Posted 10 years ago
Phatbuddha
(220 items)
A group of ww1 medals
5939 PTE A . RAWLINGS RIF Brig :
British Campaign Medal Sets
“Mutt and Jeff”
This was a sad find, I was talking to the bloke that was throwing all of this mans stuff from a house clearance, he told me that the man died all on his own and wasn't found for weeks, he had no family or friends to look after him. It's such a shame that he fighters for his Country for years and at the end of he's life was spend all on his own.
I've had a quick look at them
There is a africans star, French and German, star ww1star
I've not had time to do any research on them or him. I am looking forward to find out about them when I get some time.
I love these medals.. That is a sad sorry and I am glad you are saving them.
Thanks fluffy, it is such a shame, I'm glad I managed to save his medals from going to the landfill :) hopefully when I get some free time I can find out something about him.
Such a shame that he should die alone, I'm glad they're in your hands now.
Thanks walksoftly, it is sad thing to happen to someone who done so much for his Country.
I remember reading about a veteran who died in a nursing home in England, very moving story.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/hundreds-of-strangers-attend-funeral-of-u-k-veteran-who-died-alone-1.2422531
That's was a heart warming storty, I hope A.rawlings had some friends at his funeral.
Pip, Squeak and Wilfred
http://www.greatwar.co.uk/medals/ww1-campaign-medals.htm
The Africa Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in the Second World War.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa_Star
These are from both wars, & the man that died couldn't have been the recipient of the WWI medals.
Father & son ?
Thanks walksoftly these pages are really helpfull
I didn't realise that these medals could be father n son joint, That's pretty cool if they are.
I wondered where the phrase "Mutt and Jeff" came from, it's Cockney rhyming slang for deaf lol
Thanks again :)
I looked on Ancestry for more info on Pte. A Rawlings & all that I found was his full first name "Alfred" & that he enlisted 19/11/1915.
Is there any info on the rim of the round medals?
That's a great start, thanks walksoftly
I'm looking at them now and there isn't anything else to see. Apart from what's not there, the Africa star n the France n Germany star hasn't got no name on them. I was told that in the Second World War they didn't stamp names on the medals.
So maybe the son of Alfred got them in the second war.
Thanks again for your time, you are so helpfull :)
Yep, the WWI Victory, War and 1914-15 Stars are almost always named, if you check the edges, but the Africa Star and France and Germany Star are almost always unnamed.
Walksoftly, I bet you found Alfred's medals index card, which I just pulled up too. There is a trick to reading them. The date at the bottom left is not his enlistment, but the date he entered the theater of war, which according to the card is 19/11/15. The number 1 in a circle was the theater code for Western Europe (France).
Thanks for correcting my mistake Chris.
I think Pb needs to get out his magnifying glass & look at the outer circumference of the round medals, there should be something there.
Thanks walksoftly and chrisnp for your time, I will get my Magnifying glass and have a look as soon as I can :)
Ive got my Magnifglass and Doublecheck the 1914-15 star, they is nothing on the edges on it. Thanks for all your info guys, you are so helpfull
Not the star, the two round ones, not on the face but the outer edge.
Opps, I've just checked the two rounds medals along the rim, no joy on any more info.
I was relying on the info from the site http://www.greatwar listed above
The recipient's service number, rank, name and unit was impressed on the rim.
Look at the image on this page half way down;
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/mercantile_marine_war_medal_1914_1918.htm