Medals at Noonans
Orders, decorations, medals and militaria were the order of the day in the May auction at newly renamed Noonans. An interesting lot for you first, it was a rare WWII CB, inter-War North West Frontier 1930-31 Operations DSO, Great War 1914 Operations MC group of 12 awarded to Major-General C. A. West, Royal Engineers, latterly Assistant Chief of Staff at SHAEF.
The decorations were the Most Honourable Order of The Bath, CB (Military) Companion’s neck badge; Distinguished Service
Order; Military Cross; 1914 star, with clasp; British War and Victory Medals, with MiD oak leaves; India General Service 1908-35, one clasp for 'North West Frontier', with MiD oak leaf 1930-31; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45. The lot sold for £7,084 (includes Buyer’s Premium of 28.8%).
Anything associated with the Chindits is usually popular, and here we had a WWII Chindit Operations OBE group of five attributed to Lieutenant-Colonel JR Hare, Essex Regiment, who is believed to have had a further career with Military Intelligence whilst attached to the Grenadier Guards. The lot included the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, OBE (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel; 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted court-style as worn; together with the recipient’s Burma Star Association lapel badge. They sold for £540.96.
A little more pricey was a superb Great War Second Battle of Bapaume 1918 MC, Somme 1916 - Schwaben Redoubt DCM group of five awarded to Captain TG Stewart, 1st Battalion Royal Marines, late 7th Battalion, East Kent Regiment. The lot included a Military Cross; Distinguished Conduct Medal; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals, mounted court-style for display. They sold for £4,894.40.
Also from the Great War, a good Somme MC group of four awarded to Second Lieutenant JAB Paul, East Surrey Regiment, late Honourable Artillery Company, who was killed in action on the Western Front on 10 October 1916. The lot included a Military Cross; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory medals; Memorial Plaque ( John Andrew Bowring Paul); memorial scroll; the whole lot contained in an old wooden display case including an inlaid portrait photograph of the recipient and an East Surrey Regiment cap badge. These sold for £3864.
We’ve covered the East Africa campaign of WWI in the magazine and medals from it are rare, which explains the interest in this grouping of seven awarded to Flight Sergeant D Grant, South African Aviation Corps, attached 26 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. He served as a Captain in the 2nd Transvaal Scottish during WWII and was captured at Tobruk in
June 1942. The medals included a Distinguished Conduct Medal; British War and Bilingual Victory Medals, with MiD oak leaves; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal. They sold for £3,091.20.
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