On 10/12/1942 near Gona whilst guiding the 39th battalion into a village Sgt Bob ISKOV and fellow soldier Lt Jack Schwind were confronted by three Japanese Officers and were given the order to shoot by their Battalion Commander. They were later identified as a Lieutenant Colonel and one a Major who had in their possession valuable documents including a Map of Darwin defenses. Robert Francis ISKOV VX15237 born at Glenrowan served with the 59th Battalion CMF before joining the 2/14th Battalion at Caulfield in September 1940. He disembarked for the Middle East in November, 1940 and fought in the Syrian campaign in 1941. In 1942 the 2/14th Battalion returned to Australia and sent to Papua where he fought at the Battle of Isurava before the battalion was sent to Gona. On 1943 Bob returned to Australia to undertake officer training and in 1945 with the 2/23rd Battalion sailed to Morotai and served with the battalion on Tarakan. He returned to Australia in November, 1945 and discharged a month later. This set of ribbons were worn by the Japanese Lieutenant Colonel and identified from top row left to right as follows:- 2600th National Anniversary Imperial Rule Commemorative Medal -1940 China Incident Medal for service in China -1937-45 Manchukuo National Foundation Merit Medal - 1932-34 (more commemorative than merit) Manchurian Incident Medal - 1931-34 (commemorative) Showa Grand Enthronement Commemorative Medal Order of the Rising Sun - Military/civilian meritorious service Order of the Golden Kite -Military Bravery/Leadership (abolished 1947) Order of the Sacred Treasure - military/civilian long and distinguished service medal Manchurian Order of the Auspicious Cloud Set of nine in three rows of striped medal ribbons in various colours.japanese medal ribbons, ww2, civil and military, new guinea, gona, 39th battalion, sgt bob iskov, lt jack schwind

The Defence Medal was instituted to provide recognition for specified periods of service in non-operational areas subjected to air attack or closely threatened. Eligibility The Defence Medal is awarded for six months service in a prescribed non-operational area subject to enemy air attack or closely threatened, in Australia and overseas, or for 12 months service in non-prescribed non-operational areas. Within Australia the area is the Northern Territory , north of 14 degrees 30 minutes south, and the Torres Strait Islands between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. Overseas service includes the Middle East, east of the Suez Canal (less the period of the Syrian Campaign) or Malaya prior to the Japanese invasion on 8 December 1941. The Medal The Defence Medal is cupro-nickel, with the uncrowned effigy of King George VI on the obverse. The reverse has a conventional oak tree centrally, with a crown above, with two lions counter rampart as supporters between the dates 1939 and 1945. The base of the medal reverse has the words ‘THE DEFENCE MEDAL'. The Ribbon The Defence Medal ribbon is orange with green outer stripes, each green stripe having a black pin-stripe running down the centre. The green represents the Islands of the United Kingdom, the orange represents enemy attacks, and the black represents the black outs.Full size and miniature medals with ribbonsnildefence medal

The Victory Medal (also called the Allied Victory Medal) is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA. The medal was issued to all those who received the 1914 Star or the 1914-15 Star, and to most of those who were awarded the British War Medal - it was never awarded singly. These three medals were sometimes irreverently referred to as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.The Holgate medals were the first war medals held by BCC archives. They have historical and social significance for the College.The Victory Medal is a 36mm diameter circular copper medal, lacquered in bronze. The obverse shows the winged, full-length, full-front, figure of Victory, with her left arm extended and holding a palm branch in her right hand. The reverse has the words ‘THE GREAT / WAR FOR / CIVILISATION / 1914-1919' in four lines, all surrounded by a laurel wreath. The 39mm wide ribbon has a ‘two rainbow' design, with the violet from each rainbow on the outside edges moving through to a central red stripe where both rainbows meet.The reverse has the words ‘THE GREAT / WAR FOR / CIVILISATION / 1914-1919' in four linesworld war one, ballarat college, victory medal, w w 1, e s holgate, allied victory medal

The Victory Medal (also called the Allied Victory Medal) is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA. This medal was never awarded singly. It ia accompanied by the ribbon of the British War Medal but this medal is not held in the School archiveThe medal is of historical and social significance for the College. The Holgate medals were the first WW1 medals held by the school archive.The Victory Medal is a 36mm diameter circular copper medal, lacquered in bronze. The obverse shows the winged, full-length, full-front, figure of Victory, with her left arm extended and holding a palm branch in her right hand. The reverse has the words ‘THE GREAT / WAR FOR / CIVILISATION / 1914-1919' in four lines, all surrounded by a laurel wreath. The 39mm wide ribbon has a ‘two rainbow' design, with the violet from each rainbow on the outside edges moving through to a central red stripe where both rainbows meet. The reverse has the words ‘THE GREAT / WAR FOR / CIVILISATION / 1914-1919' in four lines Inscribed around outer edge of medal: '4303 A-CPL. H. S. HOLGATE 29 BN A.I.F.'world war one, ballarat college, victory medal, w w 1, allied victory medal, h s holgate

On 10/12/1942 near Gona whilst guiding the 39th battalion into a village Sgt Bob ISKOV and fellow soldier Lt Jack Schwind were confronted by three Japanese Officers and were given the order to shoot by their Battalion Commander. They were later identified as a Lieutenant Colonel and one a Major who had in their possession valuable documents including a Map of Darwin defenses. Robert Francis ISKOV VX15237 born at Glenrowan served with the 59th Battalion CMF before joining the 2/14th Battalion at Caulfield in September 1940. He disembarked for the Middle East in November, 1940 and fought in the Syrian campaign in 1941. In 1942 the 2/14th Battalion returned to Australia and sent to Papua where he fought at the Battle of Isurava before the battalion was sent to Gona. On 1943 Bob returned to Australia to undertake officer training and in 1945 with the 2/23rd Battalion sailed to Morotai and served with the battalion on Tarakan. He returned to Australia in November, 1945 and discharged a month later. Binoculars housed in brown leather case were removed from deceased Japanese Lt Colonel together with medal ribbons and valuable documents including Map of Darwin defenses. They were made by TOKO or Tokyo Optical Co a major military optics manufacturer for the Japanese military during WW2 Brown leather look binocular case lined in brown colour cloth. Long narrow leather strap fixed along sides by leather secured in place by metal studs. Fitted lid is attached by leather strap fixed in place by four metal studs at rear. At front is a spring closing mechanism which is broken.ww2, new guinea, gona, 39th battalion, sgt bob iskov, lt jack schwind, japanese binoculars, toko

On 10/12/1942 near Gona whilst guiding the 39th battalion into a village Sgt Bob ISKOV and fellow soldier Lt Jack Schwind were confronted by three Japanese Officers and were given the order to shoot by their Battalion Commander. They were later identified as a Lieutenant Colonel and one a Major who had in their possession valuable documents including a Map of Darwin defenses. Robert Francis ISKOV VX15237 born at Glenrowan served with the 59th Battalion CMF before joining the 2/14th Battalion at Caulfield in September 1940. He disembarked for the Middle East in November, 1940 and fought in the Syrian campaign in 1941. In 1942 the 2/14th Battalion returned to Australia and sent to Papua where he fought at the Battle of Isurava before the battalion was sent to Gona. On 1943 Bob returned to Australia to undertake officer training and in 1945 with the 2/23rd Battalion sailed to Morotai and served with the battalion on Tarakan. He returned to Australia in November, 1945 and discharged a month later. Binoculars housed in brown leather case were removed from deceased Japanese Lt Colonel together with medal ribbons and valuable documents including Map of Darwin defenses. They were made by TOKO or Tokyo Optical Co a major military optics manufacturer for the Japanese military during WW2 Black painted metal binoculars originally covered in black leather with little remaining. The brown leather strap is well worn and missing stud fixing on right side.Magna 8x30 88711 To Ko Scale Field 7.5ww2, new guinea, gona, 39th battalion, sgt bob iskov, lt jack schwind, japanese binoculars, toko