# Vimy medal, other memorabilia, found under English hedge



## 57Chevy (16 Jun 2010)

Vimy medal, other memorabilia, found under English hedge


Police in Britain are trying to unravel the mystery of a how a valuable collection of Canadian war memorabilia — including a Military Cross awarded to a B.C. soldier in 1917 for "conspicuous gallantry" at the landmark Battle of Vimy Ridge — wound up tossed "under a hedge" in the north England city of Leeds.


The stunning find, which includes other significant military decorations, letters from the First World War and a number of vintage photographs, has prompted a public appeal from West Yorkshire Police in a bid to reunite the artifacts with their rightful owner in Britain or Canada.


The collection may have been dumped by a burglar who didn't realize the value of the items, police have speculated. But the clues contained in the box of treasures suggest they once belonged to relatives of Samuel Buttrey Birds, a Yorkshire-born Canadian soldier in the 1914-18 war who was also a notable architect in Vancouver.


"A significant portion of a family's history is contained in this box," police said in a statement. "Despite an exhaustive search of police systems and databases, officers have been unable to trace the owner."


Birds, born in England in 1871, emigrated to Canada in 1907 and was working as an architect in Vancouver in when the First World War broke out in 1914.


Birds, 43 when the war began, was old enough that one of his sons — Frederick Arthur Birds — would also see action overseas during the conflict.


Among the items discovered in Leeds was a medallion given to the Birds family when the younger man died in a plane crash at Malta.


There were also newspaper clippings recounting the wartime activities of various other members of the Birds clan, highlighted by those of Samuel Buttrey Birds.


Serving as a captain with the Vancouver-based Seaforth Highlanders, the 72nd Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, S.B. Birds earned his Military Cross in the battle that has been described as a coming-of-age moment for Canada.


For his courageous actions at Vimy Ridge, where Canadian troops captured a key stronghold in the French countryside on April 9, 1917, Birds was honoured for leading his company "with the greatest fearlessness to its objective under terrific artillery, machine gun, and rifle fire, and consolidated it," according to the official citation.


Birds' exploits at Vimy were also recorded in the regimental history of the 72nd Battalion: "No one who was there can forget, for instance, the wonderful work of Capt. S.B. Birds, who, with that uncanny coolness which was a source of wonder to all ranks, led his own Company at the start, and later directed affairs on the spot with a disregard of danger that seemed almost fatalistic."


The Military Cross found in the box of artifacts appears to be a miniaturized version used by recipients of the award for social events.


Birds was decorated again in 1917 for his battlefield leadership at Passchendaele, after which he was promoted to major.


Following the war, he returned to Vancouver and joined a prominent architectural firm that became Twizell, Birds & Twizell.


He is also believed to have worked for a time in California before his death in 1960.


Among the existing B.C. buildings that Birds designed are the Chalmers Presbyterian Church, a protected Vancouver heritage site, and a vintage set of tenement dwellings on Fisgard Street in Victoria.


Yorkshire police were inviting anyone with knowledge of the military artifacts to contact them via the website www.westyorkshire.police.uk

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/canada/Vimy+medal+other+memorabilia+found+under+English+hedge/3163114/story.html#ixzz0r3lrq6cV


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## Michael OLeary (16 Jun 2010)

The medal with ribbon is a Special Constabulary Long Service Medal. On the right side of the image from top to bottom are a miniature Military Cross, a British War medal and a 1914-15 Star.  Since the miniature wouldn't be engraved with a name, Birds' naming must be on the others.  Assuming all three are named to him, missing are his full size Military Cross and his Victory medal (without knowing if he was entitle to other medals).

From a mention in the London Gazette in Nov 1918, I see that his Distinguished Service Order is also missing from the group.



> British Columbia, Regt.
> The undermentioned temp. Capts. to be
> temp. Majs.: —
> (Actg. Maj.) S. B. Birds, D.S.O., M.C.
> 10 Sept. 1918



I cannot identify the cap badge, the two large medallion or the fob in the centre of the image.


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## Dissident (16 Jun 2010)

While someone else might be the legitimate owner, my first thought is that this should be handed over to the Seaforth museum.


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## Michael OLeary (16 Jun 2010)

http://househistorian.blogspot.com/2009/09/west-end-story-1550-harwood-robert.html



> Samuel Buttrey Birds was born April 23, 1871 in Morley Yorkshire. He moved to Toronto in 1907 and to Vancouver in 1908. During World War I he joined Vancouver’s Seaforth Regiment of Canada, (72nd Battalion). Prior to joining the army he had been a prominent member of the Vancouver Rifle Association. Birds fought at the Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele. Captain Birds’ conduct at Vimy Ridge earned him a Military Cross and he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions at Passchendaele and promoted to the rank of Major.
> 
> Birds returned to Vancouver and civilian life in 1919 at the same time as Robert Blair. In 1920 he entered into a partnership with the Twizell brothers. Their work together included David Lloyd George and Kerrisdale Schools, extensive repairs and renovations to Magee Secondary School, a house for William More and the house for Mrs. W.E. Blair, Robert Blair’s mother (the aforementioned Mrs. David Blair).


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## Michael OLeary (16 Jun 2010)

Considering that it contains half his medal group, other items and clippings, it is very likely his medal were divided between family members after his death.  If that is the case, what has been found is one of those subdivisions of the family momentos of Maj Birds.


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## Michael OLeary (16 Jun 2010)

Cross-posted from the Great War Forum:



> A collection of memorabilia discovered dumped in Leeds underlines one Yorkshire family's transatlantic links to the Great War. Some of the Birds family – from Canada but thought originally to be from Leeds – died on the Western Front. Others were wounded and one survived. They won numerous honours and four of the women nursed the war wounded. Now the Yorkshire Evening Post and police are eager to reunite their heirs with the collection of mementos dumped in a cardboard box in Moortown – believed by a burglar.
> 
> The collection reveals the lives of Major Samuel B Birds, Military Cross and Bar and Distinguished Service Order; Private John Albert Birds, Military Medal; their soldier and pilot brothers George W Birds and Flight Lt Bibby – all sons of Mrs John Birds of 562 Burlington Street East, Hamilton, Canada.
> 
> It also reveals the tragic death of a second generation, the Major's son Frederick Arthur Birds, also killed in the War to End Wars.


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## kkwd (16 Jun 2010)

It looks like the large medals are the Colonial & Indian Exhibition London 1886


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## kkwd (16 Jun 2010)

The badge is  The Royal Observer Corps


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## Nfld Sapper (16 Jun 2010)

kkwd said:
			
		

> The badge is  The Royal Observer Corps



Which to me makes no sense with the medals found to me at least.......



> The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down


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## Michael OLeary (16 Jun 2010)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> Which to me makes no sense with the medals found to me at least.......



Nothing says it was Birds' cap badge. You would have to piece together more of the family's history after the First World War to see if it fits with them as a family grouping of artifacts.


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## Nfld Sapper (16 Jun 2010)

Michael O'Leary said:
			
		

> Nothing says it was Birds' cap badge. You would have to piece together more of the family's history after the First World War to see if it fits with them as a family grouping of artifacts.



Gotcha!

Cheers


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## 57Chevy (16 Jun 2010)

Mike
         What is the small rectangular item?
         The two in the center are coins.


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## Michael OLeary (16 Jun 2010)

It appears to be a watch-chain medallion or some or the similar item.  Blowing up the image doesn't make the lettering clear enough to read.


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## Michael OLeary (16 Jun 2010)

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Exclusive-Mystery-Leeds-WW1-find.6364421.jp



> Exclusive: Mystery Leeds WW1 find
> A collection of memorabilia discovered dumped in Leeds underlines one Yorkshire family's transatlantic links to the Great War.
> 
> Published Date: 16 June 2010
> ...


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## 57Chevy (16 Jun 2010)

Other items found.     From the Yorkshire Evening Post:

to add........I see you got to it first  ;D


http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Exclusive-Mystery-Leeds-WW1-find.6364421.jp


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## 57Chevy (17 Jun 2010)

Family memorabilia mystery:

First World War medals have been found under a hedge in Leeds.

Police believe the medals, along with other family memorabilia, which were found in a British Gas box near St Gemma's Hospice in Moortown on June 2, may have been discarded by a burglar.

The box contained photographs, and newspaper clippings, some of which are over 100 years old.

A name and address on a number of envelopes is given as Mrs L Birds, of 5 Edgeware Avenue, Bayswater Road, Harehills, Leeds – but the address no longer exists.

Newspaper clippings detail that a Major Samual Birds survived the war as part of the 72nd Vancouver Battalion of the Canadian Infantry but lost two of his brothers in the conflict with a third seriously injured.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0845 6060606

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Family-memorabilia-mystery.6368118.jp


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## jbirds51 (8 Jul 2012)

Hello, I am the niece of the men mentioned in these articles and I was wondering if anyone could give me some assistance.  I have attached photos of 2 unidentified relatives whom I believe to be persons referenced in the articles.  I was hoping to identify the branch of military, rank, or any other information that may help me with finding out who these men are.


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## Edward Campbell (8 Jul 2012)

The officer in the top picture < Birds unknown.jpg  > is in the Royal Naval Air Service, as you can see by his cap badge which is a variant of the RN badge. He is either a Flight Sub Lieutenant or an Observer Sub Lieutenant.


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## Old Sweat (8 Jul 2012)

And the non-commissioned soldier in the middle picture is wearing the ribbon of the Military Medal, which is an award for gallantry.

Edit to add: The Library and Archives Canada website has the Canadian First Word War enlistment documents on line. This may give you a clue, if both men served in one of the Canadian services.


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## WrenchBender (8 Jul 2012)

From the the collar insignia and hat badge the second picture shows a member of the 14th Battalion CEF (The Royal Montreal Regiment). The below link does list a Private J. A. Birds as being awarded a Military Medal as a member of that regiment.

http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/Regimental/awards14thBn.asp#mm

WrenchBender


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## jbirds51 (8 Jul 2012)

Thank you, All, for the very quick response.  With the information, I have identified the first picture as John Richard Bibby, and found the following: Monday, 11 June 1917,  Royal Naval Air Service, flying in torpedo-carrying, Short 320 Type A tractor biplane seaplane, crashed during trials at Torpedo School, Malta.  BIBBY, John R, Ty/Flight Sub Lieutenant, killed.  I also found reference to his grave in the cemetery on Malta.

The second picture is of John Albert Birds.  I've located his CEF attestation papers, and am now off and running through cyberspace. 

I know the children and grandchildren of these men will appreciate the photos when I pass them along.

By the way, I have contacted the police to see if anyone has claimed the box of my family's memorabilia.  Maybe good fortune will hold for me, and I can acquire the contents.

Again, Thank You.  I have been trying for 20 years to identify these men.
Jackie


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## 54/102 CEF (8 Jul 2012)

Well done to all!


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## 57Chevy (8 Jul 2012)

I am always delighted to see some form of closure to these type of stories, especially
when it concerns the gathering of family history. Very happy for you Jackie.

The expertise of the identification of items shown by 
members of the forum speaks highly of the site. 

I took the liberty to slightly repair the tear and some creases in one of the photographs.
I hope you don't mind


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## Michael OLeary (9 Jul 2012)

jbirds51 said:
			
		

> The second picture is of John Albert Birds.  I've located his CEF attestation papers, and am now off and running through cyberspace.
> 
> Jackie



Jackie, you may find some of my pages here useful in your research:

Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World War

Good luck with your research.


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## jbirds51 (16 Jul 2012)

I just wanted to let everyone know that I received a wonderful email from the Stainbeck Police Station.  My family memorabilia was forwarded to the Seaforth Highlanders Museum in Vancouver, CA. in October of 2010.  My brother, who lives in Seattle, will be contacting the museum to see if they still have the contents.  I have truly enjoyed reading through the websites, histories, and stories recommended; especially now having a personal connection.  Thanks again for all the help.
Jackie


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## sheikyerbouti (16 Jul 2012)

jbirds51 said:
			
		

> I just wanted to let everyone know that I received a wonderful email from the Stainbeck Police Station.  My family memorabilia was forwarded to the Seaforth Highlanders Museum in Vancouver, CA. in October of 2010.  My brother, who lives in Seattle, will be contacting the museum to see if they still have the contents.  I have truly enjoyed reading through the websites, histories, and stories recommended; especially now having a personal connection.  Thanks again for all the help.
> Jackie



 For your information,

 The archives are in the process of being moved into a new location so you may have to be patient until they can get things sorted out.

 The new curator is Rob Macdonald and has always been a wealth of knowledge for myself and many other's throughout the Lower Mainland.

 his website is: http://westcoastkilts.com/    for your contact info. pleasure...  

Good Luck with your quest,


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## Colin Parkinson (17 Jul 2012)

Why  am I not surprised that Rob became the curator. Will have to give him a call


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## MedCorps (17 Jul 2012)

Michael O'Leary said:
			
		

> Jackie, you may find some of my pages here useful in your research:
> 
> Researching Canadian Soldiers of the First World War
> 
> Good luck with your research.



Michael... this link is quite the resource.  Public recognitions is deserved for putting this valuable, well together product.  Makes the internet useful. 

Good work! 

MC


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