Ref Thread: Yangtze Service Medal

[Vincennes]

To commemorate the services performed by the personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps during the operations in the valley of the Yangtze River, China, in 1926 and 1927, and 1930 and 1932, a medal to be known as the "Yangtze Service Medal" will be issued to the officers and enlisted men who participated in those operations.

 

The period for which these medals will be issued is from 3 September 1926 to 21 October 1927, and from 1 March 1930 to 31 December 1932, and any officer or enlisted man of the Navy or Marine Corps who served on shore at Shanghai or in the valley of the Yangtze River, China, with a landing force during these periods or part of such periods is entitled to this medal, as are the officers and enlisted men who were attached to the vessels mentioned in the following list between the dates appearing beside and below each vessel. No officer or enlisted man is entitled to more than one such medal. (Navy Department General Order No. 205 of 28 April 1930);

Source: 1953 U.S. Navy Awards Manual

[Wailuna]

And members of the Army's 31st Infantry, who were authorized the Marine Corps Yangtze Service Medal for service at Shanghai from the period February 5 to July 1, 1932.

 

Here are some period references pertaining to the 31st Infantry Yangtze Service Medal:

 

 

The implication of the War Department Bulletin and these press articles is that 31st Infantry veterans of the "defense of the International Settlement during the Sino-Japanese controversy of 1932" were on their own as far as applying for Yangtze Service Medal and it does not seem likely that specific blocks of medal numbers would have been reserved for the Army in these circumstances.

[Adam R]

Al Gleim published a short roster of recipients and numbers of the Yangtze Service Medal in his New Medal Letters which was reprinted by OMSA in The Gleim Medal Letters. Unfortunately the list contains only about 10% of the total number of medals actually issued.

[Garth Thompson]

The last official striking of the pre-WW2 US campaign medals all the way back to the Civil War was done some time in the 1950's. The medals were done by the US Mint, Medallic Arts Co. and, I think Rex Arts. They come in the same blue cardboard boxes the WW2 and later campaigns come in. They are struck medals with fine detail. They will be un-numbered with the earlier 1/2" wide flat crimp brooches. If a collector doesn't have the deeper pockets for numbered, attributed medals IMHO a very nice collection of quality official campaign medals.

 

Just for the record I don't consider that current GRACO junk worth owning.

Garth

 

For the pictures the earliest example will be on the viewer's right end the last official strike will be on the viewer's left.

 

Yangtze reverse

[katzenplatz]

Greetings! I thought I'd share something I picked up last year at an antique mall - a numbered Yangtze Service Medal with matching box and certificate.

 

It was awarded to Blair Burdet Bolin, TM3c for service on the USS Bulmer (222) while serving as a torpedoman 3rd class. It is numbered 3852 and has the matching box with award certificate from the Bureau of Navigation.

 

more pics to follow

 

[katzenplatz]

[katzenplatz]

My pic of the entire document was too big to upload so here's the last one. My apologies.

[11-Bull]

Does anyone have any info on approximate time frame when this USN Yangtze Service Medal was made? It is marked, Bronze Medallic Art Co. on rim. I have owned it for about 25 years and recently ran across it going through an odds and ends box I had in storage. Thanks, Dave

[SEABEEBRIAN]

Does anyone have any info on approximate time frame when this USN Yangtze Service Medal was made? It is marked, Bronze Medallic Art Co. on rim. I have owned it for about 25 years and recently ran across it going through an odds and ends box I had in storage. Thanks, Dave

The ring suspension dates it to the 1950's. Crimp brooches were used then also and Medallic arts had contracts in the 1950's. The level of detail is much higher than later strikes.

[bazsi]

I have a Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal with nearly the same marking on the rim: Medallic Art Co. - Danbury, CT. - Bronze. And also an Indian Wars Campain Medal it has the same marking on the rim: Bronze - Medallic Art. Co. This one has slot brooch. The planchet of the Nicaraguan medal is slightly thiker then the other.

I like these pieces because these are well detailed, they have a great quality. These are different from the late pieces I think the same these are from the 50s.

[FrankEaton01]

Medallic Art Company moved from New York to Connecticut in 1972, so any medal with a Danbury hallmark dates from the 1970s at the oldest. They were still using ring suspensions on their medals in the 70s, as well.

[Jack's Son]

 

 

[jmar]

I'd like to submit to the forum a Yangtze Service medal, in it's original box with the award certificate. Certainly not the first of it's kind on the forum, but another to add for future reference.

 

I salute Machinist Mate 2nd Class Anthony John Skrabacz  for his service.

 

 

[kanemono]

Here is a beautiful mint condition Navy Yangtze Medal with a mint miniature in its mint condition original numbered box. I also bought a large named Navy group with a Yangtze that has its original numbered box. I don't think I have ever seen an original numbered box with its Yangtze medal and to turn up two at the same time is really neat. The eleven medal group also has an early China with a full wrap brooch. I will post the group when I get his records. The man's name is Abner Arthur Minga. I found his WWII records on Ancestry but they start in 1939.

Dick

[Adam R]

A beautiful and rare item.

 

For reference, there are at least two variations of the box.

[ZeketheAwesome]

Bluehawk,

 

Around 2000-2001 the government discovered a lot of old, unissued campaign medals like the Yangtze. These medals were sold as surplus and are now out on the collectors market.This may very well be one of those medals, although I'm not sure if the "discovered" medals were numbered.

 

I read this somewhere in Strandberg's "Call of Duty", but I don't remember the page its on off the top of my head.

[kanemono]

The collector that sold me this Yangtze medal has had it in his collection since the 1960's.

Dick

[Adam R]

I just came across this proposed design for the Yangtze Service medal while going through my cache of USN correspondence from the National Archives in Washington. It appears to be a photograph of an actual plaster model. It’s interesting to see how the final design that was actually used is so different from what was originally proposed.

 

[MMcollector]

Here is another, a 1930's nunbered rim engraved NavyYangtze Campaign Medal.

[MMcollector]

[MedalCollector99]

One of my prized possesions in my collection. M. No. 11471.