TOPIC:

It appears to me that a number of QSA medals lack the full entitlement of clasps. These tend to be the later issued clasps such as 1901 or 1902 or even the entire lot.

Makes me speculate why this is the case. My experience was my GG did not get the 1901 clasp until 6 years after the event. It was then attached rather uniquely by one of my Great Grandmothers (I presume) hairpins. Amazingly it was never lost. It has been mounted that way as part of the story and a connection with my GGM. Most appear not to have happy endings like mine.

With my collectors hat on it appears often they just never get connected or lost over time in part or full. Wondering if there is a place, person that one can apply for original replacements or are you forced to troll the for sale clasp section of medal collecting, avoid such medals, accept this loss or any other alternatives I have missed?

Appreciate your perspective on how you approach/fix/accept this issue of the missing in action QSA clasp?

Thanks
Stephen

Hello Stephen,
You are quite right, a large number of QSA's are missing clasps and as you say, they do tend to be date bars.
In the case of the SA01 and 02 date bars, these tend to be issued of the supplementary roll, so a fellow has recieved his QSA and then, in, say 1907 is issued with an additional date bar.
In the British army, that last bar was often worn just slipped over the ribbon, but just as often, it was left to a skilled artisan within the regt/corps to rivet the bar onto the preceding bar, like this





or the soldier concerned might take his medal to a jeweller and have it fixed, but, I have a number in my own collection that have been sewn on or attached with wire etc.
The Gordon Highlander's had a bar on the India Medal 1895 fixed with a very distinct wire loop which is unique to them, and very nice to see today!
My own thoughts are, in the case of just a date bar, slip it over the ribbon or just leave it alone!
With your GG's medal, I would say you are very lucky and you should leave it as is!
You can easily obtain original date bars and I would just slip the bar over the ribbon, in a case where you believe that the bar was actually issued.
If you know that a man was entitled to an additional bar but there is some doubt that he actually recieved it or ever wore it, then I really would not worry about it!
Frank

By chance, just picked up three joined bars missing a QSA at auction. OFS, TVL & 1901. Should not be hard to find a ;onesome QSA that fits that bill............

This is a major problem with Canadian QSA's as 90% were issued without bars and they were sent off afterwards..... The Strathcona's got their medals in UK and then their State / Battle bars about 2 years later and then a year after that got the SA01 bar......

Mike