Medal News – September 2026

Summary

The Siege of Badajoz and the 74th Highlanders in Spain lead the September 2026 issue of Medal News (Vol. 64 No. 08, GBP 5.25), with David I. Walker profiling Lieutenant Samuel Herron — one of the soldiers who stormed the breach at one of the Peninsular War's bloodiest engagements.

The issue features Museum Treasures by Dr Alan Jeffreys examining the last British Commander-in-Chief India (1948-49). Andrew Wilson continues Collector's Notebook with Conflict Over Two Continents Part 3. Graham Hodgkins presents the seventh instalment of Fact File on the men who commanded British veterinary hospitals in WWI. Martin Fuller covers volunteers from Britain and the Dominions who came to France's aid in 1914. Chris Bilham's Tales of the Gales Part 7 recounts a ship sunk with all hands. Jim Carlisle profiles the California Volunteers Medal for the Spanish American War. The auction section highlights a hammer price of 12,000 pounds for an Order of Merit (Civil) Member's Neck Badge from Edward VII's collection sold on July 15. The OMRS Medal Fair runs September 18-19 at the University of Warwick.

—–

Content Guide

▸ Features

p.16 · Museum Treasures — The Last British Commander-in-Chief India, 1948-49 — by Dr Alan Jeffreys
Dr Jeffreys examines the artefacts and legacy of the final British officer to hold the post of Commander-in-Chief in India, a role that ended in 1949 as the subcontinent settled post-partition. The piece draws on museum holdings that document the transition from imperial to independent command structures. A quiet piece of epilogue to the Raj, told through objects rather than argument.

p.18 · Collector's Notebook — Conflict Over Two Continents Part 3 — by Andrew Wilson
Wilson continues his multi-part study of a campaign or soldier whose service spanned operations in both Europe and Africa or Asia. Part 3 narrows the focus to a specific medal group that connects the two theatres. The naming, clasp and provenance details matter more here than the battle narrative.

p.22 · Fact File — The Men Who Commanded the British Veterinary Hospitals of WWI Part 7 — by Graham Hodgkins
Hodgkins profiles the officers who ran the veterinary hospitals that treated horses, mules and camels on the Western Front and other theatres. Part 7 covers a specific hospital's commanding officer and the conditions under which he served. A specialised but deeply researched corner of WWI history that medal collectors with army veterinary or cavalry interests will prize.

p.24 · Insight — To the Aid of France Part 2: The Volunteers from Britain and the British Dominions — by Martin Fuller
Fuller traces the volunteers who travelled to France in 1914 before the British Expeditionary Force arrived in force. Part 2 identifies specific individuals, their units and the medals they earned for service under French command. Useful for collectors tracking rare pre-1914-15 Star entitlement groups.

p.28 · Background — Tales of the Gales Part 7: Sunk with All Hands — by Chris Bilham
Bilham recounts the story of a ship lost with every crew member during a storm, using the medals of the dead to reconstruct who was aboard and what happened in the final hours. The narrative draws on eyewitness accounts from other vessels and subsequent Board of Trade inquiries.

p.33 · Profile — Lieutenant Samuel Herron of the 74th Highlanders — by David I. Walker
The cover profile examines Herron's role in the storming of Badajoz during the Peninsular War. Walker uses Herron's medals and service record to reconstruct what the 74th Highlanders faced at the breach. The Espantaperros Tower, photographed for the cover, still stands today as a physical link to the 1812 assault.

p.36 · Heroes — No VC for Johnny — by John Stackhouse
Stackhouse examines the case of a soldier recommended for the Victoria Cross whose award was refused — reportedly for political reasons. The feature lays out the evidence, the recommendation chain, and the campaign still running to have the award posthumously approved. A reminder that the medal rolls record only the decisions, not the full story.

p.39 · In Focus — The California Volunteers Medal for the Spanish American War — by Jim Carlisle
Carlisle profiles the medal awarded to California volunteer units that served in the 1898 Spanish-American War, a state-issued award that exists outside the federal medal system. The piece covers design variations, known numbers issued and current collector values. A niche market, but Carlisle provides the reference data that drives prices at auction.

▸ Regulars

p.06 · News and Views
The Medal Fair 2026 details: the OMRS Medal Show moves to the Scarman Building at the University of Warwick's Arts Centre. Friday September 18 offers early registration and a buffet; Saturday September 19 opens with Clive Montellier (Head of the MOD Medal Office) speaking on the work of his office under King Charles III, followed by Arthur Satterley on dies, claim references and the Old Naval War Medal. The Token Team will launch the brand-new Medal Yearbook 2027.

p.11 · Auction Highlights
The standout lot: an Order of Merit, E.VII.R., (Civil) Member's Neck Badge in gold and enamel, sold as part of "A Collection of H.M. King Edward VII Medals" on July 15, 2026. Hammer price: 12,000 pounds. Also noted: the "Tex" Allison WWII DCM group at Spink and Son — an American who deserted to Canada in 1941, became a tank driver, was recommended for the VC but received a DCM instead.

p.41 · Mailbox
Reader letters responding to previous features, sharing discoveries and correcting errors. One letter discusses the ongoing debate over naming styles on Military Medals, referencing the Captain John Redpath group where a MM previously thought "reamed" is now accepted as correctly issued.

p.43 · My Collection and Me
A collector profiles their specialist area, explaining how they built the collection and what they still seek. Practical advice on condition grading, album organisation and auction strategy from someone who has done it for decades.

—–

Editor's Take

This is a quietly excellent issue, particularly for collectors of non-UK and Commonwealth material. Martin Fuller's volunteers-to-France series (page 24) and Jim Carlisle's California Volunteers Medal (page 39) both open windows into corners of the medal world that British-centric coverage usually ignores. The Siege of Badajoz cover feature is solid rather than spectacular — David I. Walker knows his subject but the 74th Highlanders story has been told before. John Stackhouse's "No VC for Johnny" (page 36) is the issue's emotional heavyweight, making a clear case for a posthumous award without tipping into polemic. The auction section is well-served by the 12,000-pound Order of Merit result and the ongoing Tex Allison campaign, both of which give readers market intelligence they can act on. The regular columns (Mailbox, My Collection and Me) are short but engaged — real collectors writing to real collectors. The classified and dealer-listing pages at the back (pages 50-53) take up more space than the editorial content in those signatures, but that is the trade-off for a specialist monthly that funds itself on small-ads revenue. This issue suits the serious collector who buys for the research articles rather than the price lists; casual readers may find the veterinary-hospital and Gales series too niche.

Strengths
• Carlisle's California Volunteers fills a gap in US medal coverage
• Stackhouse makes a measured case for a VC campaign
• Auction section with real 12,000-pound hammer-price data

Weaknesses
• Badajoz cover feature covers well-trodden ground
• Back-half ad density high in classified and dealer pages

Verdict: Recommended — The California Volunteers and Fuller's France series deliver original research; skip the cover feature if you already know the 74th's story.