Llamafarmer Posted 6 August , 2009 Share Posted 6 August , 2009 Whats the difference between the two colours of British War Medal. One is bronze and one is a silver colour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Wilson Posted 6 August , 2009 Share Posted 6 August , 2009 Some 6,500,000 British War Medals were issued in silver. About 110,000 were issued in bronze mainly to Chinese, Indian, Maltese labour battalions - see Medal Year Book 2009 item 168 - page 170. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACRAE Posted 6 August , 2009 Share Posted 6 August , 2009 If my memory banks serve me correct the silver was issued to British, Canada, south Africa , Australian troops the natives was given the bronze . I hope I am correct I am sure some one will soon put me right if I am wrong Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llamafarmer Posted 6 August , 2009 Author Share Posted 6 August , 2009 thanks thats just what i needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphjd Posted 6 August , 2009 Share Posted 6 August , 2009 Thanks for showing the bronze medal, never seen one before, just a thought, perhaps if "ours" had been issued in anything other than silver many more would have survived the melting pot. Ralph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 6 August , 2009 Share Posted 6 August , 2009 Do be careful though - reproduction bronze BWMs have started to appear due to scarcity; most of the duff ones I've come across were to the Maltese Labour Corps but that will not necessarily remain the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bingo794 Posted 6 August , 2009 Share Posted 6 August , 2009 Thanks for showing the bronze medal, never seen one before, just a thought, perhaps if "ours" had been issued in anything other than silver many more would have survived the melting pot. Ralph. I have a couple of these bronze types, given me by my Dad a long time ago, when he was getting me started off. Yes, I wonder how many of my broken trio's, (I have seven missing BWM's) would have their BWM in the middle if they had done them in bronze. Good point Ralph. DW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted 7 August , 2009 Share Posted 7 August , 2009 the natives was given the bronze . If they were in labour corps as non-combatants. The Indian Army regiments received silver medals, plus the Victory Medal, and either Star if qualified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 7 August , 2009 Share Posted 7 August , 2009 The Indian Army regiments landed in France in October 1914. The first Indian (as defined at the time) 'native' earned his Victoria Cross on 31st October 1914. He is pictured wearing a silver BWM: http://www.wewerethere.defencedynamics.mod...ww1/k_khan.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted 8 August , 2009 Share Posted 8 August , 2009 Could it be that he was promoted to an officer before the end of the war and officers recieved the silver medal? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west coast Posted 8 August , 2009 Share Posted 8 August , 2009 alan, didn`t they get the medal to their rank held, at the time of entitlement ??. mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 8 August , 2009 Share Posted 8 August , 2009 About 110,000 were issued in bronze mainly to Chinese, Indian, Maltese labour battalions - see Medal Year Book 2009 item 168 - page 170. 251,000 were produced in bronze, see Gordon's British Battles & Medals (Spink, London, 2006) 7th edition p 505. "All silver British War Medals for india were struck in Calcutta." Same page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 8 August , 2009 Share Posted 8 August , 2009 Could it be that he was promoted to an officer before the end of the war and, officers recieved the silver medal? More likely because he was a member of the Indian Army! See Michael Jackson's post. The Mercantile Marine War Medal was also issued in bronze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard2250 Posted 8 August , 2009 Share Posted 8 August , 2009 These were for my great uncle, a Lance Corporal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard2250 Posted 8 August , 2009 Share Posted 8 August , 2009 And these were for Pop (a private) (medals and button, the SWB was my great uncle's as well)....both Royal Newfoundland Regiment shawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 9 August , 2009 Share Posted 9 August , 2009 Nice medals wizard, but you have the British War and Victory Medals suspended from the wrong ribbons. See this helpful site: http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/themedals.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard2250 Posted 9 August , 2009 Share Posted 9 August , 2009 but you have the British War and Victory Medals suspended from the wrong ribbons. Thank You. I was informed of this on another post and was also told the ribbons were fragile. They are in my aunt's closet in a cookie tin....they'll stay that way until I can get someone knowledgeable enough to change them. Some things are better left to experts. I wouldn't want to be the one to destroy a piece of history! By the way, does this mean both sets are wrong? This is the way they were mounted in the 20's when pop and his brother received them. (I guess the ribbons were separate from the medals when sent and they mistakenly mounted them in reverse?) thanks, shawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted 9 August , 2009 Share Posted 9 August , 2009 Ah yes I understand Michaels post now, thanks. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted 9 August , 2009 Share Posted 9 August , 2009 More likely because he was a member of the Indian Army! See Michael Jackson's post. I am not dead yet Michael Johnson if you please. All combatant members of the Indian Army received silver medals - it was not based on race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 11 August , 2009 Share Posted 11 August , 2009 Sorry for the slip and promoting you to full General before your time! UK Who's Who: JACKSON, Gen. Sir Michael David, (Sir Mike) GCB 2005 (KCB 1998; CB 1996); CBE 1992 (MBE 1979); DSO 1999 I agree with you that silver BW medals were issued to all combatant members of the Indian Army. An interesting thing that I've noted is that the usual issue figures I've seen quoted for the BWM are those for those issued by Woolwich, and do not include those issued from Calcutta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 11 August , 2009 Share Posted 11 August , 2009 By the way, does this mean both sets are wrong? This is the way they were mounted in the 20's when pop and his brother received them. (I guess the ribbons were separate from the medals when sent and they mistakenly mounted them in reverse?) Yes both sets/ groups of medals are wrong. The ribbons and the medals were separate when sent so theses are not the first to be the wrong way round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 Thank You. I was informed of this on another post and was also told the ribbons were fragile. They are in my aunt's closet in a cookie tin....they'll stay that way until I can get someone knowledgeable enough to change them. Some things are better left to experts. I wouldn't want to be the one to destroy a piece of history! They're more robust than you'd think, have no fear, unless they've been exposed to a lot of sunlight (which does not appear to be the case here) - you won't 'destroy' them. In fact, the Victory Medal ribbon is too wide for the British War Medal suspender. The only action which may be needed when removing the BWM ribbon from the Victory Medal would be gentle light ironing with a cool iron (set to silk if possible) on the reverse side, i.e. the one which faces inwards to allow the ribbon to sit properly flat in the BWM suspender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard2250 Posted 12 August , 2009 Share Posted 12 August , 2009 The only action which may be needed when removing the BWM ribbon from the Victory Medal would be gentle light ironing with a cool iron (set to silk if possible) on the reverse side, i.e. the one which faces inwards to allow the ribbon to sit properly flat in the BWM suspender. Thabk You for this information. Is there a certain length to show for the ribbons or are they merely pinned when folded in half? shawn p.s. Sorry to Llamafarmer for straying from the original topic but if I don't ask now I will forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted 13 August , 2009 Share Posted 13 August , 2009 The ribbons are often found on the wrong medals, as it was easier to get the wider Victory ribbon through the bar suspender on the BWM, and easier to get the narrower BWM ribbon through the ring on the Victory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 28 February , 2012 Share Posted 28 February , 2012 Was the War Medal in bronze always issued together with the Victory Medal? khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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