Korean War era untitled Navy medal case

[gallantryinaction]

I'd always believed that the untitled medal presentation cases dated from pre - early WWII. However, I recently acquired this case which seems to indicate that untitled cases were manufactured through the start of the Korean War. This example is identical to the "short" titled USN/USMC cases of WWII, except that the removable pad is made of the "plush" material found in WWII Army/AAF cases. The outer cardboard box shows that the case was made by Arrow Manufacturing Co. and is dated 22 May 1951. Were the medal titles applied after the cases were manufactured, and this is one that slipped through the system, or is this a true Korean War era untitled case? I'd love to hear some other opinions on this one.

[Bank Vault]

maybe it was to hold decorations earned and present them other then presenting them in a cardboard factory box? I don't know but interesting brain teaser.

[KASTAUFFER]

I saw that case on Ebay and was rather intrigued by it.

 

I own a WWII US Navy Purple Heart/GCM pair to a sailor who was KIA with VB-1 in 1945 and it is in one of these un-titled cases. Until this one showed up on Ebay, it was the only short USN case I had ever seen that was un-titled.

 

 

Kurt

[shrapneldude]

From what I know of untitled cases, they were generally used for the higher awards -- Medal of Honor Distinguished Service / Navy Cross, and even some Silver Star and Purple Heart medals. Why exactly they came in untitled cases, I've never quite found out. One theory is that the medals were gathered up and put in untitled cases for field presentations. Just my 2 cents.

[KASTAUFFER]

Here is the box I have . The pin mark on the satin inside of the lid is from the GCM that was pinned to it. The PH was presented to his NOK in 1946, so I at least know the box dates from around that time. The USN didnt start using this type of short case with the gold decorations until some time after WWII started . All Navy decorations came in colored coffin boxes during the early part of the war ( Black for DFC/NC, Green for AM , Red for SS , Light Blue for DSM , Purple for PH , ETC ) . The earliest documented titled case I have is a field presentation of an Air Medal in Dec 1943.

 

The US Army used untitled cases early on WWII for every decoration. The one most people typically think of is the pearl catch box. The pearl catch box seems to have been mainly reserved for the DSC , SM , SS, DFC ETC . I dont think I have seen an AM or a PH in a pearl catch box . I have had them in untitled boxes without the pearl catch.

 

Kurt