Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 22 January , 2018 Share Posted 22 January , 2018 Dear All, Even my relatively modest "Officers Only" Collection includes some interestingly (and differently) impressed 14 and 15 Stars. No doubt there were countless variations, but here are a few (which can, no doubt, be 'topped') - attached for the general interest of Members... Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 22 January , 2018 Share Posted 22 January , 2018 Not convinced on the authenticity of Gaskells. But a nice selection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 22 January , 2018 Share Posted 22 January , 2018 With three exceptions, the men's units are in the Indian Army, which might explain variations in the engraving. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 22 January , 2018 Share Posted 22 January , 2018 Elliot is quite unusual too, with Rank spelt LIENT (rather than LT) and RGA spaced that way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 22 January , 2018 Author Share Posted 22 January , 2018 Dear All and Jim, Yes, you are right: the Gaskell 15 Star is a "selfie", as is his Victory Medal! His Medal Index Card tells us that he was in France 1915-16 - and he indeed applied for a 15 Star. However, it seems that he was officially with the 'Indian Military Depot' which was in Marseilles. (He had also been on a medical certificate some of the time.) The authorities only allowed him the BWM, which is named MAJOR. T. K. GASKELL. He obviously thought he had been "short-changed", and may well have unofficially experienced the War Zone, perhaps visiting his brothers, one of who had the DSO and Bar. Gaskell's medal group included a Durbar 1911, unfortunately not confirmed on the IA roll. (However, the roll for the Civil Service and others concerned with the Durbar, is missing.) Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medaler Posted 31 January , 2018 Share Posted 31 January , 2018 (edited) I will add this one again, as I still think its unusual because I have never seen another. My Notts & Derby 14-15 Star impressed with the Battalion number. Other than the Bn number not supposedly being impressed onto 14-15 stars, the real oddity is that it's 13th Bn, who never served overseas. So there you go, a medal that you only qualified for if you served overseas, but stamped to a Bn that never actually went. It also comes with an interesting story. The unfortunate Pte Arnold was wounded 4 times and, just for good measure, gassed as well. Regards, Mike Edited 1 February , 2018 by Medaler Tidying up my wording Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 1 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2018 Dear Mike, Good work, attaching the highly interesting Pte Arnold 15 Star, together with a 13th Bn. conundrum (which did not stop the wretched Arnold from being wounded and gassed, too.). Many thanks for that! The 15 Stars impressed reverses are fascinating: here is yet another (with a picture of the good-looking Dudley Stafford Cook at his minor public school)... Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medaler Posted 1 February , 2018 Share Posted 1 February , 2018 (edited) Hi Kim, I should probably have mentioned that the much wounded Pte Arnold seems to have done the first part of his soldiering overseas with the 1st Bn of the regiment. They were the direct descendants of the old 45th (Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot. Having said that, he actually ended up with the Durham Light Infantry. He wasn't that unlucky of course, well, not in the real scheme of things. A couple of the other lads from his village, who enlisted with him on the same day and in the same place that he did, ended up getting their names carved on here. They were the really unlucky ones. Lovely photo of Cook. Warmest regards, Mike Edited 1 February , 2018 by Medaler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 2 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2018 Dear Mike, Yes, I quite agree. I tend to collect to, and research the lives of, the lucky ones. Here are two more pictures of Dudley Stafford Cook... Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medaler Posted 2 February , 2018 Share Posted 2 February , 2018 Great photo's Kim. I will have a dig around, but I think we have exhausted my "unusual" 14-15 Stars. Regards, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 2 February , 2018 Share Posted 2 February , 2018 (edited) A recent purchase. Apparently Railway Transport Establishment. Edited 2 February , 2018 by Jim Strawbridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 2 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2018 Dear All and Jim, R.T.E.: Now that is a rare one! Very nicely impressed, too. Thanks, Jim, for attaching your desirable addition to the Collection. Super! I see that your T/Capt Malcolm Scott Speir, was RE - and his MC was gazetted (London Gazette, page 29886) on 1 Jan 1917. Here is a "late starter", claimed in 1930. George Barrett Goyder (Indian Finance Department and 5th Punjab Light Horse) was IARO, attd. Indian Cavy, but also later on the General List (A.P.O.) attd. 36 Ulster Div. In the event, all that was left off! Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 Dear All and Jim, R.T.E.: Now that is a rare one! Very nicely impressed, too. Thanks, Jim, for attaching your desirable addition to the Collection. Super! I see that your T/Capt Malcolm Scott Speir, was RE - and his MC was gazetted (London Gazette, page 29886) on 1 Jan 1917. Here is a "late starter", claimed in 1930. George Barrett Goyder (Indian Finance Department and 5th Punjab Light H ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As is your Customs Dept. M.E.F. star. Remember me if you should ever decide to dispose of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 3 February , 2018 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2018 Dear Jim, Thanks for that. It is heartening that you discerned the F. R. SWYNNERTON CUSTOMS DEPT., M.E.F., as being a rare bird. At the time the acquisition was somewhat of an inconvenience, but I took the plunge. Subsequently, I found a 1910 self-portrait in oils of his father, which was "almost" as good as an Image of the elusive recipient. F. R. Swynnerton secured an IARO commission and was attd 2/56 Punjabis - irritatingly no entry for the 15 Star (!) - and in WWII was a S/Ldr RAFVR. Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 3 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2019 Dear All, Here are some more 15 Star reverses (also Naval) for those GWF aficionados interested! A. Pepperell, RNR (later Lt., RNVR) had a "cushy" war aboard a Yacht. B. C. Covell, IARO was MiD as a staff officer (Egyptian Expeditionary Force). A champion tennis player, he married Phyllis, a Wimbledon women's champion, and took her to India. There was nothing "cushy" about the Kut Relief action involving A. Fisk Aldis, IARO attd 62 Punjabis. The Commanding Officer and a Major with the DSO were killed, and Fisk Aldis wounded. Sketches of the action, showing the place of the C.O.'s grave were made by the soon-to-be Adjutant (and later famous) - Claude Auchinleck... Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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