Medals, Shooting Badges & Private Log For An Early China Marine. – SOLD

Description

Medals, Shooting Badges & Private Log For An Early China Marine.

An outstanding group of medals, badges, and personal log for Corporal A.R. Bellis, USMC. This group consist of:

• Marksman Bar, named & dated, “ARTHUR R. BELLIS / MAY 13 – 1909.”  Pin broken off.
• Sharpshooter Badge, named & dated.  On the brooch, “MARCH 30 – 1910.” On the badge, “ARTHUR R. BELLIS.”
• A RARE “International Rifle Match” badge made of brass, with “PEKING CHINA 1905”  On the back marked on the pin bar, “A.R. BELLIS / U.S. LEGATION GUARD.”  Pin back, with open catch, brass,  48mm high.
• USMC Expeditionary Campaign Medal, “M.No. 1766.”  Most likely qualified for this medal being a legation guard. Ribbon shows of areas of stress, etc. -overall VG.
• 1910 Navy/USMC Shooting Medal, with Sharpshooter bar, Expert Pistol Shot bar, bar with silver date of qualification, “1910,” and engraved on the back of pistol shot bar, “A.R. Bellis, U.S.M.C,” and repeated on the main part of the badge.  Bronze metal, in VG condition.
• Veteran’s medal (perhaps Spanish War or earlier) Bronze finish with Army & Navy branch symbols on each of the 5 sections of the cross.  (ALL OF THE ABOVE ITEMS ARE SEEN ON BELLIS’S UNIFORM IN THE PHOTO OF HIM IN DRESS UNIFORM).
• Washington’s Birthday Dinner, U.S.S. Helena, Hankow, 1912.  Booklet form missing the silk or twin that held it together. 6 pages, illustrated and complete, good condition.
• “Private Log Of A.R. Bellis, Cpl. U.S. M.C.” Linen cover is nicely decorated with an EGA, crossed Union Jack & U.S. National Colors, and signal flags, etc.  More than half (40 of 68 pages used) of the small note book was used by Bellis, and mostly in ink.  Inside cover and flyleaf with pencil notations.  This log begins on May 28th, 1904 ( goes to 1911) where he enlists at Washington, D.C.  The layout through the log, has entries for dates on the right side pages with what is going on that day, and in red ink on the left, records the officers/ individuals involved on that date. I have taken at random, several photos of interesting pages, with much more than seen for his service time.
• 2 photos of Bellis, images taken about 20 years ago. The collector I got these from was unable to get the originals from family. They show Bellis in dress uniform wearing the medals offered here, and one of him mounted visiting Ming’s Tomb.  3.5 x 5″.

Perhaps a unique group for a U.S. Legation Guard marine, who happened to be a crack shot, with his log that places him in the “when and where” of his time in service, along with a very rare shooting badge from early China Marine days.

A great historical medal grouping.