Looking for the Medal Group of Francis (Frank) G Randall

[Mustang.CDR]

Does anyone here own the Medal Group of Frank G Randall. He was a Chief Machinist from 1906, retired in 1932 as a LT. Recalled for WWII and retired again a LCDR. I have his sword and seem to recall that his medals were sold some time ago. Would love to reunite them!

[Adam R]

Here's a photo of the group before I sold it in 2008.

 

Randall served in the US Navy from 1900 to 1932, and 1942 to 1945. The group consists of the following medals;

1.) 1912 Nicaraguan Campaign Medal # 1341 – Original Bailey, Banks and Biddle strike from 1915. Randall served on the USS Maryland as a warrant officer (Chief Machinist). He originally applied for this medal in 1917 but at that time the USS Maryland was not on the list of ships eligible for the medal and his application was rejected. In 1929 the list was revised and the USS Maryland added, so in 1930 his second application was approved and the medal issued. The ribbon ring is the oversized type that is unique to the 1912 Nicaraguan.

 

2.) Mexican Service Medal (rim named) – Original BB&B strike from 1918, impressed on the rim “F.G. Randall Ch. Mch. USN USS Maryland”. This medal was also issued for service on USS Maryland, from April to November 1914. The medal was issued to Randall in July 1918 while he was serving at the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company in Rochester, NY.

 

3.) WWI Victory Medal – Impressed on the rim “F.G. Randall Lieut. USN”. During WWI Randall served at the Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington, the Receiving Ship at New York, the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company in Rochester, NY, and the Receiving Ship at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Since all of this service was shore based he did not qualify for a bar on the ribbon.

 

4.) 1919-20 Haitian Campaign Medal – The Second Haitian Campaign Medal was made by the Whitehead and Hoag Company and the Navy version of the medal was not numbered. Randall earned the 2nd Haitian Campaign Medal for service on USS Delaware in December 1919 and received it in 1923.

 

Randal was also entitled to the American Campaign Medal and WWII Victory Medal, which apparently were never issued. He did not earn a Good Conduct Medal during his enlisted service.

 

With the full sized medals is a set of three bar mounted miniatures. As there is no Nicaraguan medal, this mini group dates between the issue of the Haitian in 1923 and the Nicaraguan in 1930. Note that the mini Haitian is dated 1915 and in the order of precedence for that medal instead of the 1919 version. I’ve seen similar mistakes in other miniature medal groups.

 

The recipient of these medals, Francis G. Randall as born in Topeka, Kansas on June 16, 1881. He enlisted in the Navy in 1900 and served for five years until he was appointed to the warrant officer rank of Machinist in 1906. During WWI he was temporarily appointed an Ensign, eventually rising to Lieutenant. After the war he reverted to his permanent rank of Chief Machinist. Randall retired in 1932 and was again promoted to Lieutenant on the Retired List. In December 1941 he requested to return to the Navy and served from 1942 until he left the service as a Lieutenant Commander in 1945. For his WWII service Randall received a Letter of Commendation (without ribbon) for duty inspecting ship construction at Tacoma, Washington. Commander Randall lived in Seattle after the war but died at Camp Pendleton on January 28, 1952, while visiting family in California.

[Adam R]

1st Nic

[Adam R]

Mexico

[Adam R]

Victory

[Adam R]

2nd Haitian docs

[Mustang.CDR]

Adam,

 

Thank you very much. I hope the group will surface in the future.