A very tidy Indian Mutiny medal named to Sergeant William Burchell, 2nd Batallion, 4622, The Rifle Brigade. I can’t find a roll entry for the Crimea medal so he must have avoided that shitfest.
A Birchall in The Great Mutiny
Posted in 1850-1900 Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, Indian Mutiny, United Kingdom on September 27, 2023 by The DudeAtlantic Star with Air Crew Europe and France & Germany Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Battle of the Atlantic, Bomber Offensive, United Kingdom, WW2 on April 30, 2023 by The DudeThe Atlantic Star was awarded for six months of service afloat or two months for air-crew service and was not awarded unless the recipient was qualified for the 1939-1945 Star by six months of operational service afloat or by two months of airborne service. Therefore, the total requirement was twelve months of service afloat or four months of airborne service. This star is non-conforming since you were only allowed either the F&G bar or the ACE bar to be added, whichever you qualified for first.
An Bonn Seirbhise Eigeandala Variant 4
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Ireland, WW2 on April 30, 2023 by The Dude
This is the Emergency Service Medal 1939-1946 issued by the Republic of Ireland. For service with good conduct between 3 September 1939 and 31 March 1946 this medal came in eleven variations depending on the unit or branch of service. I have four of these variants, this one is for NA SEIRBHISE REAMHCURAIM IN AGHAIDH AER-RUATHAR : the Air Raid Precautions Organisation.
An Bonn Seirbhise Eigeandala Variant 3
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Ireland, WW2 on April 30, 2023 by The DudeThis is the Emergency Service Medal 1939-1946 issued by the Republic of Ireland. For service with good conduct between 3 September 1939 and 31 March 1946 this medal came in eleven variations depending on the unit or branch of service. I have four of these variants, this one is for NA FORSAI COSANTA : the Defence Forces (Regular Army, Air Corps, Marine Service, etc.).
New Zealand Postal Cinderella
Posted in Stamps with tags New Zealand, WW2 on April 10, 2023 by The Dude
A simple little item that has been sitting unloved by me in a drawer. This is a 1938 cinderella, a postal item that was affixed to the envelope that usually contained a message that supported some sort of public program. This one is for the Territorial Force as evidenced by the message “Help Your Territorials – Home Defence Only”.
A Birchall on the Western Front with the Suffolks
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom, WW1 on March 11, 2023 by The DudeSeems I have a bit of a flush of Birchall’s this year. My 65th Birchall is a WW1 pair to G.J. Burchell 57346 of the Suffolk Regiment. George John Birchall was moved later to the Northamptonshire Regiment and then to the A.S.C. likely as he aged out.
A Longserving Birchall in the South Lancashire Regiment
Posted in 1901-1913 Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom, WW1 on March 4, 2023 by The DudeInteresting orphan off EBay. This Long Service in the Volunteer Force Medal was awarded to Corporal William Birchall, 6889, 2V.B. South Lancashire Regiment. William had served 20 years by 1908 in this regiment and reenlisted as a regular in the same regiment in 1908. He served through the First World War, being discharged due to age on the 29th of September 1917 at the rank of C.S.M (age 48).
A Birchall, Career Cop, with an ISM
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom, WW1 on February 18, 2023 by The DudeThese medals are always pretty difficult to identify, just a name and a king to go by. Luckily George V didn’t live that long and I find a John Burchill, Protective Officer of London being gazetted on the 1st of October 1914. For long service and likely a retirement award. A Protective Officer was similar to a police officer but working for one of the large ports within Customs and Revenue.
Death Scroll to a Birchall, Dead at Gallipoli
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom, WW1 on February 18, 2023 by The DudeA poignant item named to Alfred Burchell who served in the Royal Marine Light Infantry Plymouth Bn as a Private. He died of wounds at 7am on the 28th of May 1915 in 15th General Hospital Alexandria. He suffered a GSW in the left shoulder deemed dangerous, at ‘Y’ Beach, Gallipoli two days earlier on the 26th leading to the amputation of his left arm). He is buried at Chatby War Memorial Cemetery (Egypt 6). He was ex-1826 Private 4th Bn. Somerset Territorials, enlisted 8/4/1913 (later transferred to RMLI) ; Plymouth Bn. at Dunkirk & Defence of Antwerp 1914 ; MEF 6/2/15-28/5/15 DD. PLY/16337 Son of Mrs. Frances H. Burchell, of Hillside Cottages, Bleadon, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. 1914 Star issued to father 31/10/19.
A Birchall in the Cheshire Regiment
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom, WW1 on August 22, 2022 by The DudeThis medal group belonged to a Peter Birchall. The group is impressed to 51660 PTE. P.BIRCHALL CHES. REG. Peter was enlisted in the Cheshire Regiment in 1915 and demob’d at the end of the year. He was redrafted into the Labour Corps and served the rest of the war there.
A Birchall in the South Wales Borderers
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom, WW1 on August 22, 2022 by The DudeThis lonely orphan BWM is all I have to commemorate James Burchall. The medal is impressed to 683648 PTE J.BURCHALL S.W.B. James was initially mobilized into the South Wales Borderers (15116) in 1914 and served there until he was released to the Labour Corps in 1917. He was 29 and a labourer from Barrow in Lancashire. He was entitled to the Victory medal and the 1914-1915 Star, both lost to time. From his records he served in Salonika in Greece as well as in France, as a farrier. He was pensioned due to illness from malaria and dysentary.
A Royal Navy Birchall Stoker in WW1
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, Royal Navy, United Kingdom, WW1 on March 11, 2022 by The DudeThis pair of WW1 service medals appeared off EBay. They are impressed for K46500 R. BURCHALL STO.1 R.N. Richard was born on 30th September 1892 in Wigan in Lancashire. He was a bricklayer by trade. His K prefix on his number shows that he was transferred from the Army upon enlistment to the Royal Navy on the 19th of October 1917. His first ship was HMS Vivid on the 31st of December 1917. His final posting was on HMS Dido, a cruiser, before being discharged on the 19th of February 1919.
A Birchall, Too Old for the Trenches
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, France, United Kingdom, WW1 on January 15, 2022 by The DudeThis is a lonely little orphan Victory Medal for Pioneer James Burchell of the Royal Engineers. The medal is engraved 110501 PNR.J.BURCHELL R.E. James enlisted voluntarily on August 14th 1915 at the age of 46. While this seems old for the time he did indicate 5 years prior service with the Royal Sussex Regiment. James was retired sick and no longer fit for service on the 31st of July 1916. He was entitled to the SWB #236,996.
A Birchall MID in the RAFVR
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, RAF, United Kingdom, Valour Medals, WW2 on November 21, 2021 by The DudeAn almost lost group here to Leading Aircraftsman R.Birchall (1155198) in the RAFVR. The group came with a Welsh Regiment cap badge so I assume he was originally enrolled in that unit before transferring to the RAFVR. He was awarded an MID oakleaf in June 1945.
Atlantique Bar for the Commemorative Medal of the 1939-45 War
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Battle of the Atlantic, France, WW2 on October 8, 2021 by The Dude
This is the bar issued to French service members who served in the Atlantic Theatre between September 3rd 1939 and May 8th 1945. It was intended to be placed on the Commemorative Medal of the 1939-45 War, like this example here.
A Birchall in the Royal Fusiliers in France
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom, WW1 on October 6, 2021 by The DudeThis group is the usual suspects for a mid war soldier in France. These three were awarded to Alfred Charles Burchell. They are impressed to K-1445 PTE A Burchell, R.Fus. Alfred disembarked into France on 17th November 1915. On the 8th of July 1919 he was released into Z Pool, basically a civilian again.
Another Birchall in the Liverpool Regiment
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom, WW1 on October 6, 2021 by The DudeThis lonely little Orphan is the BWM, or British War Medal for Private Harold Birchall. The medal is impressed to 330057 PTE. H. BIRCHALL . L’POOL R. At some point Harold was transferred to the Labour Corps and issued a second number, 325057.
An Old Contemptible In The Sussex Regiment
Posted in 1914-1918 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom, WW1 on October 6, 2021 by The DudeHere’s a nice WW1 group to an early arriver in France. Impressed to 9095 L.Cpl H.W.BURCHELL 2/R SUSS:R. & L-9095 T.SGT H.W.BURCHELL R.SUSS.R. This man landed in France on the 12th of August 1914 and has the November Bar on his 1914 Star to show it.
Anti-Japanese Postcard “Slap the Jap off the Map”
Posted in Paper, Propaganda Items with tags Anti-Axis, Empire of Japan, Propaganda, United States, WW2 on September 23, 2021 by The Dude
Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbour, American capitalism and racist jingoism met and fell in love. Their offspring was a flood of dime-store tat that was fed to the public in an ultimately successful attempt to stir feeling enough that they were prepared to spend whatever it took to defeat the Empire of Japan. Here is an example from my collection of a postcard printed for that purpose.
Slap That Jap Propaganda Sheetmusic
Posted in Propaganda Items with tags Anti-Axis, Empire of Japan, Music, Propaganda, United States, WW2 on September 23, 2021 by The DudeHere’s a second variation on the sheet music for that classic agi-prop song, “We’re gonna have to slap the Dirty Little Jap”. The other one I have is here, and the record is here. The lengths the US Government had to go to get the US people fired up for war were pretty extreme at times and resorted to gross caricature and racism in most cases.
Commemorative Medal of the 1939-1945 War with Extreme Orient Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Far East, France, Pacific Campaign, WW2 on April 3, 2021 by The DudeThis is a French medal awarded to all participants in recognised formations, fitted with a range of bars depending on the type and theatre of service. In this case the bar is “Extreme Orient” for operations (including in the Indian and Pacific oceans) between 7 December 1941 and 15 August 1945.
An ISM to a Birchall in the Post Office
Posted in Family Groups & Singles with tags Civilian Medals, Family Groups and Singles, United Kingdom on April 3, 2021 by The DudeIn my never ending quest for medals named to my surname I inevitably roll past non-military items. Like Masonic medals or in this case an Imperial Service Medal. This one is named to Evelyn Gertrude Maud Burchell, a telephonist in the GPO. She was gazetted in February 1946.
Commemorative Medal of the 1939-1945 War with Mer Du Nord Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags France, Maritime Medals, North Sea, WW2 on February 14, 2021 by The DudeThis is a French medal awarded to all participants in recognised formations, fitted with a range of bars depending on the type and theatre of service. In this case the bar is “Mer Du Nord” for Naval Operations in the North Sea between September 3rd 1939 and May 8th 1945.
Commemorative Medal of the 1939-1945 War with Mediterranee Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags France, Maritime Medals, Mediterranean Campaign, WW2 on February 14, 2021 by The DudeThis is a French medal awarded to all participants in recognised formations, fitted with a range of bars depending on the type and theatre of service. In this case the bar is “Mediterranee” for Naval Operations in the Mediterranean between September 3rd 1939 and May 8th 1945.
Commemorative Medal of the 1939-1945 War with Manche Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags English Channel, France, Maritime Medals, WW2 on February 14, 2021 by The DudeThis is a French medal awarded to all participants in recognised formations, fitted with a range of bars depending on the type and theatre of service. In this case the bar is “Mache” for naval Operations in the English Channel between September 3rd 1939 and May 8th 1945.
