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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Interesting set of medals!!!


Gordon Caldecott

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Cheers Guys, I didn`t notice the Burma & Pacific Stars, thats a total give away isn`t it.

Rob, I`m sure if you did put a group together it would sell on ebay. I think I`ll just stick to buying modern campaign count mounted groups, i.e nothing earlier than the South Atlantic.

Gordon. :D

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Gordon,

In my day it was easy you either had the GSM with NI clasp or if you were really lucky you had the Falklands. It seems nowadays you are spoilt for choice, O for a stint with the UN that must be worth 4 ribbons at least!

Be good,

Rob

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Just to clarify - it was 'far from impossible' because the Burma Star has a Pacific clasp on it. I didn't say that you could get a Burma and Pacific Star together - you couldn't. My point was that it is quite unusual to see Pacific clasps on British Army Burma Stars.

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Gentlemen,

Not wishing to state the obvious but you can go to most of the businesses that provide miniture medals and have a set made up without having legitimate right to wear them. Personally I cannot see that miniture medals have the same status as full size ones unless they are accompanied with the right provenance. Having been awarded a number of campaign and other medals I have a legitimate right (in certain circumstances) to wear both the full size medals and minitures and I found it easy to obtain the minitures without providing a shread of proof that I am entitled to them. I am sorry to say but minitures have little standing in my eyes unless they are accompanied by the full sized medals with legitimate provenance.

NeilD

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Hi Neil,

Yes I agree totally with you, but they do look nice and are a margin of the price.

Gordon.

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Rob,

I see your from the old school, its funny isn`t it how things change, where if a guy had the NI medal,then he had been about a bit, maybe a UN Cyprus, with a select few having maybe the SA medal or a Rhodesia medal.

Then camp Granby, and shortly after that the UN banaza began, with the Former Yugoslavia and various Afrcian Countries.

I served as a reg, during the Bosnia days, where it was endless tours of the Balkans, just about everyone had a NATO medal of some sort. But everyone craved a GSM. I left and within 18 months, we`d had a conflict in Afganistan and another war in Iraq, I mean whats all that about!!!!!

Anyway, I`ve made up for it slightly by doing a tour in Iraq, so now have 4 medals for me tunic, but compared to the guys of today, who have 10+ medals, I appear to have been hiding in a cupboard or something!!!!!!!

I wonder how many soldiers over the years have missed out on a war medal, because they were in Ireland?

One final point, I wonder how many soldiers were serving during Corporate, Granby, Telic as regulars but their Regiment/Unit didn`t deply, whilst some poor reservist gets dragged out of civvy street to go?? I know of guys on both sides of this fence, who were equally pi@@ed off about the circumstances they found themselves in!!!

Look forward to hearing other peoples views.

Gordon.

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Gordon,

Not sure what your point is about the GSM NI. I have spent a large amount of my 22yr Army career in NI (and not flying a desk in Thiepval Bks either) and, unlike some, I've earned my GSM and ACSM many times over. Apart from NI I've fitted in several tours of Bosnia with the UN, IFOR and SFOR (in some cases a very unpleasent experience) and was in Sierra Leone when it was a shooting war and even more unpleasent. I am now proud to wear eight medals only one of which does not bear the Sovereigns' head. Fine, the Government chooses not to recognise certain conflicts (if that were the case I would have over ten medals) but NI was not a holiday camp and I tend to resent (implied or otherwise) that the the conflict in NI was not a war. My parting shot is I am neither a holder of the 1st or 2nd Gulf War Medals and have no regrets not going but I have served my country in other ways and I am far from a war dodger!

NeilD

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Sorry Neil, I miss your point? I think we`ve got are wires crossed somewhere? I ssume you mean my point about being in Ireland, during the SA or Gulf. If so my point is, all my mates who missed Granby etc because they were in NI, were really pi@@ed off, as they spent most of the careers out there, and when a chance came to go somewhere different they missed out. No one is a war dodger in my opinion unless they refuse to go, that is!!!!!! I`d like to add that I never mentioned being a war dodger, in the first place. I hope that clears that up. I enjoyed my time in Ireland, I was with the Infantry and was able to go out on the ground and do my job. Bosnia was ok, but given the choice I wouldn`t go again. Iraq has been an interesting tour, and I`m certianly proud to have been able to come out here. Finally, I`m sure you`ll send the fur flying from all the desk wallers at Thiepval ho,ho,ho!!!!!

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Anyway back to the point of this thread.............

Check out these clear put together groups!!!!!

GROUP OF NINE MINIATURE MEDALS COMPRISING QE II MILITARY CROSS; QE II GEORGE MEDAL; 1939 - 45 STAR; AFRICA STAR; ITALY STAR; WAR MDAL; KOREAN WAR MEDAL; UN KOREAN WAR MEDAL; GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL WITH CANAL ZONE CLASP

post-2587-1129361591.jpg

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GROUP OF SIX BRITISH MINIATURE MEDALS COMPRISING KG V DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL AND SECOND AWARD BAR; KG V MILITARY MEDAL; QUEENS SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL WITH ORANGE FREE STATE & RELIEF OF LADYSMITH CLASPS WWI TRIO.

post-2587-1129361644.jpg

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Hi Gordon,

Yes old school, (76-84) and by 84 there were Jocks in my Battalion who had done 5-6 tours in Northern Ireland from 69 through the riots to 2 stints along the Border, I earned my GSM and it wasn't in Thiepval!

Neil no offence was made, I remember a SNCO from the Argyls at the depot leaving after 22 years with one GSM but stacked with 5 bars.

The only thing that has changed is the number of oppertunities available to go on operations my Dad served from 1949-1985 as a Regular and got 2 GSMs for Cyprus and Aden.

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Gordon, Rob,

Sorry for getting a bit hot under the collar there. I appreciate that there are other folks out there who have suffered the same frustrations. I picked up my first gong early in my career then had to wait nearly 10 years when three came along in quick succession (bit like waiting for a bus!!). However, I still suffer the odd nightmare and flashback thankfully not as bad as some. Anyway we should be proud to wear our medals and let the world see our achievements, at least we have genuinely earned then not like the obvious fakes in this thread. No hard feeling guys.

NeilD

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Neil & Rob,

Karma restored, I am glad.

Gordon.

I came across this badge/emblem device, and wondered if any one can tell me what the score is for it?

Combat Infantry Badge............

post-2587-1129451634.jpg

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Hi Neil,

Good to hear back from you and yes I agree with all you said, so its dust down the Glengarry and shine up the GSM and I am ready for another forthcoming Rememberence Day.

Gordon the badge looks like an American Marksman badge.

Cheers guys,

Rob

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Rob & Neil,

Heres a bit of old school, to show no hard feelings!!!!

A nice group I think you`ll agree!!!!!

post-2587-1129550175.jpg

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Check this one out!!!!!

WORLD WAR I GALLANTRY GROUP OF MEDALS

TO: PFC ROBERT J. WILLIAMS, CO. B, 2ND FIELD SIGNAL BATTALION, 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION

1. SILVER STAR DECORATION FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION, NUMBERED ON THE EDGE "9322" AND ENGRAVED ON THE REVERSE "ROBERT J. WILLIAMS". MARKED "B.B. CO. PHILA" ON THE SUSPENSION FOR BAILEY BANKS & BIDDLE OF PHILADELPHIA

2 PURPLE HEART, FOR BEING WOUNDED IN ACTION, NUMBERED "57843" ON THE RIM AND ENGRAVED ON THE REVERSE "ROBERT J. WILLIAMS"

3 VICTORY MEDAL WITH 5 BARS-MONTDIDIER-NOYON; AISNE-MARNE; ST. MIHIEL; MEUSE-ARGONNE; DEFENSIVE SECTOR

4 FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE, WITH STAR DATED "1914-1918"

ALL HAVE ORIGNAL RIBBONS AND PINS AS ISSUED

post-2587-1129809860.jpg

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Lovely to look at, oh indeed, but I do have to say that after 30 years of collecting the things - those must be the poorest South Africa miniatures I've ever seen....

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Mate,

You blokes aren't the only ones to suffer during the so called inter war years.

Us poor ******* in aussie also had the hard luck following the Vietnam war when I joined in 1973, being to young we got to go to Malaya as part of the Butterworth Guard.

But there was no medals for that and some twenty years later at the end of my time I got to go to Bosnia with both the UN and Nato during two years.

My group has my LSGCM called DFSM (Defence Force Service Medal) and bar (twenty years) then two UN medals and the Nato medal.

This appears different then your groups I wonder why?

I did notice our country now passing out medals for any service of over six years in the ADF and a medal for the Malaya service but I am yet to see them.

My boy having seen been in only ten years has medals for Un operations in Boganville, Timor and now on his second tour on Iraq. Half his luck.

Just to get back to the question I have seen a AIF soldier who served with the NSW Infantry in the 1885 Sudan War and two tours of Sth Africa during the Boer War and served for a short period in WWI but was sent home early as being to old.

Cheers

S.B

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Hi Steve nice to hear from you, its all about being in the right place at the right time isn`t it. i`m sure they be guys out there who leave the army with only an LSGC or nothing at all!!!!!

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Yes the SA medals are naff aren`t they!!!!

This group looks better!!!! (but no SA medal here, sorry).

post-2587-1129965613.jpg

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