Great War Medal Collectors Companion

OUR PRICE: £60.00

This new book by Howard Williamson, which has taken over eight years to research and write, is the definitive volume on Great War Campaign and Gallantry Medals. Profusely illustrated in full colour, it contains much previously unpublished information & original research. This book will pay for itself many times over by enabling the hidden stories and value of medals to be unlocked

Some of the topics included are..... Medal Index Cards Over 1,500 MIC abbreviations & codes deciphered. Definitive notes on the MICs & how to read them. The significance of different coloured inks revealed. Gallantry Medals DSO, MC, DCM & MM Gazettes, giving dates & battles covered by each gazette. Especially useful for MM research, linking the London Gazette date back to the bravery date. DCM, MC & DSO Gazette citations that omit dates & places (March 1916 - January 1919). List of MC & DCM recipients for 1st July 1916. Also all DCM and Dated Bars noted. A full list of Escapers awarded the MM; Army Order 193 of 1919 explained & 1914 MMs noted. How to spot fakes e.g. MC, DSO, DFC, AFC etc. as well as fake bars. History of the DCM League & MM Association plus Ex-Servicemen's Association details. Definitive notes about the naming & renaming of medals - many examples illustrated. How to read & research the MM Cards, including the breakthrough use of Schedule Numbers. Detailed notes on the Somme Gazettes & the units engaged. List of VCs & where they were won. Documents found with gallantry groups, including Divisional Cards, award notifications etc. Chronological list of actions & battles fought in all theatres, plus indexed maps. Campaign Medals Full history of each medal, including Army Orders, Army Council Instructions & award criteria. How & when medals were named & distributed. Packaging & accompanying documents. How to spot fake medals & correctly identify original ‘5th Aug-22nd Nov. 1914' Bars. How to spot renaming. Font alphabets for 1914 & 1914/15 Trios, DCMs & MMs. Miscellaneous WW1 Medals & Badges Including: Lusitania, Cunliffe-Owen, ANZAC, Jutland, Sydney-Emden, Gallipoli Star, Ceylon Volunteer, TFEM & TEM, Army LS&GC, The King's Certificate, ‘On War Service' Badges, Princess Mary's Gift Tin plus other Commemorative, Tribute & Sports Medals etc. Collecting Medals Collecting themes, buying, cleaning & storing, dealer contact details etc. Illustrated guide to medal conditions. Comprehensive & highly detailed Index Chapter Contents Chapter 1 Collecting Great War Medals Introduction and background, Collecting themes, tools for collecting, buying, storage, cleaning, insurance, illustrated guide and table of medal conditions, general notes on naming, renaming, building a reference library. Chapter 2 The Campaign Medals 1914 Star: AO350 of 1917, Grant of the 1914 Star. Manufacture and issue of ribbons, Clasp and Roses, Identifying Fake Bars. AO361 of 1919. Appendix A Units qualifying for the Clasp. Notes on the award of the Clasp. 1914 Star naming styles. Font Alphabet. 1914–15 Star: AO20 of 1919. Theatres of War, Alphanumeric Codes Tables 1 and 2 and detailed notes on: Official illustrated naming styles for 1914/15 Star, Font Alphabet, Naming styles for AIF, NZEF, SAI, Indian Army: ACI No 26 9.1.19 issue of the ribbon, Box of Issue, Issue documents. Details of how and when the medals were distributed including percentage graphs by year showing main years of issue. BWM 1914–20: AO266 of 1919, Scheme to issue bars. Medals awarded to, ribbon and issue of, Naming of BWM, the naming machine and how it worked, the “Silver Bubble”; Bronze BWM, table of units awarded, illustrated Naming styles for the BWM, Font Alphabet, Issue procedure. Victory Medal: AO301 of 1919, ribbon bar, Type 1 and 2 VMs, Font Alphabet, Bi-lingual issue, Issue of ribbons, Illustrated naming styles. Mercantile Marine Medal: General notes, naming style, Font Alphabet, Forms WM2, Medals E, WM5, “Danger Zones”. Procedure for claiming, Continuous Certificate of Discharge, Form RS2, Medal Cards, Torpedo Badge and Star, Mercantile Marine Certificates. Captain Fryatt, Mercantile Marine Awards Committee, Clasp to MMWM. TFWM 1914–19: AO143 of 1920, naming style, issue of ribbon, General notes on TFWM. The MICs, notes on reading them. TFWM revised table of numbers awarded. The Memorial Plaque: History of the Plaque, the Competition, Notes on the plaque, production and distribution of. The Memorial Scroll. The Silver War Badge. ACIs for issue of the SWB, Service Chevrons, Discharge Cards, Classes of Discharge under AO126 Para 392 KR 1912. Issue procedures WWI Campaign Medals. Store accounting, notes on packing, forfeiture of medals. Order of Wear. Medal mounting. “Pip, Squeak and Wilfred”. Khedives Sudan Medal, AGS, NGS 1909–62, GSM 1918–62 IGSM, Canadian Memorial Cross, BRCS War Service Medal. General notes and illustrations of all medals. Chapter 3 The Medal Index Cards Introduction to, use of different coloured inks on the cards, Type 1, 2, 3 and 4 Cards and their headings explained. Record Office Letter Codes, Record Office Roll Codes for the issue of the medals, distribution of medals by year. Thirty four pages of MIC abbreviations – over 1800 abbreviations and administrative procedures noted. The Order of Precedence, Primary Sources of Army Research evaluated. Many cards illustrated with explanations of how to decipher them. Chapter 4 Gallantry Medals General notes on rules and regulations for the award of the gallantry medals. A users guide to the London Gazette, Gallantry Medals awarded to foreigners. The Victoria Cross: Indexed list of all 633 winners, how the cross is made; fakes and copies. Illustrated VC Groups. The DSO: General notes, numbers awarded, detecting fakes. Notes on DSO Gazettes February, 1916 to December 1918 (The Edited Gazettes). The MC: General notes, fakes and how to spot them, bar to the MC, fakes and originals. The annotated MC Gazettes March, 1916 to August, 1918. Detailed notes on each gazette. List of MC Recipients for July 1st, 1916. The DCM: General notes. The annotated DCM Gazettes December, 1914 to March, 1920, Paperwork, DCM & Bar, table of recipients of dated bars, DCM, MM naming styles. The DCM League, foreign awards of the DCM. Ephemera, a list of DCM winners for July 1st, 1916. The Military Medal: General notes, replacement bars, MM from act to Gazette, paperwork found with the MM. Ephemera, presentation of, Divisional Gallantry Cards, Importance of Schedule Numbers. The MM Index Cards. Military Medallists Association, naming style, Important notes on the MM Gazettes, links between MM and DCM Gazettes, numbered gazettes, AO 193 of 1919, famous last stands, MMs awarded. List of 349 men who received the MM for escaping, table of Schedule numbers and gazettes, MMs for all theatres, numbers awarded to foreigners, MMs awarded to the wrong man. Ephemera found with MM Groups. The DSC: General notes, list of men of the Mercantile Marine entitled to the DSC. The CGM, and DSM General Notes, naming style, abbreviations found on. Notes on the Gazettes. DSMs awarded to the Mercantile Marine. Bar to DSM. The MSM General Notes. Index Cards. The MSM Gazettes (notes on) Tables of numbers awarded. The DFC, AFC, DFM, AFM General Notes, How to detect fakes, bars, The Albert Medal, Allied Subjects Medal, RRC MID, etc. The Chronology of all battles and actions during the Great War including geographical locations. General Maps with Index of all theatres of war. Chapter 5: Miscellaneous Great War Medals, Badges, Certificates and Ephemera including Lusitania Medallion, Cunliffe Owen Medal, ANZAC Medallion, Jutland Medal, Commemorative, Tribute, Shooting and Sports, Zeebrugge, Sydney-Emden, Gallipoli Star, Ceylon Volunteers, Llandudno plaque, Special Constabulary, TFEM, TEM, ALSGC, King Certificate on Discharge. On War Service Badge. Much previously unpublished material on the King's Certificate and OWS Badges. Ex Servicemen's Associations badges, Princess Mary's Gift Tin. “They Shall Not Grow Old”. Index: A user friendly comprehensive 8 page cross referenced Index completes the book. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE COMPANION Some Comments/Reviews The following comments have been taken from feedback posted on the internet on the Great War Forum, British Medals Forum, and ebay feedback, plus personal e-mails sent to the author. “This book is in my humble opinion now the best ever produced for Great War Medals and arguably any medal collecting book.” “I am stunned at the breadth and depth of what the author has produced.” “My partner got me this book recently, I haven't looked at her since. Its been a few days and she wants to send it back. Super book.” “This really is a superb book, beautifully printed and bound.” “The volume of information it contains and knowledge imparted is immense.” “It's a fantastic book worth every penny.” “A wonderful and much needed book.” “An outstanding research tool.” “Excellent Book, quality, heaps of info, well researched, A Bible, Thanks.” “I'll join the chorus of those who are telling you what a magnificent job you have done on this book.” “I got my copy yesterday and haven't put it down since.” “It is now the centrepiece of my library.” “I think there will be many novice collectors like myself, plus many others far more experienced, who owe you a very big thanks.” “I have been reading it for 16 hours and can't put it down.” “The book pinpoints gallantry London Gazette dates with the actions awarded which is fantastic.” “A fine work of reference.” “I am writing to congratulate you on this incredible publication.” “It's the best £60 I've spent in years.” “A must have for WWI Collectors.” “Excellent Reference book which no doubt will pay for itself.” “It's a cracker!” “As Carlsberg would say probably the best medal book in the world.” “What a book. FANTASTIC, worth double the price.” “I am enjoying the hell out of this book.”

Details


Product Code:	21141
Author:	Howard Williamson
Format:	HB 571 pp + Index Profusely illustrated in full colour
Shipping Time:	This item is usually dispatched Next Day
Our Price:	£60.00