South Wales Borderers and VC? - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Jennifer · #1 26-01-21, 03:48 AM

Hello,

My husband and I moved into a house in Wisconsin built in 1900. We found a few old photographs down in the basement. Two of which I believe are of the same couple. One on their wedding day, and another one in their 40's or 50's, and the man is in military uniform and is wearing two medals. I was told it was most likely European Military, and from looking at pictures I believe it might be South Wales Borderers, but I'm no expert. The medal on the left might be the Victoria Cross, but I'm having a hard time identifying the medal on the right. I'm hoping if I can identify the two medals I might be able to identify the man.

I've also been researching the previous owners of our house, because I'm assuming they must be related somehow. There was one family that lived in our house for almost 60 years. Surnames include Brennan (Brannan), Howard, O'Connor, Walsh, and Paulson.

If someone could point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated!

Bill A · #2 26-01-21, 01:08 PM

Hello Jennifer, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.

Alan O · #3 26-01-21, 01:24 PM

He looks foreign military as that's not a British uniform that I recognise.

manchesters · #4 26-01-21, 01:31 PM

Looks typically Imperial German to me.

The two awards are ribbonless and pinned on his pocket, nothing like British medals which hang from suspenders on ribbons.

regards

Hawthorn · #5 26-01-21, 01:34 PM

The two items which appear to be medals are. I think, pin back badges or awards, there does not appear to be any ribbons to my eye and they are on the pocket and so any ribbon would be visible as it covered the pocket flap.

Simon.

Chipper · #6 26-01-21, 01:59 PM

Hi Jenifer, very hard to say, but if they are Imperial German awards, the cross looks vaguely (given the pixelating) to be a Hindenburg cross, non-combatant type. That would date the photo post July 1934, although to me, the photo looks earlier, so take that with a grain of salt.

Cheers, Tim

cbuehler · #7 26-01-21, 04:52 PM

That uniform is not German either. The buttons, pocket, belt etc. are wrong for this. Austro Hungarian, Belgian...? I don't know.

CB

Jennifer · #8 26-01-21, 10:54 PM

Oh my goodness! I'm so glad I asked! Good to know, I can eliminate British military from the list, and time to do some more digging. The family that used to live in our house have ancestors from Denmark, the Netherlands, and Ireland, so not much to go off of since Denmark and the Netherlands were neutral during WW1, and Ireland was part of the British military.

Thanks you all for your insight!

cbuehler · #9 27-01-21, 01:22 AM

I believe Denmark or the Netherlands may well be the answer. The photo predates WW1 however; I believe it is the 1890s.
Ireland in it's entirety was a part of Great Britain before 1922, not just associated with the military however!

CB

Jennifer · #10 28-01-21, 03:54 AM

Hey All,

I'm not sure why I never connected the two, but there was one more photo in an oval frame we found down in the basement, along with the other two. It's a picture of the last supper, with a foreign language written on the bottom. I never paid close attention to it, but it's been hanging in my dining room for six years. I went online and was able to translate it last night. It is a First Communion certificate in Polish, given in my hometown of Wisconsin on May 9, 192_ to a Lladyslaw or Wladyslaw Parzych. I looked up Polish churches in my hometown of Wisconsin, one was called St. Stanislaus, which lead to an article of Poles migrating to my area, and in the article, it said 187 parishioners from St Stanislaus joined the Polish Army in WW1 (with approval from the USA government)!!! I don't believe the church is still in existence, but it is part of the Catholic Diocese, and there was contact info for an office administrator, so I just sent an email to see if they have any old records. Hopefully, I'll get a response back. I really appreciate you all taking the time to share your expertise. It pointed me in a different direction, and I think I have the most solid lead yet!

Chipper · #11 28-01-21, 04:14 PM

Thanks CB, of course, you're spot on, in my haste to identify the medal I didn't look at the belt.

Cheers, Tim

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbuehler

That uniform is not German either. The buttons, pocket, belt etc. are wrong for this. Austro Hungarian, Belgian...? I don't know.

CB

Jennifer · #12 29-01-21, 12:51 AM

I'm 99% certain I know the medal on the right. The Memorial Cross of the Veterans Association of the Polish Army in America. All the puzzle pieces are starting to come together!

The Polish Americans who went and fought for their homeland were Haller's Blue Army.