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Numbered Silver Star


Doughboy1918
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Doughboy1918

I am loking to find the recipient of this Silver Star medal. It is numbered 35768 and is a wrapped brooch.

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Actually, this is only partially correct. The medal serial numbers were recorded in the GO citations for many Silver Stars awarded early in the war, primarily in N Africa and Sicily. These are typically the early BB&B style. Not sure if your specific number block is accounted for in existing records though. I have a 24385 marked BB&B SS that was awarded to an NCO in the 9th ID in 1943. The serial number is recorded in his citation.

 

Honestly, I seem to recall seeing SS GOs w/ numbers in the 35XXX range. At any rate, yours was almost certainly awarded in WWII.

 

 

 

No rolls exist by number for the Silver Star.
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My copy of a computer roster of about 1900 attributed WW2 Silver Stars shows identified numbers in the 356xx and 358xx brackets. Unfortunately there were no attributed SSM in the 357xx range.

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Endgame 1945

Tom,

 

Do you know why this is? I never understood why the government has such spotty coverage of medal records.

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Tom,

 

Do you know why this is? I never understood why the government has such spotty coverage of medal records.

 

 

Think of it as a supply item. The manufacturer makes the medal, and (I'm guessing) ships them to the govt in relatively numerical order. Now someone makes up the sets (putting the medal in a leatherette case with ribbon bar and lapel pin) and the sets get packed in cases and shipped overseas. In numerical order? Close, but probably not. Now an awards ceremony takes place overseas. Think anyone really cared whether they issued the lowest numbered medal first? The clerk grabbed what was first on the shelf, recorded the number (when required) and issued the medal. After 1943, recording the medal number wasn't required on the General Order issuing the medal.

 

So maybe the case containing medal numbers in the 356xx range went to one Division (or Air Force), 358xx went to another, and 357xx went to a third. And by the time the case containing medals numbered in the 357xx range were issued, recording the medal number was no longer required.

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I fully agree with Tom Lane's comments. By way of illustration, the WW2 totals for the Silver Star were 73,651 awards, and 5057 awards of the DSC. The wartime supply of numbered SSM ran from 12,000 up to 118,xxx. And the WW2 supply of numbered DSCs ran from 8,000 up to 23,xxx which also included the 4,xxx DSC block not used in WW1. Yet so many wartime awards of the SSM and DSC were from later contracts of unnumbered medals. Recall the Robbins "black slot brooch" DSC variety which was contracted in Feb. 1945. In many cases, it seems the last medal stocks received were dipped into for the next award ceremony.

 

There have been a helluva lot of unattributed numbered DSCs and SSMs appearing in the collectors' market over the years. My DSC survey now totals 129 unattributed numbered crosses, whereas I have record of only 35 attributed numbered crosses in collectors' hands.

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  • 8 months later...
My copy of a computer roster of about 1900 attributed WW2 Silver Stars shows identified numbers in the 356xx and 358xx brackets. Unfortunately there were no attributed SSM in the 357xx range.

 

Hi Tom,

 

Can you check to see if there are any SSMs in the 397XX and 442XX brackets?

 

Thanks,

Jay

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Hi Tom,

 

Can you check to see if there are any SSMs in the 397XX and 442XX brackets?

 

Thanks,

Jay

 

SSMs attrbuted by GO number jump from 38xxx to 41xxx, and from 42xxx to 46xxx.

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SSMs attrbuted by GO number jump from 38xxx to 41xxx, and from 42xxx to 46xxx.

 

Tom,

 

Thanks very much for checking.

 

Jay

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  • 11 years later...
onsilverwings

Recently purchased a split wrapped broach SSM serial numbered in the 17xxx range. This would be ww1 or pre ww2? 

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  • 2 weeks later...
onsilverwings

Was able to make contact with the dealer I bought this set from. Turns out, it’s all from one 5th AF vet. Air gunner. she believes she also has his wings, purple heart. Trying to locate his name also. Here’s hoping….

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