Leave historically alone - or as On Parade

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

Adjutant to the Governor of Burma: those were the days!

This was the years-long appointment of IARO Capt James Logan Muir - who transferred to 1 Horse during Sir Harcourt Butler's tenure...

What remains? An India-court-mounted 15 Star (2Lt., IARO attd 1 S&M) Trio (Capt) and IGS Afgh NWF 1919 (Lt., IARO: the I being a 1!).

Jimmie Muir had spent the 1930s and later years on the French Riviera, taking part in Golf Tournaments and society events thanks to his private income. In 1953 together with his much-younger wife, his sports-car collided with a French butcher's truck at La Rochepot, and the couple died of their injuries, eventually being buried neárby. (The graves have since been levelled and the Police Report lost.)

When I acquired the group sans research decades ago from a well-known Dealer, it was badly damaged, especially the 15 Star ribbon, and had a generally tired look about it. Presumably (althought I don't know), the damage eminated from the violence of the car crash.

Here the dilemma presented itself: Leave As Is (which I did for decades), or refurbish the group to On Parade condition? 

I recently chose the latter, as can be seen by the attached scans (thanks to a highly-skilled but now retired lady medal mounter)...

Perhaps other GWF members have been faced with a similar Dilemma?

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[RNCVR]

Replacing old\as worn ribbons has always been controversial among medal collectors. Do I leave the group as worn or refurbish\remount with new ribbons?

However, I do not see the remounted group in the photos Kim.

Very fortunate that you have several good photos of the recipient!

Hope you are well,

Best....Bryan

[aim]

14 hours ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said:

Dear All,

Adjutant to the Governor of Burma: those were the days!

This was the years-long appointment of IARO Capt James Logan Muir - who transferred to 1 Horse during Sir Harcourt Butler's tenure...

What remains? An India-court-mounted 15 Star (2Lt., IARO attd 1 S&M) Trio (Capt) and IGS Afgh NWF 1919 (Lt., IARO: the I being a 1!).

 

Kim.

Does this mean he got a 1914-15 Star AND a trio?

aim.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All, and Bryan,

I now see that I completely omitted the subject of the Post: very remiss, but put it down to just turning 77 a week ago!

Here is the refurbished group to Capt James Logan Muir.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[RNCVR]

Thanks for posting Kim, very nice court mounting! & also very good that you have sourced & used original silk ribbons.

I love the 1920's period hats the two ladies are wearing.

Best.....Bryan

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Bryan,

Thanks for your more-than-welcome encouragement (the Brits irritatingly tend to look down on we Colonials), and, yes, Capt Muir had private income and spent his latter days touring the Riviera and competing in Golf Tournaments and some-such.

He was very much a minor mover in High Society and was - as befitted a former ADC - always well-dressed. The attached scan shows him in a Viceregal party, for example, when the Viceroy visited Rangoon...

Capt Muir saw extensive Great War service - under Major Le Breton, for example, both having been under fire at Aden.

He also saw Frontier service during the Great War, and possibly Mesopotamia (?) - and of course the brief Third Afghan campaign in 1919, commanding a Field Coy., but in the rank of Lieutenant.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[RNCVR]

Would you know what uniform Col LeBreton is wearing Kim? Diplomatic Corps perhaps?

& might you know how Capt Muir made his private income? Appears he led quite an exciting post war life until his fatal accident.

I have a couple of groups with worn\frayed ribbons, they are not really badly frayed, but am very reluctant to remount them as I like them as they are. One group the recipient passed away just after George VI Coronation, he had rec'd the Coron medal but it was never mounted with his group. I did not wish to take his court mounted group apart to add the Coronation medal so I just displayed it with his group on its own.

If I do remount a group I save the frayed ribbons in case the next custodian might like the original ribbons.

Regarding 'colonials' - best I dont go there..........!

 

[jeremy penfold]

I recently mounted and framed my grandfathers medals. The ribbons were frayed, stained and fixed together with some very dodgy sewing !. I decided to leave them exactly as he would have worn them, rather than source new ribbons. That was the right decision and my 90 yr old mum was overjoyed with them. 

I guess dealing with family medals there is more sentiment involved, but there is an historical context with any medals that Imo shouldn't be lost. 

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

 

Dear All, and Bryan & Jeremy,

Le Breton was a retired RE - but I always thought that he was shown wearing a Gentleman at Arms uniform... (?)

Basically I agree with both of you that it is desirable to Leave As Is - but sometimes the ribbons are so far gone (Muir being an example), that an exception to the rule is called for...

As far as Family Medals are concerned, my grandfather's medal ribbons on his group (attached) will be left alone, being a borderline case.

What was the source of James Logan (Jimmy) Muir's private means? I assume his father, who was wealthy...!

Both my late father and grandfather had properly-mounted miniature groups - for wear with formal attire at evening occasions when the presence of the Governor (of New South Wales, for example), or perhaps the Governor-General of Australia, called for the wearing of war medals.

Grandfather wore his large properly-mounted medals on Anzac Day, but Dad never marched, and left his war medals loose in their box, and his MC in its case (which I have).  However, he always kept his miniature group handy, which he wore once or twice...

Kindest regards,

Kim.