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Medals in the family


Greg

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Ok, another fun topic... what medals reside with your family from parents, grandparents, etc... special commendation to whoever has the most and also the coolest.

 

Being the yank, yes we provide medals for anything and everything, including putting your uniform on correctly, so here we go!

 

My father:

US Air Force, Vietnam War, Sargeant Rank

Vietnam Service Medal

(Not sure of any others he does not talk about it much, he was a jet engine mechanic based in Ben Hoa)

 

My Paternal Grandfather:

US Navy Officer, WWII

WWII Service Medal

WWII Pacific Service Medal

WWII Victory Medal

(He was an officer but again I know little else, he is buried in Arlington National Military Cemetery.)

 

My Maternal Grandfather:

US Army Air Corp, WWII

Served first as a chef but then as a weapons repair specialist throughout the pacific.

WWII Service Medal

WWII Pacific Campaign Service Medal

WWII Victory Medal

US Army Good Conduct Medal

 

Paternal family also has a direct relative I know little about but can trace as a Federal Army, Drummer Boy during the US Civil War (1861-65).

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The only ones i can think of are

 

my great grandads ww1 servie medal's (Royal Horse Artillery) or something like that.

 

i know i had a great uncle in the desert rats.

 

My grandads national serive medal.

 

 

thats all i can think of

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OK here I go blowing the trumpet again :(

 

Great Uncle

 

VC and trio

 

Uncle

 

39-45, France and Germany, War, Defence, Territorial, Dunkirk CinC Certificate.

 

Uncle

 

Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, Eastern front medal, Black wounds badge,Silver Panzer Badge , 50 panzer badge and has Dave has just found out 75 numbered panzer badge although we are unsure if he ever received it.

 

Grandfather was a miner I think there is now some sort of award for this.

 

Grandfather Special Police man again I think there is an award for this.

 

Dad

 

National service medal

 

Brother

 

I have no idea , Greg you will know better ,here's a picture I know one is for sharpshooting .

michael.jpg

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Yes! some sort of shooting medal, the US gives these out usually in basic training. There are various types, sharpshooter, marksman, etc. You get them for shooting a tight shot and a specific score, it does NOT designate sniper training.

 

OK here I go blowing the trumpet again :(

 

Great Uncle

 

VC and trio

 

Uncle

 

39-45, France and Germany, War, Defence, Territorial, Dunkirk CinC Certificate.

 

Uncle

 

Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, Eastern front medal, Black wounds badge,Silver Panzer Badge , 50 panzer badge and has Dave has just found out 75 numbered panzer badge although we are unsure if he ever received it.

 

Grandfather was a miner I think there is now some sort of award for this.

 

Grandfather Special Police man again I think there is an award for this.

 

Dad

 

National service medal

 

Brother

 

I have no idea , Greg you will know better ,here's a picture I know one is for sharpshooting .

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Go ahead G, it will be interesting ,it's not as if I won any of the medals myself the only thing I ever won was a box of Lego in a Lego competition. :D

 

Here is the 70's moment, I may decide to remove the picture :o

glen.jpg

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You met Glen Michael :o :o :o :o :o

 

Wow!!!!!!!!! Cartoon Calvalcade!!!!!!!!!!

 

I am impressed.

 

Were the stories true. Did he offer to let you see his etchings :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Yep Glen was a nice guy, didn't offer to show me his etchings (your just jealous :P ) but I was disappointed he didn't have Palladin with him :(

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Yep, he had a great voice as I remember , As usual this thread is going off in a strange direction

 

Palladin

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It is. I always wanted my birthday card read out but it never ever happened.

 

To get back on track.

 

My Father was in the Army pre NI and post Korea. Never left the UK and got bugger all for his efforts.

 

My first grandfather was war time RA. He got a 39/45 Star, Africa Star with 8th Army Clasp and a War Medal.

 

My other Grandfather was a pre war regular KOSB. He got a GSM with Palestine, 39/45 Star, War Medal, Defence Medal, TEF and a '53 Coronation. He picked up a shrapnel wound to the head during Dunkirk and never went overseas again.

 

My great Grandfather was a pre-war regular KOSB. He got a 1914 star and bar Trio. He was invalided out in 1915 again with shrapnel wounds.

 

They are the only one's I am 100% certain about. I could hazard a guess about other family members but...... not accurate enough.

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Excellent G, so that's where the KOSB interest comes from, glad were back on topic :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bit of a blank on our familes part, I;ve never really asked or traced it back that far.

 

Maternal Grandfather

Regiment: Unknown although was a Chindit (we seen a picture of him in regiment dress, button up to neck tunic, glengarry and tartan trews, older family has stated he was Blackwatch...were they based near Maryhill barracks?)

Rank: Unknown, alleged Corp/Sarge then Lt (field promotion)

Theatres: Singapore, Hong Kong & Burma (1942)

Jap POW in Burma from (42/3-45), worked on Kwai Railway bridge

Medals: Burma Star, Defence Medal, War Medal

 

Don't really know much about my grandfather, no-one does, he was only 41 when he died, worked in Yarrows I believe. I wrote to every Scottish regiment (even though he was Irish, he lived in Glasgow before joining) with his name and his possible AKA, no records. Then wrote to all the Chinidts Assc, no help either. I even tried the Red Cross for the POW records - no help either.

 

And from what I hear even with the freedom of information act, Chindits activity in Burma is still classified to this day...

 

Haven't thought about chasing it up for a while tbh, might start again once I manage to get a whole family history together.

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:o

 

Didn't know that Chindit activities were still clasified!

 

Strange you can't trace your grandfather. Have you tried Kentergen (sp?) House in Glasgow. I believe they have service records.

Graeme is quite knowledgable in these matters I believe. you might need to know his Regiment though.

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Apparently so.

 

Missing his regiment and rank, his surname was changed back and forth too.

 

Funny thing is: I did a bit of research on Singapore & HK, he must have been there before the fall, also the reg's there were the A&S...something somewhere does not add up...

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:kopkrab:

 

It's funny what people did in those days. My dad told me my grandad enlisted in the Black Watch under an assumed name.

 

Later served in the TA artillery under his own name. Fought throughout WW2 in NW europe.

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  • 1 year later...
Maternal Grandfather

Regiment: Unknown although was a Chindit (we seen a picture of him in regiment dress, button up to neck tunic, glengarry and tartan trews, older family has stated he was Blackwatch...were they based near Maryhill barracks?)

[

 

Just found this thread again. My understanding was that Tartan Trews were only worn by Lowland Regiments. So if you saw him in trews he wasn't in the BW at that time - But possibly HLI (Glasgow Battalion)

 

Below is the OOB for the Chindit operations:

 

ORDER OF BATTLE - 1st Chindit Expedition 1943

 

 

77th Indian Infantry Brigade

 

13th King's Liverpool Regiment

3/2nd Gurkha Rifles

142 Commando Company

2nd Burma Rifles

Eight RAF sections

A mule transport company

 

Commander Brigadier Orde Wingate, DSO late Royal Artillery

Brigadier Major Major R.B.G. Bromhead Royal Berkshire Regiment

succeeded by

Major G.M. Anderson Highland Light Infantry

Staff Captain Captain H.J. Lord Border Regiment

 

The Brigade was divided into two groups and seven columns :

 

No. 1 Group (Southern)

 

Commander Lt-Colonel Alexander 3/2nd Gurkha Rifles

Adjutant Captain Birtwhistle 3/2nd Gurkha Rifles

No. 1 Column Major G. Dunlop, MC Royal Scots

No. 2 Column Major A. Emmett 3/2nd Gurkha Rifles

 

No. 2 Group (Northern)

 

Commander Lt-Colonel S.A. Cooke Lincolnshire Regiment,attached King's Regiment

Adjutant Captain D. Hastings King's Regiment

No. 3 Column Major J.M. Calvert Royal Engineers

No. 4 Column Major Conron 3/2nd Gurkha Rifles

succeeded by

Major R.B.G. Bromhead Royal Berkshire Regiment

No. 5 Column Major B.E. Fergusson Black Watch

No. 7 Column Major K.D. Gilkes King's Regiment

No. 8 Column Major W.P. Scott King's Regiment

2nd Burma Rifles Lt-Colonel L.G. Wheeler Burma Rifles

Adjutant Captain P.C. Buchanan Burma Rifles

Independent Mission Captain D.C. Herring

 

 

 

ORDER OF BATTLE - 2nd Chindit Expedition 1944

 

 

Special Force, 3rd Indian Infantry Division

 

Command and Staff

 

Commander Major-General O.C.Wingate DSO

succeeded by Major General W.D.A. Lentaigne

Deputy Commander Major-General G.W. Symes, succeeded by Brigadier D. Tulloch

Brigadier General Staff Brigadier D. Tulloch, succeeded by Brigadier H.T. Alexander

Headquarters Rear HQ at Gwalior, Central India

Main HQ first at Imphal and then at Sylhet, Assam

Launching HQ at Lalaghat

Tactical/Forward HQ, Shaduzup, Burma

 

 

Support Units

 

Air Force United States Army Air Force

Colonel P. Cochran USAAF, Colonel J.R. Alison USAAF

Royal Artillery 160th Field Regiment, R,S,and U troops

69th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, W, X, Y and Z troops

 

3rd West African Brigade

 

Commander Brigadier A.H. Gillmore, succeeded by Brigadier A.H.G. Ricketts DSO

Column 10 HQ column, 7th West African Field Company

Columns 39, 66 6th Battalion Nigeria Regiment

Columns 29, 35 7th Battalion Nigeria Regiment

Columns 12, 43 12th Battalion Nigeria Regiment

3rd West African Field Ambulance

 

14th British Infantry Brigade

 

Commander Brigadier T. Brodie

Column 59 HQ column

Columns 42, 73 2nd Battalion The Black Watch

Columns 16, 61 1st Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment

Columns 65, 84 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment

Columns 47, 74 7th Battalion Royal Leicestershire Regiment

Support 54th Field Company Royal Engineers

Medical Detachment

 

16th British Infantry Brigade

 

Commander Brigadier B.E. Fergusson DSO

Column 99 HQ column

Columns 21, 22 2nd Battalion Queens Royal Regiment (West Surrey)

Columns 17, 71 2nd Battalion Royal Leicestershire Regiment

Columns 51, 69 51/69 Field Regiments, Royal Artillery (fighting as infantry)

Columns 45, 54 45th Reconnaissance Regiment (fighting as infantry)

Support 2nd Field Company Royal Engineers

Medical Detachment

 

23rd Indian Infantry Brigade

 

Commander Brigadier Lance E.C.M. Perowne CBE

Column 32 HQ column

Columns 44, 56 1st Battalion Essex Regiment

Columns 33, 76 2nd Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment

Columns 34, 55 4th Battalion Border Regiment

Columns 60, 68 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (fighting as infantry)

Support 12th Field Company Royal Engineers

Medical Detachment

 

77th Indian Infantry Brigade

 

Commander Brigadier J.M. Calvert DSO

Column 25 HQ column

Mixed Field Company Royal Engineers/Royal Indian Engineers

Columns 36, 63 3rd Battalion 6th Gurkha Rifles

Columns 81, 82 1st Battalion King's (Liverpool) Regiment, to 111 Brigade in May 1944

Columns 20, 50 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers

Columns 38, 80 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment

Columns 57, 93 3rd Battalion 9th Gurkha Rifles, to 111 Brigade in May 1944

Support 142 Company Hong Kong Volunteers

Medical and veterinary detachments

 

111th Indian Infantry Brigade

 

Commander Brigadier W.D.A. Lentaigne, succeeded first by Major J. Masters

and then by Brigadier Morris CBE DSO

Column 48 HQ column

Columns 26, 90 1st Battalion Cameronians

Columns 41, 46 2nd Battalion Kings Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)

Column 30 3rd Battalion 4th Gurkha Rifles

Support Mixed Field Company Royal Engineers/Royal Indian Engineers

Medical and veterinary detachments

 

Morris Force

 

Commander Brigadier J.R. Morris

Columns 49, 94 4th Battalion 9th Gurkha Rifles

Column 40 3rd/4th Gurkha Rifles

 

Dah Force Lieut-Colonel D.C. Herring

Kachin Levies

 

Bladet (Blain's Detachment)

 

Major Blain

Gliderborne commando engineers.

 

Other Units

2nd Battalion Burma Rifles

Four troops 160th Field Regiment Royal Artillery (in artillery role)

Four troops 69th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery (in artillery role)

 

Divisional Troops

 

219th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

Detachment 2nd Burma Rifles

145th Brigade Company, R.A.S.C.

61st Air Supply Company, R.A.S.C.

2nd Indian Air Supply Company, R.I.A.S.C.

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  • 3 months later...

Well after all teh guessing and chasing - after a family member death recently info has surfaced and we have since found out my Grandad was a sapper in the Royal Engineers, got his service no and his time with the army was Aug 40 - Jul 46 (inc internment and travelling back to Belfast for demobbing etc according to the paperwork with references etc - I also got a set of dog tags made up with his info).

 

Although I was also given a pic of him with a Royal Fusiliers badge in his side cap. (apparently that was his training corp). Still no closer to knowing what he was actually doing out in HK/S/B and still no closer to knowing how he ended up fighting in Burma.

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here one for the unluckiest depending on how you look at it, my mother was telling me that my fathers grandfather served throught out the whole of the first ww in france somewhere working with horses she doesn't know what, without a scratch, then the poor old sod loses a leg after one of his own horses kicked him. sods law?

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