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Nearly fifteen years ago - when my interest in the QSA/KSA rekindled for the second time - I chanced upon the illustrated QSA to 2nd Life Guards in a local Militaria shop. As a matter of interest, it is impressed "1948 Tr.R.Penman, 2nd L.G." and bears the clasps "Cape Colony", "Johannesburg" and "Wittebergen". At the time, I was intrigued by the fitting of what I will describe as a metal prong on the top, rear of the ribbon; facing downwards and surmounted by a pin and clasp.




Commonly, medals encountered in the so-called Good Old Days did not have the original ribbon. Not that I lost or indeed lose any sleep over that. They are what they are. However, I had never seen such a medal mounting arrangement before. I wondered it this particular arrangement was intended for mounting on Penman's 2LG parade breastplate. It seems not - as I have since encountered other such mountings on medals/groups to, perhaps, less illustrious units. Clearly, the pin and clasp would be sufficient to hold the medal on a tunic. What does the prong do?
Tpr. Penman served between 1894- 1906 with 2LG; specifically citing the Corps of Household Cavalry on his enlistment paper. His QSA clasp entitlement was not as extensive as many others in the 2LG. Doubtless, for Tpr. Robert Penman, earning those three clasps was exciting enough!
Regards
IL.

Hi Linney........

I have seen this on a number of pre-WW1 medals and then again after WW2 but to be honest I have no idea what it was for...... Could it be just the manufacturer.......

Mike

Hanging a heavy medal from a silk ribbon attached to a uniform by a broach causes the top edge of the ribbon to rotate forward using the pin as a fulcrum. This causes a displeasing effect. To prevent this, an extension on the lower edge of the broach, will prevent this rotation and the top edge of the ribbon will lie flat against the material of the uniform. Once upon a time these design features mattered.

The design is still used today and produced by Firmin (amongst others). Single Medal bars have the single prong (with a device to hold the pin closed) and larger bars have one at each end (with only one closing device).

I have seen many people use these prongs to also hold the bars in place by adding loops (to their clothing) or in the case of a single prong, placing it into a breast pocket. This takes a lot of strain off of the pin.

The usual case when it comes to how awards are mounted and worn is usually mainly dependant on the wearer though and not official guidelines. When I was professionally mounting for a British Army unit I gave the wearer quite a lot of option as to how they wanted the devices etc on the reverse to be, it was just my obligation to ensure they were to regulation when observed. Velcro is preferred I have found, not that that would look in place on the reverse of one of these for wear.

Hello Ian,
What a lovely find, I see Robert Penman was a fairly typical old cheesemonger at five feet, eleven and three quarter inches tall, although he was rather further from home than most, then, indeed as, now, the Life Guards were rather choosey when it came to picking their lads, you needed a fairly good referee of equally good standing, who had known you for some time, who would confirm your general character.
You joined the Corps on a long service engagement and were posted to one of the three regiments, normally having expressed a particular one, some were left disappointed.
Today, members of the HCMR have their medals court mounted with the ribbon rather low in relation to their reverse to afford a certain amount of protection, but, of course, all those years ago, they were simply mounted swing style, needless to say, not great when worn over a cuirass.

Again a superb medal, I like it very much.
Regards Frank

LinneyI wrote: Forum members
Nearly fifteen years ago - when my interest in the QSA/KSA rekindled for the second time - I chanced upon the illustrated QSA to 2nd Life Guards in a local Militaria shop. As a matter of interest, it is impressed "1948 Tr.R.Penman, 2nd L.G." and bears the clasps "Cape Colony", "Johannesburg" and "Wittebergen". At the time, I was intrigued by the fitting of what I will describe as a metal prong on the top, rear of the ribbon; facing downwards and surmounted by a pin and clasp.

Commonly, medals encountered in the so-called Good Old Days did not have the original ribbon. Not that I lost or indeed lose any sleep over that. They are what they are. However, I had never seen such a medal mounting arrangement before. I wondered it this particular arrangement was intended for mounting on Penman's 2LG parade breastplate. It seems not - as I have since encountered other such mountings on medals/groups to, perhaps, less illustrious units. Clearly, the pin and clasp would be sufficient to hold the medal on a tunic. What does the prong do?
Tpr. Penman served between 1894- 1906 with 2LG; specifically citing the Corps of Household Cavalry on his enlistment paper. His QSA clasp entitlement was not as extensive as many others in the 2LG. Doubtless, for Tpr. Robert Penman, earning those three clasps was exciting enough!
Regards
IL.

Gentlemen
Thanks for the explanations about the metal "prong". Makes sense. The medal itself is rather loose on the suspension; not tragically -but clearly has had a bit of wear. As the medal roll is dated during 1901, I like to think that Tpr. Penman wore it on duty until his discharge in 1906.
I have to ask Frank about the wide variety of clasp combinations seen on the 2LG medal roll. Obviously, the officers were from the upper strata of society (judging from the titles). However, it appears that 2LG did not operate as a cohesive unit in one theatre. Some were clearly in the Relief of Kimberley, etc., some, like Robert Penman, on the road to Pretoria and then the Witttebergen, others in Cape Colony only. Once, a local told me that the Life Guards were employed as bodyguards/escorts to senior officers. Is that correct? What else would account for such a crack unit as 2LG being split like that?
Nevertheless, it is a nice medal.
Regards to all re the information.
IL.