Chalk Posted 22 July , 2011 Share Posted 22 July , 2011 May I please ask for help in identifying carvings of medals on a family memorial in Canterbury Cathedral? Picture One Picture Two Picture Three Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalk Posted 22 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 22 July , 2011 ...and the last two pictures.... Picture Four Picture Five Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aglastonbury Posted 22 July , 2011 Share Posted 22 July , 2011 Not sure about picture 1 at all & not too sure on picture 3 Picture 2 looks to be DSO with possibly Indian General Service Medal & Queen's South Africa Medal Picture 4 is DSO don't know the second one and then Queen's & King's South Africa Medal then 1914 Star with bar & British War Medal there should be a Victory medal at the end Picture 5 is DSO, QSA & WW1 trio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob B Posted 22 July , 2011 Share Posted 22 July , 2011 There are five groups, and there is a bit of poetic license with them as I am sure the experts will tell you. Group 1 CB, not sure, Abassynia war medal, Canada General service medal and the kabul to Kandahar star 1880. Group 2 DSO, India medal, Queens South Africa medal. Group 3 KCMG (?)Queens and kings South Africa medals Group 4 DSO, Queens and Kings South Africa, 1914 Star, BWM. Group 5 DSO, Queens South Africa, 1914 Star, BWM, Victory medal with a mention in despatches (oak leaf) Cheers, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 22 July , 2011 Share Posted 22 July , 2011 Searching The Times online shows an obit for the first-named Abadie listing his pre-ww1 service [13 May 1915, p.4]. Both officers have DSO against their name in the CWGC database. There is an earlier thread about these two, if you try the search box at the top. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalk Posted 23 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 23 July , 2011 Thank you for the information so far! Viewed close up the workmanship on the carving is exquisite and finely detailed - within the limits of what can actually be achieved both in terms of precision and accuracy when carving stone. The DSO was the only one I felt sure about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jermil Posted 30 July , 2011 Share Posted 30 July , 2011 2nd medal in first photo is Queen Victoria Jubllee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Owl Posted 30 July , 2011 Share Posted 30 July , 2011 To be a little more precise: Group 1: C.B., Jubilee 1887 (or 1897), Abyssinia Medal 1867-68, Afghanistan Medal 1878-80 with clasp Kandahar, Kabul to Kandahar Star 1880. Group 2: D.S.O.(V.R.), I.G.S. 1895 with clasps Relief of Chitral 1895, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah, Q.S.A. with 5 clasps (including Defence of Ladysmith). Group 3: C.M.G., East and West Africa Medal 1887-1900 with 3 clasps, A.G.S.Medal 1902 with 3 clasps. Group 4: D.S.O.(V.R.), ? , Q.S.A. with 8 clasps, K.S.A. with 2 clasps, 1914 Star and Bar, B.W.M. & V.M. Group 5: D.S.O.(GVR), Q.S.A. with clasp Natal, 1914 Star, B.W.M. & V.M. I am a little puzzled with the second medal in group 4, any ideas? Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 30 July , 2011 Share Posted 30 July , 2011 The second medal in Group Four looks like the Union of South Africa Commmemoration Medal 1910 Union of South Africa Commemoration Medal (1910) Issued to commemorate the opening of the first Union parliament in 1910. Some 580 medals were issued, most of them to civilians. Insignia: A circular silver medal depicting the head of King George V (obverse) and the figure of Mercury at an anvil, forging a chain incorporating the arms of the four colonies (reverse). The choice of ribbon colours is interesting, because orange and blue did not become the national colours until the first national flag was adopted in 1928. http://images.bidorbuy.co.za/user_images/017/1581017_101108164214_USA1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 13 August , 2011 Share Posted 13 August , 2011 A rather belated addition, sorry, to thank the contributors here, especially Robert (old owl) and Phil (Staffsyeoman) for the precise details. As mentioned on other threads I have been researching all this family (the Abadies) and the identifications now all fit - Canada wouldn't have done. The last one identified by Staffsyeoman sounds right as the 1910 medal as this officer (the third son, Eustace Henry Egremont Abadie, who was killed in action on 31st October 1914) was almost certainly in South Africa until then, after a period in India post-Boer War. Interesting that it was issued more often to civilians, and was not a battle honour. Thanks to Chalk too for the terrific close-up photos that enabled the question to be asked. Since he's regularly there in the cathedral telling people about these things I guess it will be very gratifying to be able to match the medals to the stories, more or less. Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalk Posted 14 August , 2011 Author Share Posted 14 August , 2011 Indeed it will! Thank you everyone! And on a very slightly different note.... While explaining the Abadie memorial to a couple of visitors last week, they told me that they had a relative who was killed on the first day of the first Battle of the Somme, about whom they know very little. I took the liberty of telling them about this forum - so if they join and ask questions.... Please help them and blame me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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