Researching British Military Medals [Hardcover]

Steve Dymond (Author), Crowood Press (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2000

Medals are attractive and interesting to collect in their own right, but can also offer a remarkable amount of information about the military career, eventual fate, and even the physical appearance of the men who won them on the battlefields of the last 200 years. In this study, Steve Dymond leads the reader towards discovering more about the recipient of the medal, using a number of readily-accessible archive resources. The advice here should help anyone researching family trees, as well as medal collectors. Above all, the author demonstrates the thrill of learning more about the past.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Medals are attractive and interesting to collect in their own right, but can also offer a remarkable amount of information about the military career, eventual fate, and even the physical appearance of the men who won them on the battlefields of the last 200 years. Here, Steve Dymond leads you every step of the way towards discovering more about the recipient of the medal, using a number of readily accessible archive sources.  The advice here will help anyone researching family trees, as well as medal collectors.  Above all, the author demonstrates the thrill of learning more about the past.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Steve Dymond is a member of the Orders and Medals Research Society.  He served with the Royal Corps of Signals and the Intelligence Corps, and subsequently the Metropolitan Police.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Crowood Press (UK) (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861262825
• ISBN-13: 978-1861262820
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,688,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Book I Wish I'd Written, August 1, 2001

By 

Jeffery E. Mcculloh (Harvard, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Researching British Military Medals (Hardcover)

I agree with everything Mr. Howells above says in his review. However, to add to what he said above, I found this book not only a "how to" guide, but also a very enjoyable, relaxing read. In short, this is a friendly book. It is well organized and takes the reader step by step through the research avenues used (and available) for the authors' "example" medals. The results were surprising and interesting, especially for the medals' uses in geneological research. The beauty of British medal collecting is that the vast majority of awards are named to individuals. This book illustrates well that these medals represent not only historic events, but full, rich and sometimes tragic lives as well.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid guide to research, July 27, 2000

By 

Mark Howells (Puyallup, Washington State, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Researching British Military Medals (Hardcover)

Books on medal collecting tend to focus on the medals themselves - the criteria for their award, numbers issued, and the physical characteristics of the medal itself.

This book is entirely different. Its focus is on the records behind the medals. It was a tradition in the British military to inscribe medals awarded to soldiers with their name, regiment, and often service numbers. This means that these baubles of cloth and metal are not mere keepsakes, but actual links to an individual's past.

Medal collectors, military historians, and genealogists will all find this a very practical guide explaining how to flesh out the story behind the medal by consultation with the available records. Most of the records discussed are held at the Public Record Office but the author also discusses sources including those found with the medal (cases, telegrams, etc.) newspapers, and other libraries, museums and archives.

The volume is profusely illustrated in black and white with period photos, close-ups of medals, and examples of the records involved. It is a very good step-by-step guide for learning the history of a serviceman based on their medals.