Welcome Home presentation medal from the Citizens of Lidcombe, 1919
1917Sterling silver, welcome home from active service medal presented by the citizens of Lidcombe to Corporal W.E. Simpson in 1919.
On the obverse, there is a scroll within a laurel wreath, with lettering around the wreath 'HE HEARD HIS COUNTRY'S CALL'. The scroll is engraved 'A Tribute From THE CITIZENS OF LIDCOMBE On His Return From ACTIVE SERVICE 1919'. The Australian Coat of Arms sits atop the scroll, while the letters 'REG' and 'STSIL' are impressed along the bottom edge.
The reverse shows three soldiers charging with fixed bayonets on the edge of a bay, with a rising sun behind and a figure of Victory in the form of a goddess on the left. She is standing on steps with a column behind her and has one hand writing on a scroll while the other holds a laurel wreath.The name 'FAMES' appears on one of the faces of the steps.
The medal is engraved around edge with the recipient's name and rank, 'CPL W.E.SIMPSON' and suspended by a cotton ribbon in gold. This has been secured by some green stitching to prevent movement.
The citizens of Lidcombe, NSW, awarded two different kinds of medals to men from their locality who had served during World War One.
The first was a Memorial medal issued to the families of servicemen who had been killed on active service which read ''A Tribute from THE CITIZENS OF LIDCOMBE To the Memory of .... KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE ...date' on the scroll
The second was the Welcome Home presentation like this example, where the name of the soldier was impressed onto the medal rim.
There appears to be some difference in the medal ribbons too, with the same 'Welcome Home' medal held by the Australian War Memorial (AWM) bearing a red, white and blue ribbon bordered by two horizontal metal bars.
The identity of Corporal W.E. Simpson has not been discovered. While there is only one W.E. Simpson (Walter Edward), his rank and place of enlistment do not tally. Another example on the AWM website has the incorrect initials engraved, and this may be the case here.
Details
Details
On obverse around upper circumference:
"HE HEARD HIS COUNTRY'S CALL"
On obverse on central scroll:
"A Tribute From
THE CITIZENS OF LIDCOMBE
On His Return From
ACTIVE SERVICE 1919"
Impressed along lower edge:
"REG" "STSIL"
On reverse:
"FAMES"
Other items from Recollections of War
-
Miniature hand tinted portrait of WWI Australian soldier in silver and gold frame
-
Sterling silver pendant or fob named to Lieutenant T. Walker, 1915
-
'Lest we forget ANZAC' tie or lapel pin
-
Heart-shaped sweetheart brooch sold to raise funds for wounded soldiers on first Anzac Day - 13th October 1915
-
Fundraising medallion sold to support Thames Red Cross Day - 1915
-
World War One era double-sided photographic pendant locket - Lord Kitchener and General French
-
Birmingham Battalion lapel badge converted to photo locket
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