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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

"A Good Unit"


cazna

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I keep reading that a group of medals is named to "a good unit" - e-bay, speedbid and in this forum.

Besides units like the Tank Corps, Machine Gun Company, Railway Units etc, what constitutes "a good unit"? Is it basically what action each unit saw in the war in question, or is the units previous history taken into account?

Obviously I would expect a variety of opinions, but could some of you list, say, their top 10?

Duncan

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I am OBVIOUSLY biased but I would take a fair guess that anything to Ulster Div 1st July would be rated quite highly?

Des the Biased

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You'll have to find space for the Black Watch and Argylls :)

Derek

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Dave,

The initial post concerned medals awarded to "good units" - as Jock mentions medals to regiments which attract good prices.

I'd place the Black Watch, Argylls and Manchesters in that category.

Judging by the price of most medals these days there are no shortage of "good units".

Derek

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The idea of a "good unit" is obviously open to interpretation, and all of us would probably immediately trot out our own personal favourite. Thinking in terms of the CEF, there were many good units and probably others whose records were not quite so covered in glory.

Collectors today, however, don't always go after the unit with the best fighting record. For example a very desirable Canadian pair to have is the CSEF (Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force). This unit saw no action, and only lost a few men due to illness, but you can be sure a CSEF pair will fetch a much higher price than a pair to a fighting battalion such as the 60th or 102nd. Given the politically correct times we live in, a pair to No.2 Construction Battalion, Canada's only Black unit will bring a good price, yet the unit, as far as I know never lost a man in battle.

Trios to the regular Canadian units - the RCR, PPCLI, and R22eR amongst the infantry, and the RCD and LSH amongst the cavalry - fetch top dollar. The CEF highland battalions are always popular.

I have managed to get around the problem by attempting to get a group to each CEF unit. Therefore, I was just as happy to get a pair named to the CAGS (Canadian Army Gymnastics Staff) as I was to track down a pair to the 85th Battalion, a Nova Scotian unit which started the battle of Vimy Ridge as a labour battalion and ended up staging a brilliant assault to capture one of the last German strong points on the ridge. I am still looking for the 73rd Battalion, but also the Canadian Area Employment Company!

Obviously there will never be a definitive answer to your question. It will nearly always boil down to personal biases. For my interest in the 1914 BEF, I have always preferred the solid line battalions of Smith-Dorrien's 3rd and 5th Divisions (the Northumberland Fusiliers, Suffolks, South Lancs.,etc.) to the much more glamourous Guards-heavy 1st and 2nd Divisions, but most collectors would probably pay more for an Irish or Coldstream Guards 1914 trio than one to the Suffolks or Royal Fusiliers!

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And Goats!

Well don't just say that! Tell us more! If it's a well-known story then I'm way behind everyone else, but it's news to me.

Or have you been "prostituting His Majesty's goat" again? :o

(see "Goodbye To All That" for details)

Adrian

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