Is this a Zulu War Medal?

Posts : 3379 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Thanks to 90th

This medal is on Ebay at the moment and lists the recipient as 32 COY pte T. ROBERTS R.M.L.I POD

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Now I can not find a T. Roberts listed on the Medal Roll, but can find a Daniel Roberts, Private Royal Marines, HMS Shah.
Going back to the medal inscription, does anyone know what the POD stands for on the Medal scratch

Posts : 600 Join date : 2010-01-07 Location : UK

hi 1879graves
could POD mean payable on death? the only definition related to military

thanks joe

Posts : 600 Join date : 2010-01-07 Location : UK

hi
ive just looked and it is a zulu war medal it is a Zulu War Campaign Medal

thanks joe

Guest

1879graves,

POD could stand for "Portsmouth Divison". Royal Marine Light Infantry stationed in England were at Plymouth, Portsmouth & Chatham Barracks.

Does anyone know if 32 coy was stationed at Portsmouth?

I also could find only one Roberts, RMLI, and that is Daniel Roberts, Private, HMS Shah.

Petty Officer Tom

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

I think it means "Presented On Discharge"

Subject: campaign medal. Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:49 am

hi all.
It seems to be an actual medal , but I have never seen one with POD on it , and 32 Coy ? , not sure what that means .
I am fairly certain there wasn a 32 coy ever in Zululand !.
cheers 90th.

Guest

90th,

I have found a little more information regarding RMLI Divisions, including the answer to my own question about the 32 coy.

Royal Marines serving aboard Her Majesty's ship were drawn from the Division that was quartered at the ship's home port.

H.M.S. Shah's home port was Portsmouth ,so she would draw members of RMLI from the Portsmouth Division.

The Royal Marine Light Infantry was divided into companies, the number of which varied due to current necessities. Companies were assigned to Chatham (CH), Portsmouth (PO) and Plymouth (PLY) divisions, with 1st company to Chatham, 2nd to Portsmouth and 3rd to Plymouth and then repeating the process. Following this pattern the 32nd company would have been stationed at Portsmouth making it part of the pool of marines of RMLI that the "Shah" could draw from.

A marine assigned to 32nd company could be in the Zulu War as a member of the "Shah", but not the entire company, as was the practice of the Army which sent entire batallions, i.e., 24th, 3rd, 88th, etc.

I finally found a Daniel Roberts in the National Archives. He was assigned to the Portsmouth Division.

Without seeing the medal in question I suspect that the "32 Coy" and "POD" were added after issue. Only a theory, but seems logical.

Petty Officer Tom

Subject: campaign medal. Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:34 pm

hi petty officer tom.
I think you have hit the nail on the head , POD is more than likely Portsmouth Division as you said ,
I agree 32 Coy along with POD has been added at a later stage . Would be interesting to find another
R.M.L.I medal to see what is engraved on it .
cheers 90th.

Subject: Re: Is this a Zulu War Medal? Tue May 04, 2010 7:51 pm

Hi all, just my input, but the bottom of that medal seems slightly thin... looks to have been renamed?

James M

Posts : 30 Join date : 2010-04-11 Age : 69 Location : USA

yes the photo does look like it may have been renamed, but it could be optical illusion.

POD, certainly could mean Portmouth Division, but have NEVER seen a Zulu medal named as such, and even a Long Service Medal where the Division was often engraved, POD is a VERY unusual abbreviation, I would steer clear.

Pick

Subject: Re: Is this a Zulu War Medal? Thu Jan 20, 2011 11:56 am

90th wrote:: hi petty officer tom.
I think you have hit the nail on the head , POD is more than likely Portsmouth Division as you said ,
I agree 32 Coy along with POD has been added at a later stage . Would be interesting to find another
R.M.L.I medal to see what is engraved on it .
cheers 90th.

sorry to bump an old thread, but I can make another attempt to get a pic of the edge inscription for the John Heazle medal and post it for you if you wish

Subject: Re: Is this a Zulu War Medal? Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:11 pm

The only script on the side of the medal should be:

"Name, Rank. R.M. H.M.S. Name of ship"

Anything ... question it/ steer clear

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