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Medals for Gold Star Pilgrimage to the Battfiields of the World War


BigJohn#3RD
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Hi All,

I recently posted this on the OMSA site but no joy :ermm: there so I will go back to where I should have posted this to begin with ;)

 

I have two different type of commemorative medal for those mothers and widows of servicemen who died in WWI and made a government sponsored pilgrimage in 1930 to the battlefields of France. Both are numbered.

 

The first one is a round plachet and the The Obverse has a gold star at the tip with a ship between the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower Gold and a 1930 below the waves supporting the ship. The Reverse "Gold Star Pilgrimage To The Battlefields Of The World War" ; the rim engraving: BRONZE m 3845. It was suspended on a Red, Whit and Blue Ribbon that could be worn around the neck of the recipient

The second has and Obverse US Eagle Crest between to US Flags below them is a wreath 3/4 around a Circle encompassing a star; the inscription in the circle "Pilgrimage of Mothers and Widows"; the Reverse has "B.B.& B.CO copy righted symbol in the center and at the bottom "3923". The medal has a Blue, White Ribbon (L to R) suspended on a gold colored hinge pin.

 

My questions are does there exist lists for the two medals and can any one on this forum provide names of the person(s) who owned these medal. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your reply. :thumbsup:

Regards,

John

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There are no medal rolls for those medals that I know of. However, there was a book published at that time that listed mothers and widows entitled to go on the 1930 Pilgrimage (or later). If you do not have the name of the mother, widow or deceased vet. to go on, it is a dead end.

 

The Wharfmaster

 

 

 

 

In Peace and War. US Merchant Marine.

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Here is a scan of the front and back of a medal that was for the 1933 trip that this gold star mother took. It is has a red white and blue neck suspension ribbon. I also have buried in my things one from 1930 with the passport and the other medal he was was talking about. This one just happened to be on my desk. Ben

post-4101-1318715578.jpg

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This particular medal appears to have been given to the Gold Star mother by the shipping line, United States Lines, not the US Government.

 

Several years back I posted a couple of articles on the Gold Star Pilgrimages on the Quartermaster Museum's foundation page. This will not answer your question, but should provide you some additional background information:

 

http://www.qmfound.com/war_mother.htm

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F106 Pilot,

Thank you for posting the pictures of the first medal.

 

Kevin,

Thank you very much for the information and the work you did on this article.

 

JS et al,

Here is the second medal that I acquired it is made by BB&B CO Front of Medal. I hope the pictures do it justice.

Regards,

John

post-5224-1318777880.jpg

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JS et al,

Here is the second medal that I acquired it is made by BB&B CO Back of Medal. I hope the pictures do it justice.

Regards,

John

post-5224-1318778042.jpg

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JS et al,

Here is the second medal that I acquired it is made by BB&B CO Back of Medal. I hope the pictures do it justice.

Regards,

John

 

These started life with a top bar that had an insert for the name of the mother/widow. With that, you can check the qualification roll. That roll lists all mothers and widows who were surveyed to see if they wanted to go on the pilgrimage. They are listed by county within each state, with their husband/son's name, unit and grave location.

 

Unfortunately, there is no known numerical roll connecting the medals and the names of the mother/widow. Nor is there a known roll for the United States Lines medals.

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John

 

 

When new, this medal had a top bar with the name of the widow or mother on it. Sadly it is missing. Quite often, you do not find the two medals together.

 

 

Regards,

 

The Wharfmaster

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OK, I decided to post my group. As fas as I know it is complete except for any paper. It is the only one to a Minnesotan I have ever seen, I am proud to own it.

 

The box is as hard to find as any of the other pieces, the ribbons on the smaller medal always seem to be in tough condition, I sort of wonder if they were not worn for a while on the Pilgrimage and that may be why? I have no idea if there is a box for the Lines medal, the extra ribbon I have is I suspect for the smaller medal, mine came with the small gold felt star.

 

This medal belonged to Lizze Schaffman / Schafman (I have seen the name spelled both ways). Her son was Walter Schafman, he was killed in action in France on October 1st, 1918, while serving with the 308th Infantry Regiment of the 77th Division. I do have a WW1 77th patch that came with it well, although it is not pictured. He was from New Brighton, Minnesota. She was 75 years old when she took the S.S. President Harding to France for the Pilgrimage. She departed France on August 19th, 1930 and arrived back in New York on August 27th, 1930.

 

Her son Walter is interred at the Muese-Argonne American Cemetery at Romagne, France.

 

MW

post-440-1318802897.jpg

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Here's a description of a Gold Star Pilgrimage group that I sold 6 years ago:

 

World War I Gold Star Mother’s group to Mrs. Carrie Reaster, mother of Pvt John Franks, 26th Infantry: Medal for the Gold Star Pilgrimage to the Battlefields of Europe, numbered “110”, in original Tiffany box of issue; numbered certificate for the medal to Mrs. Reaster; a small American flag presented by the City of New York to the Gold Star Mothers; a small photo of Mrs Reaster; a lock of hair from Franks; Franks’ World War I Victory Medal, with clasps “Aisne-Marne”, “St Mihiel”, “Meuse-Argonne” and “Defensive Sector”, in original mailing box to Nick Reaster, Toledo, Ohio. (Pvt John Franks, 26th Infantry, 1st Division, was killed in action on 5 October 1918 and is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.)

 

This group had the only certificate for the medal that I've ever seen.

 

Here's another description of a family group with the Gold Star Medal:

 

World War I group of four to the Hurd family of Massachusetts: Purple Heart, split brooch, hand-engraved “Walter L. Hurd”; World War I Victory Medal, clasps “Champagne-Marne”, “Aisne-Marne”, “St. Mihiel”, “Meuse-Argonne” and “Defensive Sector”; World War I Victory Medal, clasps “Champagne-Marne”, “Aisne-Marne” and “Defensive Sector”, with an unofficial gilt star on the ribbon, reported by the family to have been issued to Arthur B. Hurd, 104th Infantry, 26th Division, who was killed in action in France, near Belleau Wood, on 21 July 1918. 1930 Gold Star Pilgrimage Medal, numbered “3949" to Clara May Hurd, with narrow ribbon.

Arthur Burnside Hurd enlisted 1 August 1917 and served in Company I, 104th Infantry, going overseas in September 1917. The Massachusetts Gold Star roll verifies that he is the brother of Walter L. Hurd. Hurd Square, in Lynn, is named in his honor. Walter L. Hurd also served in Company I, 104th Infantry and was slightly wounded in action on 29 October 1918.

 

I've also had a Gold Star group that included a small cloth bag that was imprinted with its intended use for carrying home soil from the husband/son's grave.

 

I suspect that someone out there has a complete "travel package" that the mothers/widows got when they boarded their ship in New York.

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Gents,

Thank you very much for the information that you have provided to me. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: I have learned more about these medals give to the Mother and Wives of the WWI fallen. ;)

Regards,

John

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