MBE Medal

[oilydan]

Anyone know anything about the MBE medals?

My wife has a rather nice letter that we have framed, from King George V to her grandfather, awarding the Civil MBE in 1935.

Unfortunately, due to her family relocations, breakups and deaths the medal seems to be missing from her possession. We have only just had the chance to go through her family's belongings, 10+ years after her parents passed away.

She is rather gutted that we don't have the medal so I'm going to try and surprise her with a replacement original.

The problem I have is that the medals came with Britannia on them 1917-1935 and with George on them 1935-present, also purple ribbon on the former and red on the latter.

How the hell do I find out either the exact date they switched medals (letter is dated 3rd June 1935), or which medal he would have originally been given?

[Kermit power]

Where would you get the replacement from?

I don't know about MBEs, but you can only get replacement military medals if the original has either been stolen or destroyed in a fire, flood or similar. Just "it got lost in a house move" isn't a valid reason.

If you can get it replaced, then I would imagine government records would know what was awarded in the first place, and just replicate that?

[oilydan]

Kermit power said:

.....government records....

Where would one start digging to find which part of the government, or Royal admin department, I would need to contact? That's what I might need to look for.

[Zingari]

Try the Medal Office https://www.gov.uk/the-ministry-of-defence-medal-o...

Yes it is for military medals but I would think they will point you in the right direction.

[john2443]

The Cabinet Office is where you put in a recommendation for an honour, you could ask them.

Or a replica (but don't mention the Britannia version) , I'm surprised they are allowed to make them, I'd have thought they'd be copyright or something like that.

http://www.servicecomm.co.uk/catalogue.php?categor...

http://www.bigburymint.com/mbe-civilian-min/

[R6VED]

My grandfather was 92 when he died 2 months ago. The first time I saw his MBE medal was propped up against his coffin at the funeral with all the others.

He was a very modest man and after his death is the first time I saw the newspaper articles that covered the incident that he earned it from.

Extraordinarily proud is an understatement but suffice to say it was in the war and he saved the life of another at the expense of the safety of his own. (Long story short)

Edited by R6VED on Saturday 28th March 11:18

[Troubleatmill]

It is about £35-£55 to get a replacement medal IIRC.

[oilydan]

30-55 would get you a 'replica', but I think it would be nice to get another real one, there are a few about on e-bay and specialist shops for around the 200 mark.

Problem is, I don't know which one to get, pre or post 1935.