pchepurko Posted January 25, 2011 Share #26 Posted January 25, 2011 Outstanding research job. There was no luck involved, it was plain hard research work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakepuke Posted January 25, 2011 Share #27 Posted January 25, 2011 The last ribbon on his ribbonbar is the Military Order of William, 4th class (Knight). (At that time) Commander Binford was awarded the Military Order of William, by Royal Decree 060842-1, during the same action in which Admiral Smith received his Bronze Lion. Nice picture btw! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish Posted January 25, 2011 Share #28 Posted January 25, 2011 Super Medal Bar. Here is a photo of Admiral Thomas H. Binford who commanded Destroyer Division 58 of which the USS Stewart was part of during the battle of Java Sea in early 1942. At the time Adm Binford was a Commander. Destroyer Division 58 consisted of the USS Stewart, Parrot, Bulmer and Barker. Commander Binford also won the Navy Cross for this battle. A large group of photos and misc paperwork belonging to Admiral Binford showed up at an SOS a number of years back and I purchased the group. Not trying to hijack this thread. Commander Binford while commanding Destroyer Division 58 had the USS Stewart as his flagship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish Posted January 25, 2011 Share #29 Posted January 25, 2011 The last ribbon on his ribbonbar is the Military Order of William, 4th class (Knight). (At that time) Commander Binford was awarded the Military Order of William, by Royal Decree 060842-1, during the same action in which Admiral Smith received his Bronze Lion. Nice picture btw! I believe Adm Binford according to accounts was awarded the Military Order of William by Queen Wilhelmina in Washington D.C. shortly after his return following the Battle of Java Sea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakepuke Posted January 25, 2011 Share #30 Posted January 25, 2011 I don't want to hijack this thread either, I just would like to add the information I have about Admiral Binford. The Dutch citation for Binford's Military Order of William states: Zich als Commandant van de 58e jagerdivisie moedig en beleidvol gedragen in het zeegevecht van Straat Lombok waarbij een uit zware kruisers en jagers bestaande vijandelijke overmacht weg aangevallen met resultaat dat den vijand zware verliezen werden toegebracht The (free) translation would be: Has acted bravely and prudent in the naval battle of Lombok Strait in which an enemy supremacy, excising of heavy cruisers and hunters, was attacked which resulted in inflicting heavy losses to the enemy. I just found a picture in a book I have of Queen Wilhelmina with 5 United States Navy officers (Admiral Hart, Admiral Glassford, Commander T.H. Binford, Commander H. Eccles Effingham and H.P. Smith) after they received their decorations for action in Lombok Strait on the 19th/20th of February 1942. I will try to post it this week, maybe it is interesting for you and Tom (to go with the items you already have). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom2001 Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share #31 Posted January 26, 2011 I don't want to hijack this thread either, I just would like to add the information I have about Admiral Binford. The Dutch citation for Binford's Military Order of William states: The (free) translation would be: I just found a picture in a book I have of Queen Wilhelmina with 5 United States Navy officers (Admiral Hart, Admiral Glassford, Commander T.H. Binford, Commander H. Eccles Effingham and H.P. Smith) after they received their decorations for action in Lombok Strait on the 19th/20th of February 1942. I will try to post it this week, maybe it is interesting for you and Tom (to go with the items you already have). Sure, I'd LOVE to see the pic!! Now a quick question: a number of Americans (including Eccles and Smith in the photo) we originally awarded the Bronze Cross with Honorable Mention, which was later withdrawn and replaced with the Bronze Lion. Do you know the reason for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakepuke Posted January 26, 2011 Share #32 Posted January 26, 2011 Yes, I do. The reason has to do with the change in the Dutch decoration system during WWII. In 1940, at the beginning of the war (for the Dutch that is), the Dutch government had only 2 decorations that could be used (being the Military Order of William and a Honorable Mention). As both only could be awarded for the most courages actions there was the need to create other, more appropriate, awards for the free Dutch forces. Because of that the Dutch government, on June 11, 1940, created the Bronze Cross. The Bronze Cross was the 3rd highest decoration, after the Honorable Mention (2nd) and the Military Order of William (1st). The Bronze Cross was an award on itself but when a recipient did something "extra" he would also earned a Honorable Mention. The Honorable Mention could be placed on the ribbon of the Bronze Cross, the Dutch Flying Cross or on the Cross of Merit, depending on the action and service the recipient belonged to. (The Dutch Flying Cross or on the Cross of Merit were all created later, in 1941). Therefore, in the case when a recipient would receive a Honorable Mention he would also receive one of the previous mentioned awards, the Bronze Cross, The Dutch Flying Cross or the Cross of Merit. (It is a bit like a MID for the British forces, I don't know if you are familiar with that concept? When a serviceman/woman earned a MID, he automatically received the War Medal, to put the device onto). Then, on March 30, 1944, the Bronze Lion was created. This award would be awarded instead/replaced the Honorable Mention. The Dutch government decided that all Honorable Mention which were awarded on a Bronze Cross, Dutch Flying Cross or Cross of Merit had to be changed for a Bronze Lion. So, the reason why Smith and others recieved a Bronze Lion, instead of keeping his Bronze Cross with Honorable Mention, was due to legislation. It is just has to due with a change in the Dutch decoration system. (Hope I didn't bore you with this information. If there is something that isn't clear, please let me know and I will try to explain it better). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulR Posted January 26, 2011 Share #33 Posted January 26, 2011 Not boring at all. Thank you for all of the detail. That is one heck fo a grouping. Congrats to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakepuke Posted January 26, 2011 Share #34 Posted January 26, 2011 Hereby the promised picture. This scan was made with 600 DPI and has been made smaller to be small enough to post it as a attachment. For those who would like to have the scan which was made at 1200 DPI, without being made smaller, just send your mail address through PM and I will send it to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted January 17, 2012 Share #35 Posted January 17, 2012 Just found this thread and love it. Being that my father is from The Hague and lived through the war and my uncle fought in Indonesia I love the connection. To actually have found out who this medal bar belonged to is like a needle in a haystack. Extraordinary work gentleman and fascinating history. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medalman90 Posted January 18, 2012 Share #36 Posted January 18, 2012 this is a great group and a story to mach Tom. thank you very much for shareing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom2001 Posted September 15, 2012 Author Share #37 Posted September 15, 2012 Time to resurrect an old thread. I finally obtained a press photo of Smith. This one is dated 1948. What's interesting is that he is wearing ribbons for both the Dutch Bronze Cross with Honorable Mention device, as well as the Bronze Lion. I guess nobody told him that the Bronze Lion award replaced the Bronze Cross award, and was not in addition to the previous award!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman Posted September 15, 2012 Share #38 Posted September 15, 2012 Absolute Fantastic. Thanks for showing the Bar and thanks for the good research! Greetings Stefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
custer1 Posted September 16, 2012 Share #39 Posted September 16, 2012 Very nice group. I've been looking for a WWII era manufacture Bronze Lion (like the one in this group) with an an original full wrap brooch. Anyone can pm me if know of a source and reasonable price. Thanks, JimB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakepuke Posted September 17, 2012 Share #40 Posted September 17, 2012 Thanks for the update, Tom! Strange to see the difference between the medals included in the group and the ribbons included in the ribbon bar but very nice at the same time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakepuke Posted September 17, 2012 Share #41 Posted September 17, 2012 Thanks for the update, Tom! Strange to see the difference between the medals included in the group and the ribbons included in the ribbon bar but very nice at the same time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom2001 Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share #42 Posted September 17, 2012 Thanks for the update, Tom! Strange to see the difference between the medals included in the group and the ribbons included in the ribbon bar but very nice at the same time! Navy uniform regulations at the time (and today) allow for medal recipients to wear either all their full sized medals, or only their top 5 medals on their full dress uniforms. After personal awards, there seems to be some flexibility on which campaigns or foreign awards the medal recipients wore. In this case, HPS chose to leave off his WWII Victory Medal in lieu of his Dutch Bronze Lion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herman v Posted July 24, 2013 Share #43 Posted July 24, 2013 I stumbled today on this thread. Nice group Tom. The Bronze Lion in the group is a WW2 era production of the British firm of Garrard, London. Very nice indeed. The first one i see by photographic evidence. Decades ago i read some Dutch History books and allready knew the stories. The picture with the officers surrounding Queen Wilhelmina which snakepuke provided is a well known picture here in the Netherlands. Her Aide at the time was 2nd Lt Chris Krediet a MWO 4th class wearer for his secret agent insertion work at the Dutch coast. Later in WW2 he became a flyer in the RAF. Thanks for showing. best regards Herman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leatherneck72 Posted October 23, 2013 Share #44 Posted October 23, 2013 Very cool research story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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