Had a nice surprise today

[Jonesiani]

Brilliant and heart warming find.

My grandad has all my great grandads WW1 medals framed and on display, there are several of them.

He also has all his own from WW2 framed.

Collecting war medals and military badges was a hobby of his (I say was because he's 91 and too old to live on his own now and resides in a home). He has a huge safe literally filled to the brim with hundreds of them.

When me and my dad cleaned out his shed early this year, I made a similar find. There, on a shelf covered in dust and cobwebs was a huge blade that an Indian officer had given him in ww2. When I asked my grandad about it he just said he chucked it into the shed in 1950 and never looked at it again!

I also have my great grandads hip flask which he used in ww1. It has two bullet holes in it, as he was shot 6 times. He survived, and not one of the bullet wounds was seen by a doctor. He told my grandad that after the 6th shot he thought it best to play dead for a bit until the German officer was gone I swear people were made of different stuff back then.

 

[Von Smallhausen]

I like the back of the victory medal. Says it all really, apart from the fact they got the dates wrong

I just wonder if 1919 refers to the Versailles treaty ? The armistice was in 1918 but the treaty officially ended the state of war between Germany and the Allies a and it wasn't signed until 1919.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

great find mate and yeah framing them wiht a pic of him would be awesome.
I remember my grandad and his brother both had a handfull, he also had some old bits and bobs I remember vividly, a pair of sunglasses taken from a pilot, german bayonet/knife, a german belt buckle and some pins.

My grandad died and my uncle was left to clear the house, not a clue where any of it went Would love to find them again and get them framed int he manner you suggest.

 

[Usher]

Here is one of my Grandads ,the MM (military medal)I researched it & found he won it in Italy

 

[robfosters]

Here is one of my Grandads ,the MM (military medal)I researched it & found he won it in Italy

Now that is an amazing medal to have!

I always remember the episode of Dad's Army when the old fellow Godfrey said he was a conscientious objector in WW1. Everyone was nasty to him, thinking he was a coward. Later on, it turned out that instead of fighting, he had joined the medical corp and rescued several people under heavy fire at the Somme, and had won the military medal for it. A touching episode and a good lesson that conscientious objectors are not always cowards, but merely people with exceptionally high morals.

 

[Stonehouse]

They are amazing!! Great find.

I think my Granddad got a medal for his service in the coal mines during WW2, not sure though. Did miners get medals during the war? He was a Bevin Boy.

EDIT: Oh dear, just found out Jimmy Saville was a Bevin Boy, haha! - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1582809/Bevin-Boys-honoured-for-wartime-service.html

Looks like some of them did get medals eventually. Not many though.

EDIT: Just found out he can apply for one if he hasn't already: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-bevin-boys-veterans-badge

I need to ask him.

Interesting never heard about them before! Says they were largely unrecognised and kept on long after WW2, jesus.

 

[Von Smallhausen]

I just wonder if 1919 refers to the Versailles treaty ? The armistice was in 1918 but the treaty officially ended the state of war between Germany and the Allies and it wasn't signed until 1919.

 

[diamount]

My great grandad also had a plethora of medals, but instead of it going to my grandad (he's oldest son), it went his youngest. He also 'misplaced' them.