Turkish WAR MEDAL (HARP MADALYASI)
Turkish WAR MEDAL (TWM) or HARP MADALYASI
By Demir Erman
Often and incorrectly referred to as the “Gallipoli Star” or “Iron Half-Moon”, my interest in the Harp Madalyasi (War Medal), started a few years ago and I was immediately confronted with a myriad of unanswered questions due to the general lack of substantiated information on the subject. Luckily, I befriended other collectors interested in this award and eventually met the author in one of these online forums. First, let me say, that a printed reference on this subject was long overdue and I could not think of a better, more knowledgeable person, to bring this subject to light.
The book briefly discusses the history of the Ottoman Empire and how it’s military awards came into being, along with the European influence on design and purpose that led to the establishment of the War Medal. Various battles and campaigns are mentioned and examples of the various clasps often encountered on the War Medal ribbon are also shown.
One of the book’s highlights centers around the award regulations and amendments that applied, which are shown in great detail and reprinted with full translations. This is something many references overlook and often the collector has to rely on hearsay or other collector opinions, which often lead to confusion or erroneous statements as facts.
With the actual regulations, there can be no dispute on the how or why certain things will be seen with this award. I also think the author clearly shows how military awards were viewed by the War Ministry and that the only true War Medal officially produced and awarded, was the painted enamel version, while the rest were simply jeweler’s or aftermarket versions produced for those individuals that wanted a better quality medal for wear after the fact.
Though various versions of the TWM are shown in the book, as well as packets of issue and other items, due to the numerous varieties produced after the war and the fact not all have been seen, this is not an all-inclusive list of the different manufacturers. Considering many previously unseen versions are still coming to light even today, hopefully more information on these varieties can be shown in future editions.
Overall, I thought the book was good and of particular value to the collector interested in the Harp Madalyasi. I know some may find the book smaller in size and not as expansive as some of the other militaria references coming out these days but, considering that very little information is readily available on this medal, let alone Turkish awards in general, this book is a very good deal in my opinion. It’s not always the size or print quality of an item, but the information it presents that determines it’s full value.
I think many will appreciate Demir’s efforts here and certainly, the price is a bargain compared to many other references currently on the market. The regulations alone make the book worthwhile!
Tim
For more information and some photos on the book, see this thread:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=567051&page=6
By Demir Erman
Often and incorrectly referred to as the “Gallipoli Star” or “Iron Half-Moon”, my interest in the Harp Madalyasi (War Medal), started a few years ago and I was immediately confronted with a myriad of unanswered questions due to the general lack of substantiated information on the subject. Luckily, I befriended other collectors interested in this award and eventually met the author in one of these online forums. First, let me say, that a printed reference on this subject was long overdue and I could not think of a better, more knowledgeable person, to bring this subject to light.
The book briefly discusses the history of the Ottoman Empire and how it’s military awards came into being, along with the European influence on design and purpose that led to the establishment of the War Medal. Various battles and campaigns are mentioned and examples of the various clasps often encountered on the War Medal ribbon are also shown.
One of the book’s highlights centers around the award regulations and amendments that applied, which are shown in great detail and reprinted with full translations. This is something many references overlook and often the collector has to rely on hearsay or other collector opinions, which often lead to confusion or erroneous statements as facts.
With the actual regulations, there can be no dispute on the how or why certain things will be seen with this award. I also think the author clearly shows how military awards were viewed by the War Ministry and that the only true War Medal officially produced and awarded, was the painted enamel version, while the rest were simply jeweler’s or aftermarket versions produced for those individuals that wanted a better quality medal for wear after the fact.
Though various versions of the TWM are shown in the book, as well as packets of issue and other items, due to the numerous varieties produced after the war and the fact not all have been seen, this is not an all-inclusive list of the different manufacturers. Considering many previously unseen versions are still coming to light even today, hopefully more information on these varieties can be shown in future editions.
Overall, I thought the book was good and of particular value to the collector interested in the Harp Madalyasi. I know some may find the book smaller in size and not as expansive as some of the other militaria references coming out these days but, considering that very little information is readily available on this medal, let alone Turkish awards in general, this book is a very good deal in my opinion. It’s not always the size or print quality of an item, but the information it presents that determines it’s full value.
I think many will appreciate Demir’s efforts here and certainly, the price is a bargain compared to many other references currently on the market. The regulations alone make the book worthwhile!
Tim
For more information and some photos on the book, see this thread:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=567051&page=6
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