Figure 15: Translation of the certificate in Figure 14.

Henry Blakiston Wilkins of the American Red Cross. His elaborate 10 x 15 inch brevet (certificate) is shown in Figure 14, with my translation given in Figure 15. The location of his medal is unknown. Wilkins (1871-1940) lived in Italy from 1913-1935, and started his World War I service as an officer in the Italian Red Cross.18 Transferring into the American Red Cross by 1918, he also received the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus. He became a museum curator for the Library of Congress, 1935-1940.

THE AVM AWARDED TO COLONIAL TROOPS

A completely different obverse die was cut for silver and bronze AVMs intended for non-Italian colonial troops. The obverse bears the crowned image of Figure 16: Obverse of the AVM issued King Victor Emmanuel III (Figure 16). Between the to colonial troops. Vol. 64, No. 3 (May-June 2013) 11 King’s shoulder and the rim at 7 o’clock is the die Endnotes: cutter’s name SPERANZA. Scandaluzzi2 described an earlier version with the crowned bust of King Humbert 1. Harold E. Gillingham. Italian Orders of Chivalry and Medals of I (also marked SPERANZA at the same location), but Honor, originally published 1923 by theAmerican Numismatic Society, reprinted 1967 by L.L. Babin, pages 46-51. did not have a date of issue for either version. Filippo 2. Franco Scandaluzzi. Ordini Equestri Medaglie e Decorazioni Speranza succeeded Giuseppe Ferraris as Chief Engraver Italiane, privately published in Italy 1962, pages 20-27. at the Royal Mint from 1870-1903.4 3. The Italian government website is www.quirinale.it Click on the onorificenze icon for details of the current system of Italian awards. There is a search page where an Italian name can be checked for The reverse (Figure 17) retains the simple wreath of a possible decoration. the traditional AVM and is.engraved DAUD HASSEN // 4. Elvira E. Clain-Stefanelli. Italian Coin Engravers Since 1800 SCIRE 3 MARZO 1936 - XIV. The Roman number XIV Washington: Government Printing Office, 1965, pages 44-45. indicated the 14th year of the Fascist regime which took 5. Edgar Holt. Risorgimento: The Making of Italy 1815-1870. New over the Italian government in 1922. Scire was the site York: Atheneum, 1971, pages 159-163. 6. James Barbary. The Crimean War. New York: Hawthorn Books, of a major battle (February 29 to March 2, 1936) in the 1970, pages 151-152. Italian conquest of Ethiopia. The Italian Navy had a World 7. John Seley. Balaclava - A Gentlemen’s Battle. New York: War II submarine named Scire. This boat was one of a Atheneum, 1970, pages 202, 217-223. class of 17 submarines all named for colonial battles.19 8. Major L.L. Gordon. British Battles and Medals, 5th Edition pages 132-134. Also, D. Hastings Irwin. War Medals and Decorations, 4th Edition. London: 1910, pages 507-512. 9. List of the Officers and Men Selected to Receive the 400 War Medals for Military Valor presented by H.M. the King of Sardinia. London: His Majesty’ Stationery Office, 1857. This list appends the 50 citations for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. 10. Gobert’s extensive biography was contained in his “Etat des Services” on file in the French Army Archives in Vincennes, France. The archives contain files on 19th century French officers, but have no records on enlisted men. My thanks to Michel Gontier for obtaining these copies during a rare “window of opportunity“ at the archives. 11. Margrave, Anthony R., “The Sardinian Medal ’Al Valore Militare’ awarded to French Crimean war veterans,” Honneur et Patrie (the former newsletter of the French section of OMSA), Vol. 6, No. 3, October 1997, pages 1-8. Also Vol. 7, No. 1, February 1998, pages 33-35. 12. Margrave, Anthony R., “France and the Risorgimento: The Unification of Italy 1815-1870”, Honneur et Patrie, Vol. 7, No. Figure 17: Reverse of the AVM issued 3, October 1998, pages 25-29. 13. Sweetman, Jack, “The Medaille d”Italie 1859,” The Medal to colonial troops. Collector, Vol. 15, No. 8, August 1964, pages 1-3. 14. E-mail from “ilelifton”, May 3, 2009, on the Gentleman’s Military CONCLUSION Interest Club, a website in the United Kingdom. He did not quote his source for these totals, but I have no reason to question them. The series of Al Valore Militare bravery medals have 15. Mick and Lyn Dalzell, The Italian Al Valore Militare - Bronze and Silver 1917-1920. London: published privately, 1992. always been highly respected in Italy and by her Allies. 16. Squillace’s military biography appears in the Enciclopedia When the engraved medals appear in the collectors’ Militare. Milano: Instituto Editoriale Scientifico, 1933. My thanks markets, they typically bring strong prices. This article to Nicola Zotti for providing this information. attempted to give the reader an overview of the long 17. John T. Mock, editor. Imperial Russian Awards 1916-1920 - St. George’s Cross 4th Class and St. George’s Medal 4th Class - Naval history and numismatic variety of the official coinage. Recipients. Bristol, 1993. Having collected and studied these medals for many 18. The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Volume XLII, years, much additional detail in my files had to be omitted pages 148-149, Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms, from this concise article. The Royal issues of the AVM 1967. from 1920 to 1943 were omitted as the numismatics of 19. Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1922-1946. United Kingdom: Conway Maritime Press, 1980, pages 309-310. the World War I medals were retained until the fall of the 20. Annuario Militare del Regno d’Italia - Anno 1929 (VII). Vol. I, monarchy in 1943. Coverage of the Republic design of Part 1. Rome, 1929, page 414. My thanks to Vincenzo Arno for the AVM after 1943 would constitute another full article. sending me this biography .

12 JOMSA MEDALS OF THE BUSH WAR: RHODESIAN MEDALS AND AWARDS

GRAHAM WILSON

Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, was the creation of a private (ZANLA) and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union company. British commercial explorers pushed up into the (ZAPU) which was served in the military sphere by unexplored and unexploited country north of the Limpopo the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA). River and the Transvaal Republic during the mid to late Although Rhodesia received active political, military 1880s. These men, who were to challenge and eventually and economic support from the neighbouring Republic defeat the native Matabele, Shangan, Ndbele and Shona of South Africa for a while in the 1970s, for most of the tribes for control of the territory, worked for Cecil John war it was a purely Rhodesian affair. Rhodes and his British South Africa Company. This chartered company was founded by Rhodes to explore While Rhodesia adapted to economic and political and settle southern and central Africa. Granted a Royal sanctions in a way that can only be described (no Charter in 1889 the Company pacified and occupied a vast matter what your political views) as magnificent and tract of land between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. the RSF attained a level of professionalism and military Administered by the Company on behalf of the Crown, competence which was truly awesome, the war was never the territory was named “Rhodesia” in 1895 in honour winnable for Rhodesia. The Rhodesians were forced of the Company’s founder. to the negotiating table in 1979. This led in the end to the dissolution of the white minority government and In 1911 Rhodesia became Southern Rhodesia. This of Rhodesia itself and saw the eventual creation of the change in name was designed to differentiate the Republic of Zimbabwe. Company’s fiefdom from the newly formed colony of Northern Rhodesia, north of the Zambezi. Company The forgoing was a very brief summary of the history rule ended in 1923 when Southern Rhodesia became a of Rhodesia and was designed to give the reader some self-governing British colony. The two Rhodesias and background to the main focus of this article: to introduce the Protectorate of Nyasaland were joined together in readers to the decorations, medals and awards of a nation the ill-fated Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in which ceased to exist in 1980. Obviously the article will 1953. When this Federation fell apart in 1963 Nyasaland concentrate on the post-UDI period and the period before became Malawi and Northern Rhodesia became Zambia. 1965 will only be touched on.

The word “Southern” was dropped from the name of The British South Africa Company had awarded its own the country in 1965. In the same year the government of medals for campaigns in Mashonaland (1890 and 1897), Rhodesia issued a unilateral declaration of independence Matabeleland (1893) and Rhodesia (1896). Although (UDI) from Britain. UDI was declared to ensure issued by a private company all of these medals had continued white minority rule and was followed in 1970 Royal approval and recipients, including serving British by the declaration as a republic. Not only was Rhodesia’s soldiers, were entitled to wear them on their uniforms. declaration of independence regarded as illegal by This issue of medals by private companies which received Britain, the Commonwealth and the United Nations, Royal assent and approval for unrestricted wear was to it was actively resisted by various local movements be repeated elsewhere in the Empire. The Cape Copper dedicated to the overthrow of the white minority regime Company, the Royal Niger Company and the British and its replacement by an African dominated multi-racial North Borneo Company all issued medals for campaigns regime. This resistance eventually led to the so-called in their chartered territories and all of these medals were “Bush War.” approved for unrestricted wear by all who earned them, including members of the British armed forces. And of The Bush War was fought between the Rhodesian course, these chartered companies all had the precedent Security Forces (RSF) on the one hand and the military of the fabulous John Company to follow. The Honourable arms of the two dominant African nationalist movements East India Company had issued almost a dozen medals on the other hand. The latter were the Zimbabwe African throughout its history to reward both its own Company National Union (ZANU) which was represented in the troops and British troops for service on various campaigns field by the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army on the sub-continent.

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