Vimy Militaria - What's New

Vimy Militaria
P.O. Box 17018
Portobello RO
1937 Portobello Rd
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K4A 4W8

What's New!

Welcome to the latest Vimy Militaria update! This month's additions, in keeping with recent updates, include a wide variety of material. Highlights include a very attractive CEF officers cap badge to the 193rd Battalion, and a scarce Queen's South Africa Medal to a member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Other medals include a range of Victorian, First World War, Second World War, and modern groups and singles, to both Canadian and British recipients. As always, I encourage you to contact me directly with your wants, as I am happy to keep these on file and to contact you if something in your area of interest arrives; my active servicing of client want lists results in a large quantity of incoming material never making it to the website, and is the reason that my updates are less frequent, so if you have not sent me your wants, please consider taking advantage of this service.

Please keep visiting regularly!

Best wishes,

Jim Godefroy

New Arrivals

One. A 193rd Battalion CEF Nova Scotia Highlanders Officer's Cap Badge. Badge consists of three pieces, with the thistle/shield overlaid on the maple leaf backing, and surmounted by a silver overlay. Original lugs and evidence of wear; no maker marks. A scarce and attractive officers' badge.

Good VF Condition $1100

Two. A Royal Navy Stalag XB Marlag December 1941 Christmas Card postcard and associated POW postcard. The POW postcard was sent by John Ralph, Royal Navy (POW number 100574) on 13 January 1943 to L.M. Beckwith, 49 Windsor Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia. No research has been done on Ralph or the circumstances of his capture, and his specific connection to the recipient of the posctcard is unknown. A pair of scarce and interesting POW paper items.

Good VF Condition $100

One. South Africa 1900 Chocolate Tin with original chocolate contents. Some light age-related corrosion to lid of tin, but still displays attractively.

Good VF Condition $250

One. Second World War Canadian Memorial Bar. Named to CPL.R.G.O'DELL. N.B.RANG. DIED IN HIS COUNTRY'S SERVICE 29 APR 1944. Ronald Garfield O'Dell was aged 23 when he died; he is buried in Brockwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, United Kingdom. His service number was G/27333. On 24 February 1944, The New Brunswick Rangers were reorganized as the Independent Medium Machine Gun Company for the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade and received this redesignation, being titled the 10th Independent Machine Gun Company (The New Brunswick Rangers), CIC, CASF. O'Dell died before the unit went into action in Normandy in July 1944, as a result of a motor cycle accident. He is also entitled to the Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas clasp, and War Medal 1939-45. A scarce Memorial Bar to the New Brunswick Rangers.

Good VF Condition $300

Four. Defence Medal (Canadian issue), Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas clasp, War Medal 1939-45 (Canadian issue), and Canadian Forces Decoration (EIIR) with bar. CD named to COL. P.J. PATERSON. Paterson appears in the 1966 Canadian Army Gradation List as a Colonel in the Royal Canadian Artillery, with service number ZK-2856. Group is otherwise un-researched. Medals are swing mounted as worn.

Good VF Condition $300

Two. UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) Medal and Canadian Forces Decoration (EIIR) with bar. CD named to CPL O.O. MACDONALD. With service record showing that Orville Otis MacDonald enlisted as an AC2 in the RCAF at Summerside, Prince Edward Island on 15 December 1947 with service number 19074, taking his discharge soon after on 21 January 1948. He later re-enrolled in the RCAF at Summerside on 26 June 1956, with service number 235684, serving until 17 October 1979. He served as a Supply Technician with 73 Canadian Service Battalion at Ismalia, Egypt between May and November 1977. Medals court mounted as worn on original ribbons.

Good VF Condition $175

One. CEF Death Certificate. Named to 733669 Private Herman Wesley Roy, Royal Canadian Regiment, who was killed in action on 31 October 1917. Roy has no known grave, and is commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium.

Good VF Condition $100

One. Memorial Cross (GV). Named to 406736 Pte. H. HEPWORTH. Harry Hepworth was born in West Ardsley Works, Yorkshire, England on 6 September 1876. A labourer by occupation, he enlisted into the 36th Battalion CEF at Hamilton, Ontario on 20 April 1915, aged 39. He sailed to England on 19 June 1915, arriving in England on 28 June. He was transferred to the 18th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force at Shorncliffe, England on 1 November 1915, and embarked for France the next day, joining the 18th in the field on 9 November 1915. He was wounded by shrapnel in the left arm, left thigh, and spine while serving with while serving with the 18th Battalion during the capture of Courcelette on 15 September 1916. His wounds were attended to and he was later evacuated to No. 23 General Hospital, Etaples, where he died of his wounds on 20 September 1916. He is buried in the CWGC's Etaples Military Cemetery, France. Cross has been modified with a pin back reverse, the pin now broken off, and it has a private purchase pin back suspender added to it.

VF Condition $325

One. Efficiency Medal (GV) with CANADA suspension. Named to BDSM E. BAUMAN SCOTS. FUS. OF C.

VF Condition $175

One. Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill and Belfast. Named to 96 PTE. A. DEROCHEJOCQUELEIN, RL CANDN: DGNS: Alphonse DeRochejocquelein joined the Royal Canadian Dragoons at Toronto, Ontario on 5 January 1900. He indicated that he had been born in Chertsey, Surrey, England, and was 35 years old when he enlisted. He was a janitor in civilian life, and his next of kin was his sister, who lived in Cleveland, Ohio. He was discharged in November 1900, and was invalided home, suffering from Enteric Fever and a rupture, still weak from the former, and required to wear a truss as a result of the latter. His file contains a letter indicating that a woman in Toronto, who claimed to be his wife and the mother of his four children, sought the assistance of the authorities to receive some finanical assistance in his absence in South Africa, under the presumption that he had died there. The Diamond Hill and Belfast clasps on his medal are period tailor's copies; DeRochejocquelein was not entitled to them as he was ill with enteric fever at the time his unit earned them, but he evidently decided to add them to reflect what he saw his peers receive. A scarce QSA to the Royal Canadian Dragoons, to an interesting recipient with great potential for more research.

Good VF Condition $1400

One. Meritorious Service Medal (GV). Erased naming. Loose on clean older ribbon. A useful original example to represent a missing medal in a group.

Good VF Condition $250

Two. 1914-15 Star and Victory Medal. Star named to 24382 PTE J. McPHERSON. 13/CAN:INF: and Victory named to 24382 PTE. J. MC PHERSON. 13-CAN.INF. John McPherson was born in Kincurrie, Invernesshire, Scotland on 28 December 1892. He was 22 years of age, and a member of Montreal's 5th Royal Scots militia regiment, when he enrolled as an original member of the 13th Battalion in Valcartier, Quebec on 23 September 1914. After sailing to England in October with the 1st Canadian Division, and wintering on Salisbury Plain, he was deployed with his unit to France in early 1915. McPherson was killed in action 20 May 1915, his Circumstance of Death card noting that his place of death was "in the trenches northeast of Festubert", and that no record of burial existed. He is commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Vimy Memorial in France.

Good VF Condition $275

Six. 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas clasp, War Medal, and Memorial Bar. Bar named L.CPL. R.J. HAWKINS R.H.L.I. DIED IN HIS COUNTRY'S SERVICE 22 NOV 1944. Reginald James Hawkins was a plasterer/construction worker in civilian life, aged 30 and married, when he enrolled in the Royal Canadian Engineers as a Sapper in November 1942 at Vancouver, British Columbia. He appears to have worked as a plasterer while serving in the UK in 1943 and 1944, receiving specialist pay in this role, before being reclassified to general duties in August 1944, and then trasferred to an infantry role in the Rocky Mountain Rangers, still in the UK. On 17 October 1944, he was sent forward to Belgium as an infantry reinforcement, joining the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry on 24 October. Promoted to Lance Corporal a short time later, on 15 November, Hawkins was killed in action a week later, on 22 November 1944, while on a fighting patrol under the command of Lt J.D. Bell in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. Hawkins is buried in the Commmonwealth War Graves Commission's Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Groesbeek, Netherlands. Hawkins' medals and the Memorial Bar issued in his memory are accompanied by the slip for Memorial Bar, card to next of kin in envelope named to Hawkins' wife Elizabeth at an address in Vancouver, British Columbia, and a bestowal slip for the medals named to K.9687 PTE. R.J. HAWKINS in mailing envelope with medals, which remain in their original boxes. Also with the group is a telegram reporting Hawkins' death in action, and several letters and envelopes marked OHMS from Veterans' Affairs addressed to his wife Elizabeth, dealing with survivor benefits due to her. An incredible archive, with much scope for further research.

Good VF Condition $825

Three. Queen's Korea Medal (Canada), UN Korea Medal with bar KOREA, and Canadian Forces Decoration with bar. Korea/UN Korea named N.J. BAKER 50735 H, and CD named PO 2/C N.J. BAKER. With hard copy service record indicating Baker served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1946-1970 as a cook, with service in the Korean War on HMCS Nootka between 30 December 1951 and 17 December 1952. Group is plated and mounted as worn with ribbon bar, identity disks, a petty officer rank insignia, and an image of Baker in uniform, all framed for display.

Good VF Condition $450

One. Queen Elizabeth II 1977 Silver Jubilee Medal (Canadian issue). Loose on clean length of ribbon. Unnamed as issued.

Good VF Condition $225

One. A Second World War 1st issue Canadian War Service badge copper blank. An unfinished and scarce example of this badge, describd on p. 103 of Robbie Johnson's Canadian War Service Badges 1914-54.

Good VF Condition $60

One. British War Medal 1914-20. Named to 790138 L.CPL. J.F. LYON. 131-CAN. INF. Accompanied by a 131st WESTMINSTER shoulder title with tang back fasteners (one prong missing), a 131st Battalion CEF cap badge in darkened copper with pin back fastner (bar broken off), maker-marked O.B. ALLAN, and a brass 104th Canadian Infantry militia collar badge.

VF Condition $275

Three. Military Medal (GV), British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal. MM named 2015 PTE. F. HIGGINS. CAN: A.M.C., and pair named with same number, name, initials but unit C.A.M.C. Fred Higgins was born in Montreal, Quebec on 23 April 1896. An automotive repairman in civilian life, he joined No. 6 Canadian Field Ambulance of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 21 November 1914, serving with this unit in France. He was awarded the Military Medal on 1 September 1918 in 2nd Canadian Division Orders, the award being gazetted in London Gazette 31142 of 24 January 1919. Swing mounted as worn, with ribbon for 1914-15 Star as well, which is unfortunately missing.

Good VF Condition $900

One. British War Medal 1914-20. Named to 1069769 PTE. P. JONES. 5-CAN-INF. Percy Jones was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England on 29 December 1882. He was working as a storekeeper in Fall River, Massachussets, USA when he enlisted in the 249th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 26 July 1917. Jones deployed to France in June 1918, and joined the 5th Battalion, CEF as a replacement on 8 August 1918. He was listed as missing on 1 September 1918, during the Canadian attacks preceding the assault on the Drocourt-Queant Line, and later as having been killed in action on that date.

VF Condition $125

One. Efficiency Medal (GVI) with CANADA suspension and bar. Named to R82960 F/S D.H. TWYMAN. A scarce EM to a RCAF recipient.

Good VF Condition $350

One. Naval General Service Medal (EIIR) with clasp 'NEAR EAST'. Named to C.E. ASH. Scarcer example of this medal awarded to a Merchant Navy recipient.

Good VF Condition $200

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