Buried war badges with gun photos.

Emily · Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:26 pm

Bors wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:04 pm I think were getting there slowly.

I still can’t find anything online, but I’m not sure what to search for. Tiny gun from the 60’s??

Bors · Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:51 pm

Probably best to go for "vintage" toy gun with " A Robert "on the side of grip.It might be worth a go?
Otherwise It might be worth trying to scratch away at the space which comes after A ROBERT to see if you can reveal a second name. If you have a Dremel to help you it could possibly bring some detail that`s hidden by the corrosion up.

Bors · Mon Dec 21, 2020 7:36 pm

"I think " I may have " possibly "solved it . After a fair bit of trawling through eBay vintage toy guns I came across this Gun from the USA . Its actually a Pencil sharpener ,and it fits the description of Emilie's, even the circle logo on the handles the same. It has a Diecast body with a steel bit on the sides to lift up to change the blade of the actual sharpening bit inside . I also assume you`d shove the pencil up the barrel to twist it.This could explain the heavy "Rusting crud "metal bit on the top of Emilie's pistol because its steel over diecast and also why there was never a possibility of the trigger moving .. So I can`t get the name of it ,but judging by the similarity I "think" its a Pencil sharpener in the form of a toy gun.(hopefully)

It may not be the exact one buts its near as damit from the same maker I should think, maybe a bit earlier or a bit later style . Then of course It is possible its not related to Emilie's gun , but ,I`d say it is pretty similar I think we have to admit ,to be just a coincidence.

Easylife · Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:23 pm

It's a 'Robert' product.
This one. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ ... -269049264

Emily · Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:55 pm

Bors wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 7:36 pm "I think " I may have " possibly "solved it . After a fair bit of trawling through eBay vintage toy guns I came across this Gun from the USA . Its actually a Pencil sharpener ,and it fits the description of Emilie's, even the circle logo on the handles the same. It has a Diecast body with a steel bit on the sides to lift up to change the blade of the actual sharpening bit inside . I also assume you`d shove the pencil up the barrel to twist it.This could explain the heavy "Rusting crud "metal bit on the top of Emilie's pistol because its steel over diecast and also why there was never a possibility of the trigger moving .. So I can`t get the name of it ,but judging by the similarity I "think" its a Pencil sharpener in the form of a toy gun.(hopefully) It may not be the exact one buts its near as damit from the same maker I should think, maybe a bit earlier or a bit later style . Then of course It is possible its not related to Emilie's gun , but ,I`d say it is pretty similar I think we have to admit ,to be just a coincidence.

That’s a great contender!! I don’t think it’s exactly the same, but I think you’ve cracked it!! I couldn’t find anything remotely close, so I really appreciate you taking the time to search for it. At least we all know that it’s no longer dangerous.

I wish it still worked...maybe there’s someone who can restore it??

Emily · Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:56 pm

Easylife wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:23 pm It's a 'Robert' product.
This one. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ ... -269049264

That’s the one!! You’ve nailed it!! How long did it take you to find??!! I couldn’t find anything relevant. Thank you so much for your hard work!! I wish it still worked.

Bors · Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:00 pm

Oi ! what about my Hard work ? No thankyou for me then ????

Stomps off bootIng the cat up the rear.

Emily · Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:16 pm

Bors wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:00 pm Oi ! what about my Hard work ? No thankyou for me then ???? Stomps off bootIng the cat up the rear.

I thanked you first actually...

go fetch your cat.

Easylife · Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:28 pm

Emily wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:56 pm That’s the one!! You’ve nailed it!! How long did it take you to find??!! I couldn’t find anything relevant. Thank you so much for your hard work!! I wish it still worked.

About 5 seconds, I suppose Bors may have helped though!

Bors · Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:40 pm

Quote Ian , " About 5 seconds, I suppose Bors may have helped though!

"

See ! Me did all the hard work & easylife frog leaps over me to the finish line.

I demand a Stewards inquiry

Bors · Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:54 pm

Who said " moaning old ******* " over There ? Stand up that person whoever it was .

Emily · Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:00 pm

Bors wrote: ↑Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:40 pm Quote Ian , " About 5 seconds, I suppose Bors may have helped though! "

See ! Me did all the hard work & easylife frog leaps over me to the finish line.
I demand a Stewards inquiry

No!! It couldn’t have been solved without your hard work, and your findings were presented first, so the jury have decided that you should get 80% of the credit.

Bors · Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:43 pm

Easylife · Tue Dec 22, 2020 2:33 am

Well to be quite fair, Bors figured that it was a pencil sharpener, so yes, 80% credit due there. I was late to the game so just googled 'antique pistol pencil sharpener', looked at images and the exact match was very soon before my eyes - I'm not really that knowledgeable about pistol shaped pencil sharpeners!

But still second position ain't too bad Pete, though must try harder in future!

Joking aside though, it's just a case of selecting the right search terms to get the right result, but that's often much easier said than done!

Saffron · Tue Dec 22, 2020 2:56 am

Emily an interesting collection of badges, and it looks like a child took the families badges out to play and sadly either buried them or just lost them.

To answer your one question especially during WWI men frequently changed units. Two of the more common reasons were -
1) When a unit lost a lot of men and had to get a lot of replacements from other units.
2) After a wounded man recoverd from his injuries on his return he was sent to another unit.

However, remember that at that time families were a lot larger, so 4 sons or more from one family serving was not uncommon. In the early days of the war men from the same area (and hence families) were often grouped into the same "pals units", but when these units suffered heavy casualties it was devasting to the area, and could mean several men from the same family being killed, so this practice was discontinued to avoid this - so if it was 4 brothers the fact that they were all in different units is not surprising.

However the RAOC and RASC badges are interesting as they are both prefixed "R" (Royal). As the Army Service Corps only gained that prefix in late 1918 (I am not 100% but I believe after the armistice on 11 November), while the Army Ordnance Corps gained it even later in 1922.

If you PM me the address where these were found I will look in the census and see if I can then locate men from that household in the army records, (I have access to Ancestry, The Genealogist, and Forces War records so might get a hit with a bit of luck).

Evan