MEDAL RESTORATION AND MOUNTING
- Thread starter Watcher
- Start date
I got my family ones mounted and framed at http://www.messdress.com/. Very reasonable and good quick service.
The medal is Italian, of the fascist in power era despite showing the king rather than Musso - quite typical. I guess this is a souvenir and further guess this is a State recognition medal as a number were issued for such as service in/to sport, admin, education, finance, culture. Can't make out all the script, but could be part states 'National Opera Balilla' which was part of the youth organisations, (more akin to Scouts and Boys Brigade than Hitler Youth), which was for boys aged 8 to 10.
No.9
No.9
In photo order: Defence Medal, 1939-1945 War Medal, Italy Star (with Defence Medal ribbon), unkown Italian, France & Germany Star (with Italy Star ribbon) and 1939-1945 Star (with France & Germany Star ribbon).
Assuming the Italian medal can be worn, it will go last. You will need to find out where he went in the course of the war but many 8th Army (the "D-Day Dodgers") started in Italy and then went into Germany from the South. However seeing the para cap badge and not being au fait on para history, didn't the paras drop into Italy, and then Normandy?
So on the basis of my reasoning the order is:
1939-1945 Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and Italian unkown.
Hope this helps
Assuming the Italian medal can be worn, it will go last. You will need to find out where he went in the course of the war but many 8th Army (the "D-Day Dodgers") started in Italy and then went into Germany from the South. However seeing the para cap badge and not being au fait on para history, didn't the paras drop into Italy, and then Normandy?
So on the basis of my reasoning the order is:
1939-1945 Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and Italian unkown.
Hope this helps
Thank you No 9 and Mighty. I am currently trying to get his war record sent to me from records. Never met him myself but my uncle says that he was in Italy and Greece. Until I get hold of his record I wont know for deffinate. I am assuming that he *found* the Italian medal and kept it as a souvenier. Thanks for all your help so far.
S_A
S_A
Order of wear
http://www.honours.gov.uk/honours/wear.aspx
I find
http://www.worcmedals.com
really useful for identifying medals. They make and sell medals and have a good online catalogue with pictures.
Try Online Shop>Full Size Medals>UK
http://www.honours.gov.uk/honours/wear.aspx
I find
http://www.worcmedals.com
really useful for identifying medals. They make and sell medals and have a good online catalogue with pictures.
Try Online Shop>Full Size Medals>UK
I think you are right. The lettering appears to be, Opera Nazionale Balilla which was an Italian Fascist youth organization functioning, as an addition to school education, between 1926 and 1937 (the year it was absorbed into the Gioventù Italiana del Littorio, GIL, a youth section of the National Fascist Party).
Looking about today found the exact medal on the Italian ebay being sold by a dealer.
Inscription: âAI BENEMERITI DELL OPERA NAZIONALE BALILLAâ
(BENEMERITI = literally âwell deservedâ)
http://cgi.ebay.it/Ai-Benemeriti-dell'Opera-Balilla,-bronzo,-Regia-Zecca_W0QQitemZ130263632798QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20081021?IMSfp=TL081021123001r8881
Would have though a âshopâ dealer would ask at least double this auction figure?
On service, from what your uncle said re Italy and Greece and the Para badge, suggests 2nd Ind Para Bde who remained in the Med after 1st Air Div left. Appreciate general Para focus switches to western coast with D-Day onwards, but 2nd IPB had their share of rough times such as on the Sangro and dealing with the Civil War in Athens.
No.9
Inscription: âAI BENEMERITI DELL OPERA NAZIONALE BALILLAâ
(BENEMERITI = literally âwell deservedâ)
http://cgi.ebay.it/Ai-Benemeriti-dell'Opera-Balilla,-bronzo,-Regia-Zecca_W0QQitemZ130263632798QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20081021?IMSfp=TL081021123001r8881
Would have though a âshopâ dealer would ask at least double this auction figure?
On service, from what your uncle said re Italy and Greece and the Para badge, suggests 2nd Ind Para Bde who remained in the Med after 1st Air Div left. Appreciate general Para focus switches to western coast with D-Day onwards, but 2nd IPB had their share of rough times such as on the Sangro and dealing with the Civil War in Athens.
No.9
No 9, thank you, you are a star. I will try to quiz my Grandma about my Grandad when I get home, although it upsets her. I am currently going through the process of getting hold of my Grandads war record. Hopefully this will shed some light of where he was and what he did. Again, and I make no apolagies for keep saying it, thank you all very much.
S_A
S_A
Some 8th Army units were withdrawn from Italy to regroup in UK and join D-day etc. 11th Hussars was one of those - I think their whole Bde or maybe Div was so used. 11th Hussars War Diary is on the internet so one can follow them around, across Africa, up Italy and then from Normandy to North Germany. (Only picked this unit to research because I had a cousin who was a Cherry Picker and I wanted to find out more about his war. Pretty hairy some of it).
My feeling would be NOT to mount the Eyetie youth org medal which would hardly have been awarded to a British soldier! Part of the spoils I think.
My feeling would be NOT to mount the Eyetie youth org medal which would hardly have been awarded to a British soldier! Part of the spoils I think.
| Thread starter | Similar threads | Forum | Replies | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roald Dahl's family finally get his war medals, 73 years on | Medals | 13 | |
|
Fusilier R Davis 23467977 medals found | Medals | 24 | |
|
British Sovereignty Restoration Medal - A Brexit Gong | Medals | 33 |
