How is Russian Award displayed with British WW1 Medals

[Jayem]

My Grandfather served in the Royal Field Artillery from 1907 to 1920. He earned the usual 3 WW1 medals - the 1914 Star with bar, the War medal and the Victory medal with oak leaf clasp (he was Mentioned in Despatches during the retreat at Mons). In 1918-19 he served with Britain's Northern Russia Expeditionary Force in Murmansk where he was again Mentioned in Dispatches. His military records shows that the Russian Provisional Government also awarded him 'the Russian Silver Medal Of St. Stanislaus" (Medal of Zeal) although that medal was not found with his effects. I am told the Russian award was not gazetted - probably "so as not to embarrass the Bolsheviks". I assume it was never actually presented (or applied for) due to the turmoil in Russia at the time and/or the fact that he left the army and immigrated to Canada in 1920. Apparently the Russian medal was not numbered or personalized in any way when awarded to non-Russians, so I recently purchased the medal. I now want to have all his medals mounted in a new shadow box. Do you have any advice on the protocol for mounting the Russian award? I'd also appreciate anything you can add or correct with respect to the information I have recounted above.

Thank you

[Khaki]

Just follow the order of precedence, namely 1914 star, war medal, victory medal, foreign medals/decorations in line if the Russian medal wasn't gazetted or received you may wish to leave a space between the victory and the Russian medal. If it was me I would move the O.C lapel badge to the upper right , suggestive of it being worn on a lapel. A photo would be nice with maybe a poppy. Just make sure it doesn't look crowded.

regards

khaki

ps., what you have already done looks very nice.

[Andrew Upton]

One small point - only the larger oak leaf should be on the VM ribbon in theory, worn stem down on the viewers left and the point of the leaf angled slightly up on the viewers right, like:

http://www.nam.ac.uk/online-collection/images/480/94000-94999/94651.jpg

The smaller one is what would have been worn on the ribband bar to represent the same, like:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Allied_Victory_Medal_with_Mention_in_Despatches_Oak_Leaf_Cluster.jpg

It looks like someone mounted them together to keep them safe at some point.

[ForeignGong]

Hi

What was his full name & number please, as he may be on the Confidential List of awards & if so he is entitled to wear the Russian medal joined to his other three ???

Let me know & i will check it for you.

Peter

[Jayem]

Thank you so much, Peter. His name was Marcus Roland Freeman, Reg. # 45972.

[ForeignGong]

Hi

Yes he is in the Confidential List

Freeman, 45972, Farrier Sjt. Marcus Roland. RFA. MID 3.2.20. Murmansk.

Therefore You should mount them as one group & not with a gap between his campaign medals & the Medal Of Zeal with St. Stanislaus ribbon. There were 125 awarded for Russia to Other Ranks, so quite rare.

You should be very proud, it would have been a hard earned medal.

This is the London Gazette for his Russian MID

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31764/supplements/1383

Peter

[Jayem]

Thank you so much for this information, Peter. Like most Vets, he didn't say much about his WW1 experiences, and even less about his service with the N.R.E.F. except to say the only advantage to fighting inside the Arctic Circle was that you bled to death slower. Almost a century later and we have just accessed his military records and discovered he earned this Russian award. I am thankful to all the members of the Forum who responded with information and especially to you for your kindness in confirming his name is on the Confidential List. We will mount the medals as you suggest and thank you for helping us honour his service.

Jo-Anne

[Kitchener's Bugle]

Very interesting and unusual group, many thanks for sharing.

KB.