KIA Themes

[CameronStockton]

Hi

I want to start to collect KIA medals but I was wondering what themes are there?

Thanks

Cameron

[dundeesown]

Regiments,Battalions,Dates,Battles,Names,Ages,Towns and so on.

Gary

[pylon1357]

I have always wondered what attraction is to KIA medals as opposed to non KIA. KIA are commemorated on various Memorials etc, where as those how survived the war, seem to be forgotten.

[KevinBattle]

Perhaps it's simply that those KIA are easier to research?

I agree that it tends to make those who survived, yet probably suffered for years the effects of the trenches, PoW, wounds etc seem to be counted as less worthy, which is unfair.

It's taking the less challenging part, collecting KIA just for the KIA aspect alone.

But collectors have to start somewhere before something ignites a passion for some specific aspect.

[pylon1357]

True collectors have to start somewhere. I have been collecting for just over 30 years, and still have no focus. I seem to pick up whatever interests me at the time. Primarily I collect WWI medals to Canadians. I have no KIAs at all in the WWI area. I picked up a pair just because the of the answer on his attestation papers, are you married? reply, Yes, No about to be. I figured the lad could not figure out if he was married or not, I wanted the pair.

On the subject of KIAs, these groups command a premium for sure. first day of the Somme casualty seems to be 1200 pounds. Sure seems to a high price to me.

WWII which is not the focus of this forum, I have a few memorial crosses to the Irish Regiment of Canada.

[Ken Lees]

Cameron,

To add to Gary's suggestions, you could add ranks, burial places, single medals, complete groups, gallantry award recipients... the list is pretty much limited by your imagination and your pocket.

What do you have in mind?

[garfyboy]

Hi Cameron

i collect to ww1 casualties after a visit to the Somme many years ago. that place blew me away and still does.

So i started a willy nilly collection of kia Somme, any date, any regiment, any battle etc, however nowadays i still do collect but i tend to go for Leicestershire regiment (my home town) or my favourite cemeteries (smaller quieter ones) i also now tend to like, as mentioned above, medals to surviving soldiers whose service record survives, medals that have been worn are always interesting to because you know that they would of been worn with pride bt the actuall vet, where as kia medals were issued years after the soldier died!!

My point is, throw yourself in, buy a few bits and bobs and maybe after a while you will find your direction and love of a certain area.

PS: you will need a healthy bank account beacause believe me, this hobby is bloody expensive

Andy

[Khaki]

I also have never understood the attraction to KIA medals, as I have mentioned before, I would prefer something that has been worn and treasured by the recipient for sixty years or more as opposed to an item that has been wept over and stored away. I understand the ability to research the recipient is important to those who elect to collect KIA as their theme, I imagine my attitude is developed upon the concept that campaign medals are post war symbols that I saw reguarly worn by veterans. No criticism is intended and to each his own, I do have a Jutland KIA trio to HMS Indefatigable that I purchased but with all due respect I still prefer those that were worn.

khaki

[auchonvillerssomme]

2 reasons to collect KIA, first they are generally easier to research and more information exists, second, they have a better resale value and are a better investment.

[dundeesown]

Hi Cameron my own theme or themes are Dundee lads medals especially the 4th & 4/5th Black Watch,but I will buy any Regiment if it`s a Dundee lad whether he was a survivor or KIA.

Gary

[CameronStockton]

Hi

Thank you for all of the suggestions, I will keep them all in mind next time I go to a medal fair.

Cameron

[Guest exuser1]

One issue is size of your budget ,I am one of those collectors who remember when a 1915 trio to a line regiment was 21 shillings ! at that point I wanted to collect Waterloo medals only ever managed to get 3 , Great War medals were seen as the bargain basement MMs singles £5 take your pick , if I was starting at this point I would chose either local groups which is always an added interest or a local regiment ,and hope you are not up against any one else , I would also once I decided what I was collecting contact a local dealer to let him know what I am after it never hurts , with the KIA groups I must admit now and then I look at some of my groups and do wonder the pain they caused over the years ? but I have other groups still in the envelops never worn been in a draw for over 60 years bloke got them thought was that it ? and bunged them in a draw .

[pylon1357]

I do not really understand how KIA groups are more easily researched than a survivors? I know this is true in regards to the Second World War, at least for Canadians. What put me off of British medal groups was the fact that some of the records were destroyed. From what I was told, in the area of 60% survive? Well, I have to say, if this figure is acurate, I have the worst luck of all. I had upwards of 25-30 pairs and trios to soldiers of the British forces. Only one case the records survived.

I am now onto collecting Canadian pairs and trios, however, this is now on a long term hold as my financial resources have been culled by my lovely wife who found out about my recent DCM purchase. LOL.

[auchonvillerssomme]

I find it a bit odd when the collecting of KIA medals is criticised when people are quite happy to research war memorials but ignore the graves in the cemeteries of those who served and died after wars. Isn't it the same thing?

[garfyboy]

Kia medals or not, it's a great hobby that we throw ourselves into, thoroughly research these men, compile files, photos, records etc and cherish the medals of which we are gaurdians and in a lot of cases is more than can be said for the mans family members as the medals have at some point been sold and forgotten about.

Andy

[Ken Lees]

I suppose the KIA debate really stems back to the days when we didn't have access to service papers, the CWGC records weren't on-line and the internet didn't exist. KIA medals were so much easier to research, but even then, only for the very keen - those who were prepared to travel the country searching through libraries etc. Today, the research potential isn't that dissimilar, but the premium on KIA medals still exists.

I collect only to one battalion, so I have never worried about whether the medal recipient was KIA or a survivor. I just accept the fact that I may have to pay more if he was a casualty. In either case he was a part of the story of the battalion, however little of the story I can uncover. For some of my medals I can find out almost nothing about the man, beyond an estimation of his enlistment date based on his service number. For others I could write a book. All are equally cherished because they were all there.

[KIRKY]

I collect to kia for the Somme who have a gravestone so I can visit and thank them for what they did.

It also makes me focus on particular aspects of the battles in depth so I can try and work out where they

fought and pay my respects in that area as well.

At some point maybe a member of the family sold the medals without a thought as to what their relative gave them

i.e. their life, and I think it is a shame thefamily do not remember their sacrifice.

Tony

[Dawley Jockey]

I have a number of KIA medals, Singles & Groups as well as men who survived, I started by collecting South Staffs and any Pals battalions but have since researching my local war memorial now concentrated on medals to Local men who fought.

This has actually brought me some great pleasure, because I have now managed to return 'Home' quite a few medals that had been scattered around the country. This now means that the medals again reside back in the Soldiers home 'Town'.

As Tony (Kirky) also pointed out it also gives me the chance of having the honour in paying my respects at their graves/Memorials on my visits to France/Belguim and even Israel

Dave

[NeilEvans]

I collect to medals/plaques to men from Shropshire who died. I have items to the Grenadier Guards, King's Shropshire Light Infantry through to Royal Field Artillery. In covering such a wide area i can purchase medals on a frequent basis.

Neil

[trenchtrotter]

I too tend to focus on Somme KIA groups and for the same reason as Kirky...I like to visit the grave and pay respects to "random" soldiers whose grave I may otherwise have walked past? That said my recent additions both Somme have no known grave and are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. One group is a 14/15 trio to 1/7/16 1/8 Royal Warwicks and the other a RND 14/15 trio plus plaque.

As a side two days ago I purchased a plaque to a RFA casualty from Ypres (Aug 1917). I aquired this in Scarborough. There are three men with the same name on the SDGW database, however this plaque was sourced from Staxton N Yorks and the RFA casualty man lived up the road in Rillington and enlisted at Malton all in N Yorks. Has to be the one I think. The other chaps were London men.

Regards

TT

[Dawley Jockey]

I too once purchased a plaque and was told at the time it was for a South Staffs man and the plaque was from the Walsall area. On checking the name found it was a one of six but all the other men where from Ireland and in Irish battalions except for one who was from.... Walsall and served with the South Staffs.... had to be the man

Dave

[pylon1357]

I find it a bit odd when the collecting of KIA medals is criticised when people are quite happy to research war memorials but ignore the graves in the cemeteries of those who served and died after wars. Isn't it the same thing?

I am not criticizing anyone for anything. I am simply curious. There seem to be so many collectors who collect KIA medals and this is reflected in the pricing of them. I am speaking strictly of World War One medals. I do collect World War Two medals as well, however these, are un-named. I hold 4 or 5, honestly I have to look it up, Memorial Crosses to members of the Irish Regiment of Canada who fell during World War Two. One of these being my uncle.

In regards to World War One medals, as they are all named, I have chosen to collect to Canadians. I suppose back before the internet and the resources available to us today, KIAs would be easier to research, just as World War Two KIAs are easier to research now then those who survived. That thought had not occurred to me, as now all World War One records are readily available.

[auchonvillerssomme]

Pylon, my post wasn't aimed at you and I apologise if thats how it appeared.

[Khaki]

I don't think that anyone is criticizing any facet of medal collecting, it is a matter of preference, I have medals that I have never bothered to research beyond what is impressed on the medals and I probably never will. As they were ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events is sufficient for me.

It is nice that some wish to 'pay their respects' at military cemeteries to those killed in action whose medals they have custody of.

However we should also remember that all those who served survived and bore the memories of those terrible events have now 'gone west' and their graves are spread across the world in civil cemeteries. For those who wish to do so, and where it is possible to trace medals to the graves of those men and women it would be equally appropriate to pay your respects to them.

khaki

[Guest exuser1]

Checking back over various medal books and dealers lists the real upsurge in KIA prices and intrest seems to date back to the early 1980s ? July 1st being the obvious collected but then a intrest in 1914 KIAs , those were the days of checking Soliders Died if you collected a regimental intrest ,or sending a list of names off to CWWG with a SAE ! now i have stood at a boot fair with me I phone checking on line .