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Morning all

Isn't it funny, at least I smile at myself, when you get the auction catalogue and go through it filling your cabinet up, then start to go a little deeper and end up with a lot less!

The reasons are various, split groups, condition, not quite what you want, oh and occasionally the price

I have missed out on most recently with my absentee bids being the next lowest and I wonder if that is the case and I was bidding live, would I have gone higher? If so, why didn't I put in a higher bid? I suppose because you look at the guide and what you wish to pay.

No apologies for the thoughts and rant, it made me feel better and really looking forward to the next auction, after all it is my birthday and Christmas soon

Doug.

Hi Doug, I always put in a postal bid then watch it live, and then make the mistake of stepping in if someone outbids my postal bid. And I overpay. Sure I have a great medal but I often get into bidding wars, where myself and someone else loose their heads. I once had another window open looking at my Visa account to see if I could squeeze some out of there, while chasing the bid up.

It's a disease, but I think you are more vaccinated by not letting yourself bid live.

But it is heart pounding fun!

Good luck
Ryan

Hi Henk. Do you have any more information on Theophilus John Curran? He is my great grandfather and I am trying to get more background about him. I would be very interested in getting copy of his diary from Ceylon if you ever managed to get a copy yourself. Thanks, Duncan

Hi Duncan
After Elria Wessels (my contact at the Bloemfontein Boer War Museum for some 30 years) retired, I haven't tried to get a copy of the Curran diary.
However, I have a transcript of an Afrikaans article "Theo Curran : 'n ware rustelose gees" that appeared in Knapsak 3:3, Desember 1991[/I (a short-lived journal published by the Bloemfontein Museum) This was a synopsis of his time in Ceylon.
I also have copies of his WWI Service Cards and Service File and the recommendation for his OBE.
Are you within easy reach of where I live (Rosendal, between Senekal & Ficksburg)?
Henk

Hi Everybody
A Naval group to G E Wood, who was born in Lincoln on 19 June 1872 and who entered the Royal Indian Marine as an Assistant Engineer on 21 November 1893.




The no-bar QSA (Rank Engineer) was for service on RIMS "Canning" for 40 days (11 April 1900 to 20 May 1900). The ship must have made a short appearance in South Africa waters : perhaps transporting some men from India? I would love to hear about any documentation in this respect.
The no-bar China War medal was earned for service in Chinese waters on RIMS "Dalhousie" between June and December 1900.
The Naval General Service Medal with bar Persian Gulf 1909-1914 was earned for suppression of arms traffic in the Persian Gulf on RIMS "Minto"
His 1914-15 star is named Engr. G E Wood, R.I.M. and as he was promoted to Engineer Commander in February 1918 the War Medal and Allied Victory Medal is named with the rank Comdr.

Fevyer & Wilson's book lists 16 QSA's to RIMS "Canning"

Henk

Henk:

A beautiful group. Thanks for sharing. You are correct, Wood's QSA and China would have been earned as a result of troop transporting duties.

In the Persian Gulf, Minto served as a sort of "mothership", providing accommodation, repair facilities and other general support to the various launches (ie, small boats -- usually steam powered) employed in seeking out the gun-runners, who usually stayed well in-shore to increase their concealment.

Cheers,

Glen,
In Our Dominion of the North