stevencarpenter Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Hi, i recently found a silver Victory medal in a field in Norfolk, England. I was wondering if the owner could be traced? The rim reads - J.7915 6 R.D.COE.BOY 1.R.N Any help would be most appreciated, thanks, Steve. (there is a possible question mark about the letter R after number as it has been dented at this point) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Hi, i recently found a silver Victory medal in a field in Norfolk, England. I was wondering if the owner could be traced? The rim reads - J.7915 6 R.D.COE.BOY 1.R.N Any help would be most appreciated, thanks, Steve. (there is a possible question mark about the letter R after number as it has been dented at this point) Could it be an N as in Naval Division? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetchief Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 From Ancestry.com Richard G Coe , J.79156 Boy.1. Victory and British war medal. Issued aboard HMS Dunedin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Dunedin_%28D93%29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevencarpenter Posted 19 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 January , 2011 I have no idea looks like it is the first initial of his name? and is an R. What does BOY 1 mean? I really want to find this man? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevencarpenter Posted 19 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 January , 2011 From Ancestry.com Richard G Coe , J.79156 Boy.1. Victory and British war medal. Issued aboard HMS Dunedin. That is very close thankyou, but the scond letter is definately a D? It stands for Boy 1st Class. TR Hi, what does this mean, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimSmithson Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 There you are Darknight, within an hour of you joining us you have an answer. Welcome to the power of the GWF! Become interested and you may never leave again. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 "Boy 1st Class - A boy aged 16 to 18 under training who had served for between 9 months and 18 months rated as Boy 2nd Class, shown sufficient proficiency in seamanship and accumulated at least one Good Conduct Badge (the requirements varied between training ships). His rate of pay was increased on being promoted." TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevencarpenter Posted 19 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 January , 2011 There you are Darknight, within an hour of you joining us you have an answer. Welcome to the power of the GWF! Become interested and you may never leave again. Jim Thankyou, it is a fast forum indeed, thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimSmithson Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Don't worry too much about the D. The number identifies him precisely and means he had a rank of Boy Seaman 1st Class, a boy aged 16 to 18 under training. He will have previously served for between 9 months and 18 months rated as Boy 2nd Class. There are more knowledgeable Pals than me on naval topics who will add to this I am sure. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Richard George Coe - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7100702&queryType=1&resultcount=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevencarpenter Posted 19 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Richard George Coe - http://www.nationala...1&resultcount=1 Excellent, thankyou for all your help on a very good forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetchief Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 That is very close thank you, but the second letter is definitely a D? That's close enough for government work. That's you man, or should I say boy. Now you have to go find the second missing medal. Mind you he was young enough to have served in WWII also, so there may be more medals out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Owl Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Hi, i recently found a silver Victory medal in a field in Norfolk, England. I was wondering if the owner could be traced? The rim reads - J.7915 6 R.D.COE.BOY 1.R.N Any help would be most appreciated, thanks, Steve. (there is a possible question mark about the letter R after number as it has been dented at this point) Hi Darknight, If your medal is 'silver' then it is infact the British War Medal and not the Victory Medal, which is made from brass and then gilded. Just thought that you may be interested. Can you post a picture--just to confirm this? Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetchief Posted 19 January , 2011 Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Something like this. http://en.wikipedia....itish_War_Medal This one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevencarpenter Posted 19 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 January , 2011 You are correct it is not a Victory medal but the other, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevencarpenter Posted 19 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Hi Darknight, If your medal is 'silver' then it is infact the British War Medal and not the Victory Medal, which is made from brass and then gilded. Just thought that you may be interested. Can you post a picture--just to confirm this? Robert Having trouble working out how to post pic on here as cant link to photobucket, which is what i normaly do, as pic to big and has to be resized. You are correct though it is not a Victory medal, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 19 January , 2011 Admin Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Now you have to go find the second missing medal. Mind you he was young enough to have served in WWII also, so there may be more medals out there. There is a death recorded in the second quarter of 1938 Richard George Coe age 36 yrs Blofield Norfolk (12miles from Martham) so maybe didn't make it to 1939 (there was a marriage in 1936 in Billericay which is a bit more problematic) Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevencarpenter Posted 19 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 January , 2011 Thankyou so much for all your help, must go know, but i will return. Good forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 20 January , 2011 Share Posted 20 January , 2011 ...the Victory Medal, which is made from brass and then gilded... Small correction, the VM is gilt bronze, not gilt brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottmarchand Posted 20 January , 2011 Share Posted 20 January , 2011 Victory medal is actually not gilt either, merely laquered which tones gold with age over the base medal which is a bronze alloy called tombac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Owl Posted 20 January , 2011 Share Posted 20 January , 2011 Small correction, the VM is gilt bronze, not gilt brass. Are you a metallurgist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Owl Posted 20 January , 2011 Share Posted 20 January , 2011 Victory medal is actually not gilt either, merely laquered which tones gold with age over the base medal which is a bronze alloy called tombac. Hi Scott, You have raised an interesting question here and in actual fact Tombac is a 'brass' rather than a 'bronze' alloy. The definition of Brass is: "an alloy of copper and zinc", whereas Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin--two totally different animals!! Brass is a cheaper alloy than bronze and thus Tombac is a Brass rather than a Bronze. The definition of Tombac is: "Any one of several alloys of copper and zinc, used in making inexpensive jewellery" As you will be aware the more zinc included in the alloy the lighter the colour of the alloy and of course this makes it cheaper. Tombac is used in the making of cheap jewellery because the it can be made to look very similar in colour to gold. In the case of a WW1 Victory Medal the name 'bronze' is a total misnomer used as a generic term rather than a definitive description. The same may apply to the term 'gilt' in this instance, but I have little knowledge of laquers so I shall bow to your greater experience in this field. Interesting stuff and something I was involved with for circa 30 years. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 20 January , 2011 Share Posted 20 January , 2011 Whilst not doubting what you say, Robert, the IWM does say that it`s bronze! Description The medal is laquered bronze and bears on the obverse the classical figure of Athene Nike, the goddess of Victory. http://www.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1232 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 20 January , 2011 Admin Share Posted 20 January , 2011 Whilst not doubting what you say, Robert, the IWM does say that it`s bronze! Likewise I won't doubt your expertise (and acknowledging we're swerving off-thread, but I'm finding this fascinating) but that well known racehorse owner H.M.King approved the design 'in bronze' surely they wouldn't use some inferior alloy, after he approved it? (There is, incidentally, some correspondence in The Times where the deputy Master of the Mint answers criticism of poor quality reproduction, but no mention of the material.) Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph0ebus Posted 20 January , 2011 Share Posted 20 January , 2011 Am I the only one wondering what this fellow's medal was doing in a field? I wonder where his family is at and whether they would like to see that item returned to them, if they are in fact still around. -Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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