Bert's gongs - part two

This is inscribed A.C. MACKIE 1925 on the reverse. The box is now a little tatty but it shows that the medal came from Mappin & Webb.

A search on Google reveal that A.C.C. stands for Association of Conservative Clubs. Here are a couple of results:

'The Medal you describe is the "Association Of Conservative Clubs~Distinguished Service Medal"'
'I took it to mappin & webb in London who made the medal and they confirmed it is for the con club'
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25053

There is a picture of an almost identical medal on Flickr
'I believe the ACC may represent the Association of Conservative Clubs. Members of the ACC were sometimes affiliated to The Primrose League.'
http://flickr.com/photos/daviddb/2199897514/

Bert's Gongs - part one

As far as I know, Albert Charles Mackie never undertook military service. We know he was with the Ministry of Supply in Chislehurst during WWII and it is possible he was in a similar civilian occupation during WWI. But he does have some medals. Those illustrated here were for gymnastic achievements - something that has certainly not continued in my side of the family. Neither my father nor I ever had much interest in sport.

The motto "Vis Unita Fortior" translates as "United Strength is Stronger". The later medal has the holder's name and year on the reverse. It is also inscribed INTER-POLYTECHNIC DRILL COMPETITION around the rim.

Inside the lid is endorsed the makers details:

P. VAUGHTON & SONS

GOTHIC WORKS

BIRMINGHAM

Vaughton was a well known maker of medals and badges. The Gothic Works, which still stands, is at 95 Livery Street. For more about Vaughton, see

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewfield/3598812962/

Photo of the frontage

http://www.jewelleryquarter.net/about/sub-page/historic-trails/buildings-trail/

Tells us that the FA Cup was made here

http://www.badgecollectorscircle.co.uk/manufacturers.htm

A collectors website

Here is a detail from the 1902 medal. It shows the letters V&S and VAUGHTON

An obituary - Rose Finestone

These cuttings surfaced recently in the Crown Lane archive. Rose Finestone was the sister of William Warden. On the rear of one cutting has survived a list of Thames Regatta dates and these have helped date them. Mrs Finestone's age is given as 52. Presuming she was not too far apart in age from brother William, I guessed the cuttings dated from the 1940s or possibly early 1950s. (I remember hearing Bill say that he was the eldest of his family. His youngest brother was born at the same time as Bill was leaving home to get married.) Presuming the regattas (except Henley, which took place over four days) were all held on Saturdays narrows the choices down to 1943, 1948 and 1954. As far as I can gather, the regattas were suspended during WWII, which eliminates 1943. The mention that "Walton Amateur Regatta re-enters the lists for the first time since before the war" is the final clincher. This entry from the Walton rowing club website http://www.waltonrowingclub.co.uk/about-us/the-history-of-walton-rowing-club.html refers to "a meeting organised by the Club in December 1947, which re-established the Regatta in 1948". The exact date of her death is less precise. One cutting says she became ill on January 31 and the other that she died on January 10.

I have found two Google references to Mark Finestone, both of which show that he was a pigeon fancier:

http://www.pigeonnetwork.com/admin/bilcos_bulletin/drone.cfm?ID=498 "They were two birds that had been presented to Ron by Mark Finestone, of Shepperton, and were bred off the German Bachs pigeons that Mark had imported just after the war had ended."

http://www.elimarpigeons.com/ArticleA/OnTheRoad211108.htm "...after some help from local fanciers, including Mark Finestone..."

This cutting now puts ito perspective an earlier post about trench art, where I have included a picture of an embroidered postcard sent to Rose from Mark.

Bill's binns

These came from the Crown Lane archive and I presume they are from Bill Warden's side of the family.



Spectacle case only, no matching glasses. He actually used it to store cufflinks. The optician is H.W. Freeman of Sidcup. According to Collett Opticians website "In 1897 Mr HW Freeman, a jeweller/optician set up a business at 103 Main Road, Sidcup. James Collett purchased the practice in 1942". http://www.collettopticians.co.uk/history.html
Collett is still at this address.

Pince-nez with case from Hudson Howard, 3 Bridge Street, Walsall. A Google search reveals that Hudson Howard subsequently became part of Dolland & Aitchison. That company now has two stores in Walsall, but neither is in Bridge Street. Further Google searches for this address link it to Formal Affair, a wedding hire business http://www.thelocalweb.net/index/VSP/tlw_47031.htm

Goldliner Bookmakers http://www.finder.co.uk/walsall/Bookmakers

Golden Sun TCM Ltd (restaurant) http://www.bview.co.uk/listing/2325491/Golden-Sun-TCM-Ltd-in-WS1

Google does not currently have a Streetview for this area, so I cannot verify these details short of actually going there.

So I cannot date these precisely. Nor do I know of any family connection with Walsall.

Bill Warden's vehicles

That looks like Chislehurst Common in the background. I think the picture was taken in Morley Road. I would imagine that one of the ladies is Bill's wife Connie. The lady in the sidecar looks a bit like the one in the sea in the "Bill and Connie Warden?" post.

You can't see the driver very clearly, but I'm sure it must be Bill Warden. I think the car is by the garages at the south east of Crown Lane. I remember Bill buying a car in the early 1960s and that is where he kept it.

Update - 24 May 2009. Dating the pictures.

According to a table downloaded from http://homepage.ntlworld.com/johnstonrh/a30a35/regnos/index.htm#FILEDOWN

The registration prefix KK shown on the motorcycle was used in Kent between June 1922 and April 1924. JJ on the car was used in London between November 1932 and March 1933.

On the back of the motorcycle picture is written "Licence No 422X164". This corresponds to the one-page document issued by Kent County Council. An example is pictured in the entry "Bill Warden's driving licences". The earliest I have was issued in May 1924 and the latest expired in May 1931. There is then a hiatus of seven years until May 1938, when the first booklet style licence appears.

Both the vehicles appear to be in very good condition, so I imagine they were new (or at least newly acquired) when the pictures were taken.

Bill Warden's driving licences

This is the earliest of Bill's driving licences that I have. There are more in similar style up to 1930/31. It shows how long Bill had lived at Crown Lane.





And this is the more recent type. This was renewed by stick the new licence on top of the old one. The earliest one here was dated May 1938. By October 1968, Bill would have been 78 years old and probably decided it was time to give up driving.

Bill Bailey's Gongs

William Kilby Bailey's First World War medals. From left to right we have:

1. The Military Medal. The inscription around the edge is 40734 PTE W K BAILEY 47.WORC.R

I presume this is an abbreviation for 47th Division, Worcester Regiment.

2. British War Medal

3. Victory Medal

The inscription for these two:

25174 PTE W K BAILEY S.STAFF.R which I presume is an abbreviation for South Staffordshire Regiment.

It is interesting to note that, as well as changing regiments, his service number has also changed.

Since he did not hold the 1914 or 1914-15 Star, his military service during WWI did not begin until 1916 or later.

For more about these medals see http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/wwi_medals.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_War_Medal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Medal_(United_Kingdom)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Medal