Great Medal with History

Medals with history and a photo of the man !

I'm going to be visiting Thailand in June.  Are there any places in Bangkok or Hua Hin to find interesting militaria?

Wow!

👍   Its amazing how your minds eye can Not see something Must have looked at that a 100 times before I realized that 🤣

Normally, when people think of a Y.M.C.A. POW diary they think of the hardbound “Wartime Log” diaries.    This little diary was also a gift of the Y.M.C.A. to prisoners of war. I have only seen these little red books issued to POW’s in Oflag 64 in Schubin Poland.   This particular diary was given to Major Emmanuel Robertson. He served with the 168th infantry 34th division and was captured in February 1943 in North Africa . He had previously earned a Silver Star Medal for Algeria in 1942.   In researching this diary, I found a bunch of documents in the national archives, which will appear at the end of this thread.   One of the interesting entries is an actual autograph of boxing champ Max Schmeling. He actually went on a tour visiting camps near the end of the war.    He signed the book after Robertson had been moved from Schubin to Luckenwalde.   

That was a very interesting video!   It reminded me to my first trip to Normandy in the jeep with my dad in June 2004. We would drive over the D514 coastal road all the time, daily passing Omaha Beach and I remember one of the times we would stop there it was very quiet, with almost no-one around which is very uncommon around that time. We went to the Memorial obelisk of the 1st Infantry Division which is on top of the cliffs above Omaha Beach, and there was an American veteran, visiting with his daughter and grand-daughter. We got to talk with him, and he showed us where he landed and the route he took with his platoon up the cliffs, how they would get around and knock out some of the bunkers and where a few men of his unit were killed, all on a very casual tone.   He had a lunch booked with his family at a nearby restaurant, and we offered to drive him there in the jeep. He gladly accepted, so we drove him there with his family following in their rental car. He posed for some photo's, we exchanged addresses and he went inside.   His daughter then came to us and told us that this was the first time she heard the things he had just casually told us back at the beach, he had never talked about it before, to anyone in the family. She was absolutely flabbergasted, and so were we.   Afterwards we exchanged a few letters, and we sent him prints of the photo's below. Eventually the contact waned, but that is one experience I will never forget!                  

Found on ebay for $10. Sweetheart size. It looks like there was suppose to be a hallmark but it got smeared in the stamping process.

The First Badge of the American Veterans of Foreign Service. This is from the VFW history files at National HQ. In 1938 William Hamilton was asked to write what he knew of Henry Lawton Camp #1, AVFS Columbus, OH.    In the letter he desribes and includes a hand drawn picture of the Membership Badge that he designed, he goes on to say that due to the cost none were made except for the one he made himself and presented to the Camp... If only this was sitting in a collection somewhere, I'm sure it is lost to history.    Also included here is a newspaper clipping from 1900, with a description of the badge that loosly aligns with the picture drawn by Hamilton. The paper credits Hamilton with the design as well.   Bobby Welch National Historian Veterans of Foreign Wars    

Nice Blackington NA wing!   Looking at the pictures, I think I am more of the opinion that your initial assessment was correct.  It really does look like something was obliterated.  Who knows what it might have been?  Maybe his girlfriend's name?  Maybe some kid got ahold of it and scratched his or her initials?  In the 100 or so years this badge has been around, there is no telling where it's been.   Regardless nice early era wing and as Norm Flayderman used to say, "Shows great character!"   Chris