South African Forces

[Dieppe]

Does anyone know how easy it is to research medals (1939-45, Italy & Africa Stars etc) awarded to the South African Forces?

Am I correct in thinking that the South Africans were the only ones who included the names & numbers of the recipients on their medals?

Many thanks in advance

[Sgt Pilot Bernard Henson RAFVR]

Originally posted by Lee@Jun 16 2004, 04:33 PM
Does anyone know how easy it is to research medals (1939-45, Italy & Africa Stars etc) awarded to the South African Forces?

Am I correct in thinking that the South Africans were the only ones who included the names & numbers of the recipients on their medals?

Many thanks in advance

The South African Forces Medals were named,with Various Prefix Letters to differentiate between Races[European,Cape Coloured,Maltese,Etc;]They are emminently researchable as the Service Papers are I believe available via Records Office @ Pretoria?[Though how easy this is to access I dont know!]
The Australian Forces & some Indian Medals were also issued named.

[RASigs]

I can confirm Australian Medals all have a Name and Service Number on the rear as both my fathers and my own have.

On my fathers, his serial number and name are insribed around the base of the medal and in the case of the service medal his rank as well.

Mine have name and serial number inscribed on the rear.

[Dieppe]

Many thanks to both of you

What about those for WW2 Canadian medals?

[Sgt Pilot Bernard Henson RAFVR]

Originally posted by Lee@Jun 18 2004, 01:59 PM
Many thanks to both of you

What about those for WW2 Canadian medals?

Sadly the Canucks like the UK awards were in the main issued unamed,The George VI;C.D; making a welcome addition to confirm a Group!,I recall reading that some Canadian Mercantile Marine{Merchant Navy}WW2 Medals were named but cannot confirm it.
As a point of interest "Boots The Chemists" used to operate a Medal naming service post WW2 specifically to name UK WW2 Stars & Medals~Typically a private company doing what a pennypinching Government should have been doing anyway!

[Dieppe]

Originally posted by Sgt Pilot Bernard Henson RAFVR@Jun 18 2004, 04:16 PM
Typically a private company doing what a pennypinching Government should have been doing anyway!

No change there then!

Thanks for the info. I didn't think the Canadian medals were named, probably on the grounds that I have never seen any named to them!

[DirtyDick]

But the Canadians did make their medals out of silver rather than cupro-nickel, which was nice.

Perplexed by Indian WW2 issues; some are named and some are not. Can anyone shed light on why this is so? Is it anything to do with their being issued post '47 - perhaps either Pakistan or India named them whereas the other did not?

Richard