Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Contents of the Cupboard


Khaki

Recommended Posts

I would enjoy seeing some of your unusual stuff, if you would be so kind as to post it.

For sure! I'm currently cataloging all my stuff (for want of a better word) and pulling it all out and getting all medals, research, etc, in one place.

Once that's done, I will be able to pull out groups, and their research, with about 10 times more ease than my current (chaotic) storage, built up over 25 years! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Dear khaki,

I much appreciate the care with which you have housed your not inconsiderable collection. Well done!

Starting with the MC groups to my late father and grandfather (both AIF: now residing in a bank vault), I have a collection of over thirty officers of the Empire Builder type - mainly IA and IARO.

Several of these medal groups are housed in a large glazed frame, others in individual glazed frames fitting into the bookshelves, and yet others show the medals in frames with the appropriate picture of his ship, or a wedding picture. Still others are in glazed living-room furniture or desk frames - or simply in drawers.

My main interest concerns the research, which, if successful, soon eclipses the actual medals in terms of interest! Large box-files become necessary, not to mention the numerous computer-files, which fascilitate correspondence with like-minded IA wallahs...

Having said all that, I am constantly trying to collect less, and research more. I recently regretfully decided against acquiring an expensive IA MC group, for the reason of wanting to put a limit on it all - otherwise the whole thing tends to get out of control and one loses all sense of perspective. I realise, however, that everybody sees these things differently!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many thanks Kim,

I am glad you enjoyed the photo's, perhaps at some time you could also post some of your collection, sounds very interesting.

khaki

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear khaki,

Hopefully you got my personal message (with eMail address).

Yes, I have several medal groups in my collection which are interesting by any yard-stick. One example is IA and Political, Vernon ('Pansy') Cox, who was the last Resident in Waziristan in 1947.

Born and educated in India (with a brief finishing school in Dublin prior to wartime Sandhurst), the good-looking V. M. H. Cox (who initially styled himself 'Hervalwil-Cox') was the son of a doctor, and was good at all sports. Nonetheless, after tranferring to the Political in 1927, the fact that he had not passed through an English public school was a mark against him in an official report.

In the case of Lt-Col Cox (who died at a relatively young age on a Natal golf course), I was able to unearth considerable detail about his life, as well as find several photos. His medal group includes an IGS GVIR with two clasps named to Major, Pol. Dept. (with MiD as Political Agent, North Waziristan). but the background gained by diligent research is even more interesting, giving the medals another dimension, so to speak.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear khaki,

Thanks for yours.

Another one, wherein I started from scratch with a tired-looking 15 Star (IARO) and IVD (BB & CI Rlys AFI), turned to have been Head of Sports at King's School, Canterbury (B. C. Covell: photo, cricket IX), attached Imperial State Forces and attended Mena Staff course. Later on Allenby's staff and MiD. After the war he married a future Wimbledon doubles champion (Phyllis Covell)...

One could go on and on!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear khaki and GWFs,

Here are two (William John Davis, BSc., Executive Engineer, Coimbatore, and Inspector James Dwyer, IPM, Calcutta Police) of four examples from my collection of thirty or so: the next two to follow.

In both of these cases I was able to find out vital background information through research, which previous owners inexplicably failed to do.

For example, the rank on the Davis BWM and Victory is 2Lt. He was Indian Army Reserve of Officers (IARO), and briefly attached 2nd Madras Sappers and Miners. He joined the war in Mesopotamia and disappeared from the Indian Army List, but I managed to find him as IARO attached Royal Engineers as a T/Capt and Asst Director Works, Kut. Further research revealed that he had been Mentioned in Despatches twice. His IGS clasp Malabar 1921-22 is named W. J. Davis, Executive Engineer, and is no doubt scarce to a civilian (although I failed to find him on any list). His Vol LS is named Tpr., S. Provinces Mounted Infantry, was awarded in 1928 and was one of 54 such medals. Unfortunately, I found no photo (aka Image) of W. J. Davis...

The other example is the Indian Police Medal GVR in Bronze gazetted on 1 January 1935 to Inspector of Police James Dwyer, for courage displayed during Calcutta riots in 1930. He also featured in the KPM citation for Sgt Daniel Mulcahy, Calcutta Police. During the Great War, Dwyer had been a Pte., MGC, and was 5561 Gnr (11th Armoured Motor Battery) when he qualified for his IGS GVR clasp Afghanistan NWF 1919. Dwyer's 1935 GVR Silver Jubilee Medal was confirmed on the roll (Calcutta Police). Happily, a photo of the Inspectors and Sgts of the Headquarters Force, Calcutta Police, 1928, was found: one of the few bemedalled Inspectors probably being Dwyer. He died young, at 43, of TB in a Calcutta hospital, on 12 February 1941...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

post-122353-0-39157700-1452121689_thumb.

post-122353-0-20011200-1452121746_thumb.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear khaki,

This Kaisar-i-Hind GVR (silver)group, to IA Lt-Col Morgan Dockrell (a champion swimmer in his youth: committed suicide in old age), is an unusual one. He was a Cantonments wallah...

Kindest regards.

Kim.

post-122353-0-98376300-1452128030_thumb.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear khaki - and of course all you GWF members out there,

Here is a Vol (Railwys), who was IARO attached Indian Cavy (Jacobs Horse, in France): Capt L. V. Pont.

He was later needed as a Railways expert in Iraq, in the rank of Lieut., IARO, attached Railways Battalion, Sappers and Miners, 1918-20. His Indian Volunteer Officers' Decoration GVR is rather nicely hallmarked...

I am still seeking a photograph of Leon Victor Pont, who lived to the age of 98!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

post-122353-0-28519200-1452128369_thumb.

post-122353-0-88168400-1452128398_thumb.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear khaki (for want of your first name),

Yes, thanks for that.

In fact I wanted to ask you about the exact naming on the medals of your 8th Hussar - an unusual group if ever there was one: especially the PESM.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

.........Police Exemplary Service medal,

khaki

Usually described as Police Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (LSGC) ... currently awarded on completion of 22 years service....think same applied on inception.

There is a Special Constabulary equivalent with a lower qualifying period - and the option for "bars" to be awarded for additional years of service.

Steve Y

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, thanks the medal also known as LSGC medal (probably more correctly) as such, was originally recommended following 22 years service etc and in 2010 it was altered by Royal Warrant to 20 years service to bring it into line with other services such as prison service and ambulance.

:thumbsup:

khaki

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that Khaki.

Must admit I haven't looked at mine for many years and as it is court mounted it was only when I went on Wikipedia I remembered the script on the obverse.

Having retired from the Police service some years ago I hadn't realised the qualifying period had been "diluted".

Regards

Steve Y

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Khaki.

Best part of the presentation day for me was seeing my Dad wearing his pre WW2 GSM plus his WW2 campaign medals for the first time ever.

He had kept them in the War Office cardboard box for over 50 years and took some persuading to have them court mounted to wear in public.

Regards

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...