Mystery Button

Subject: Mystery Button Thu Nov 06, 2014 2:05 pm

Any Ideas

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Subject: Re: Mystery Button Thu Nov 06, 2014 2:28 pm

American?

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

US Army

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Steve

Subject: Mystery Button Thu Nov 06, 2014 11:42 pm

Certainly American to me . I havent had time to read Steve's post Shocked

90th

Subject: Re: Mystery Button Fri Nov 07, 2014 1:22 am

Well, it does look very American, however, J.R. Gaunt was an English firm originally from Birmingham, Warwickshire, and later London.

They made buttons for the military and other none military uniform buttons, I can still remember that most of our railway uniform buttons were made by J.R. Gaunt, and they also made many different badges, both military and none military, including the 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' Totem badges that are nowadays sought after by railway collectors, they sell for all sorts of daft prices, hell, and to think I used to give them to the train spotters that used to come to our old engine shed, blast, I could have made a fortune today, darn it! Shocked

Subject: Mystery Button Fri Nov 07, 2014 1:42 am

Hi Martin
J.R. Gaunt possibly made buttons for international forces etc etc ? . Hope your well .
Cheers 90th Salute

Posts : 1261 Join date : 2010-04-12

What date would that have been!

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

Gaunt sold buttons all over the world. Here's a little potted history. The US Army pattern was still the same in WW2.

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Steve

Subject: Re: Mystery Button Fri Nov 07, 2014 8:51 pm

Thanks for replies!

The button was found, by our Metal Detector friend, on one of the Battlefields in South Africa.
No doubt lost during WW2 agree

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

Interesting. Apparently there were some American volunteers fighting with the Boers during the 2nd Boer War, but I don't imagine they wore US uniform.

Steve

Subject: Mystery Button Fri Nov 07, 2014 10:24 pm

Yes Littlehand , our metal detecting friend , wonder what Ian Knight will say when I pull mine out of my backpack and start assembling it ! agree

. Kwa-Zulu Natal would / will be a lot lighter once I'd / I've finished ! LOL Very Happy

Cheers 90th agree

Subject: Re: Mystery Button Fri Nov 07, 2014 11:59 pm

Just to throw this one into the mix, during the 1999 survey of iSandlwana an American Army button dating from the 19th Century was discovered.

John Y.

Subject: Re: Mystery Button Sat Nov 08, 2014 5:49 am

John Young wrote:: Just to throw this one into the mix, during the 1999 survey of iSandlwana an American Army button dating from the 19th Century was discovered.

John Y.

As was a modern 9mm bullet a .32 bullet and an 1879 chamber pot. Plus lots of detrimus.
Just to really frighten you, as an experiment I wrote a couple of notes, fountain pen on old note paper and semi buried them. That was around 1995. I retrieved one 6 months later and a second two years later. All done as an experiment but in retrospect its frightening to think what interpretation could have been drawn if they were discovered by someone else.
By the way the notes all contained the phrase: " It were Chelmsford what done it." Very Happy

Cheers

Subject: Re: Mystery Button Sat Nov 08, 2014 5:53 am

90th
Don't worry Ian was there in 1999 when extensive use was made of metal detectors. Next time your there ask him to show you area 1 and 7, could change your view of the battle lines.

Cheers

Guest

Just to add to the mystery, whilst visiting Khambula with Ron Lock, we were approached by a group of very young Zulu children armed with a bag of bits and bobs 'dug' up from the battlefield - cartridge cases, spent rounds and odd belt buckle etc. In amongst which was one of those US army buttons.
I'm wondering whether there might have been Civil War surplus greatcoats, or the like, sold off to other countries during the period?

Subject: Re: Mystery Button Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:09 pm

Similar to the two post Office buttons I was offered at iSandlwana

Cheers

Subject: Mystery Button Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:13 pm

Hi Lee
I think that makes a lot of sense ! . Possibly some Colonial troops may have even fought in the Civil War ? . Or possibly in the US Army at a stage after the Civil War , it's all possible ! , isnt it ? .
Cheers 90th scratch

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

I like the idea of re-used uniform. You see plenty of photos of Zulus wearing bits of old military kit, which we assume to be British. But not necessarily so.

Steve

Subject: Re: Mystery Button Sat Nov 08, 2014 6:10 pm

One of the suggestions that I made to Dr. Pollard at the N.A.M., was the owner of the button found at iSandlwana may well have served in the American-Indian Wars and had kept it as a memento.

George H. Browne alleged that he served against the Lakota.

William Barton of N.N.H. also fought against Indians, according to The Times.

Just a thought.

John Y.

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