19 December 2014

South Atlantic Medal


Instituted:
1982

Qualification:
Awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the 1982 Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina. It was announced on 18th December 2014 that the medal was also to be awarded to the Falkland Islands (in the same way that Malta was awarded the George Cross).

Description:
Cupronickel, 36mm in diameter.  The obverse bears a crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right. The reverse depicts the Falkland Islands coat of arms over a laurel wreath with the words, SOUTH ATLANTIC MEDAL above.

Ribbon:
A central stripe of sea green flanked on each side by equal widths of white and watered and shaded "Empire blue".

Suspension:
A fixed bar suspension.

Naming:
Impressed with initials, surname, rank or rating, and regiment.

Clasps:
None. A rosette to be worn on the ribbon was awarded to recipients who served for at least one day within 35° and 60° South latitude or who took part in at least one operational sortie south of Ascension Island, between the date of the Argentine invasion on 2nd April 1982 and the date of the Argentine surrender on the 14th June 1982.

The medal on its own was awarded for 30 days continuous or accumulated service between 7° and 60° South latitude between 2nd April and 14th June 1982.

Acknowledgements:
Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

11 December 2014

VC group knocked down for £260,000



I see Dix Noonan Webb have today sold Lieutenant-Colonel T C Watson's VC group of six (below) for £260,000. So much for the £180,000 (itself higher than DNW's pre-auction estimate) which was quoted in a number of papers last week.


Also sold today for £110,00 was the 2009 Conspicuous Gallantry Cross group of eight awarded to Colour Sergeant A G Dennis (above).





7 December 2014

Medal catalogue clear-out



I have a number of medal catalogues, too numerous to list here now, most of which I am selling at £5 each. Most date from the 1980s and 1990s although there are some more recent than that. Auction houses include Baldwin's, Buckland Dix & Wood, Christie's, Dix Noonan Webb, Glendinning's, London Stamp Exchange, Sotheby's and so on.

These are great reference works but they're taking up too much room on my shelves and so it's time they went. Drop me a line - my address is on the Medal Research tab of this blog - if you have a particular interest. List below:


Armoury of St James's, The
Vol 2, Number 2 - SOLD

Baldwin & Sons
1996 - Commemorative Medals - SOLD
28th/29th September 2010 - Coins (mostly) and medals

Buckland Dix & Wood
4th December 1991 - Upfill-Brown Collection
5th December 1995

Chelsea Military Antiques
List No's: 28, 29, 33, 34, 36, 37, 46,

Christies
25th March 1986
14th March 1989
24th April 1992

Dixons
6, 11, 53, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 76

DNW
30th June 1998
4th July 2001 - SOLD
21st September 2001 - SOLD
4th December 2001 - SOLD
17 September 2004 - Brian Ritchie Part I

Glendining's
5th March 1986
17th September 1986
26th November 1986
24th June 1987
28th September 1988
7th December 1988
7th June 1989
19th September 1989
16th November 1994
1996 - Issue 1 - SOLD
3rd July 1996 - SOLD
28th March 2001

Liverpool Medal Company
July 2010
September 2010
November 2010
February 2011

Lockdales
20th September 2009 - Coins and Collectables

London Coins
4th December 2011

London Stamp Exchange
Spring/Summer 1982
Winter 1986-7

Sotheby's
1975 - Military & Naval campaign medals & gallantry awards
15th/16th November 1978 - Lovell Collection, Part 2
28th June 1984 - SOLD
6th/7th November 1985
10th November 1988
12th September 1989
28th June 1990
17th & 18th December 1990
25th July 1991
1st December 1998
11th May 1999 - SOLD

Spink
1987 - Medal Supplement
April 1994 - Medal Quarterly - Number 1 - SOLD
7th November 1995 - SOLD
December 1995 - Medal Circular Number 2
April 1996 - Medal Circular Number 3
25th November 1998 - The Fevyer Collection
25th November 1998 - Orders, Decorations etc
25th November 1998 - The Flatow Collection
10th December 2001
11th May 2001
25th September 2001
9th May 2002

St James's Auctions
18th November 2011 - Coins and Medals

France and Germany Star


Qualification:
Awarded for service in Belgium, France, Germany and Holland between 6th June 1944 and 8th May 1945.

For the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy, there was no prior time qualification. To qualify, personnel must have been "afloat in direct support of operations in the named countries above "... in the North Sea south of a line from the Firth of Forth to Kristiansand, in the English Channel or the Bay of Biscay east of longitude 6 degrees west." Personnel serving onshore in support of land operations also qualified but those serving off the south coast of France qualified for the Italy Star instead.

For the Army, participation in any operation on land in Belgium, France, Holland or Germany.

For the RAF, any service over Europe between 6th June 1944 and 8th May 1945 except those which started from the Mediterranean and qualified for the Italy Star. Non aircrew qualified under the same conditions as the army.

The France and Germany Star was not awarded in addition to the Atlantic or Air Crew Europe Star. Those who qualified for the Atlantic Star, Air Crew Europe Star or France and Germany Star were only awarded the star for which they qualified first, and a clasp for the second. A second clasp was not awarded to those who qualified for all three stars.

Description:
Bronze, 43mm diameter six-pointed star. The Royal cypher GRI with the roman numerals VI below. The cypher is surmounted by a crown and within a circlet which reads, THE FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR. All the Second World War Stars were designed by The Royal Mint.

Ribbon:
32mm wide in equal strips of blue, white, red, white, blue; these colours representing the flags of the United Kingdom, France and Holland. This ribbon, in common with all WW2 Star ribbons, was designed by His Majesty the King, King George VI.

Suspension:
A ring attached to the uppermost point of the star.

Naming:
Issued unnamed although some stars may have been privately engraved.

Clasps:
One: Atlantic. This was awarded to men who qualified for the France and Germany Star followed by the Atlantic. When the ribbon alone was worn, a silver rose emblem fixed to it noted the award of a clasp.

No Air Crew Europe clasp was awarded with this medal.

Acknowledgements:
Photo courtesy of The Cameronians. Text assistance from British Battles & Medals.