "Original" ribbons replaced several times previously, an attractive set

Alex K

Cheers Alex

My restoration was very gentle!

The silver medals had a very gentle soap and water wash to remove dust and debris but not polished at all and patted dry. The Victory Medal had some very bad staining so was dipped as was the Star. Three ribbons were missing and two in tatters all except the TFEM had original period cotton/silk ribbons fitted and a contemporary brass slotted 1920's bar used for mounting.

I am really happy with the result