New Medal Groups

KNIGHTED GROUP TO A WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT & LIBERAL LEADER

Six: Knights Bachelor Badge, 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel with hallmarks, British War, Victory Medal, 1935 GV Jubilee Medal, 1937 GVI Coronation Medal and 1953 EII Coronation Medal. WW1 trio correctly impressed to T-CAPTAIN R. MC DONALD A.I.F. with Jubilee and Coronation medals un-named as issued.

EMB: 2^nd October 1916 as 2^nd Lieutenant with the 39^th Battery, 119^th Howitzer Battery 4^th Division Artillery

Promoted Lieutenant 1^st August 1917

Promoted Temporary Captain 3^rd February 1919

RTA: 28^th July 1919

Returned to Legal profession becoming a partner with the firm Robinson Cox & Wheatley, Perth WA

Member of army reserve 1920-32 (Promoted Captain 20^th October 1925)

A.D.C. To Governor of W.A. 1925-31

Member of W.A. Legislative Assembly 1933-1950

Appointed King’s Counsellor 12^th May 1936

Founder and original president National Trust

Knighted: June 1950 with Knights Bachelor

Member of the Senate of University of WA 1950-51

Warden State War Memorial 1952

Chairman Royal Perth Hospital 1956-60

President, Friends of R.P.H.

Died 25^th March 1964

Note: Comes with two Ross Mcdonald 1920’s Revolver Competition trophies, Photos and paperwork

Near EF $3750

3rd Dragoon Guards at Honnechy 1918 by Lionel Edwards

Four: Military Cross with second award Bar, Mons Star with clasp, British War and Victory Medal with Mentioned in Despatches device. WW1 trio correctly impressed to CAPT. A. B. P. L. VINCENT.

Captain Arthur Birley Patrick Love Vincent 3^rd Dragoon Guards

Mentioned in Despatches; 1^st January 1916

London Gazette Military Cross; 3^rd June 1916 “For distinguished services in the field”

No citation exists but from the unit history we learn the following in regards to the battle of Loos 25^th to 27^th September 1915”

“2^nd-Lieut. Vincent was sent to get in touch with the Royals on the other side of the slag-heap. During these movements 18 Poles and Silesians gave themselves up to Regimental Headquarters.”

“2^nd-Lieut. Vincent carried out a reconnaissance along the slag-heap to clear up the situation. He obtained valuable information, which was conveyed to the officer commanding the 2^nd Scots Guards”

London Gazette for Bar to the Military Cross; 26^th July 1918

Citation to the Military Cross Bar; “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in a successful charge against the enemy infantry and machine guns, resulting in the capture of 100 prisoners and the recapture of a valuable tactical position. He also rendered fine service in obtaining valuable information on numerous mounted patrols during operations”.

The unit history also states the following in regards to the German Offensive- Villers Bretonneux “Lieut. Vincent moved off immediately, coming under fire almost at once. Some 1,200 yards of plough land had to be covered to reach the objective. They advanced steadily and soon met parties of Germans, who fired until the troops was some 200 yards from them. The men then charged with a cheer and the enemy bolted for the copse. Many were sabred and shot as they ran, 4 machine guns being captured. Some of the troop now dismounted, pursued the Germans amongst the trees, and bought back 12 prisoners. Thus the right flank was secured.”

VF SOLD

Five: 1939/45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal (M.I.D.) and Australian Service Medal 1939/45. All medals Officially impressed to WX27931 W. E. LYNES (11^TH AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION)

MID "For exceptional service in the field in S.W. Pacific area" and gazetted under the period for the 1^st April, 1945 to 15^th August 1945 Borneo.

London Gazette 6^TH March 1947.

Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 6^TH March 1947.

Corporal William (Bill) Edward Lynes from Collie Western Australia served 1509 days from the 16^th December 1941 to 1^st February 1946 of which 414 days were outside Australia serving with the 11^th Australian Infantry Battalion.

Note: Comes with original M.I.D. award document with additional “Oak Leaf” M.I.D. device, Service awards issue documents, Soldiers Record of Service Book (with photo), Statement of Service certificate and Certificate of Discharge (All original period paperwork).

Very rare to see an M.I.D. to an enlisted man on the market and it is believed that there is roughly only about four issued per battalion in WW2

EF $2400

The Australian made Marine Corps “George Medal” for Guadalcanal

The Late Lt. Gen. Merrill B. Twining Marine Corps, then a Lt Colonel (1^st Division) explains below how the medal was created after the Marines were left stranded on Guadalcanal;

“One night on Guadalcanal, a group of us were discussing our situation. It didn’t look good. We lack support, chow, ammo, and just about everything else except Japs. That’s when I suggested a medal designed to commemorate the campaign, some-thing akin the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal and that would be called the “Let George Do It Medal” Twining’s explains further “Anytime there was a job that no one else wanted to do, Head-quarters Marine Corps assigned it to the 1^st Marine Division. Soon, some senior officers referred to the division as the ‘Let George Do It Division’ and it became a common term. If you had a job to be done, call up the ‘George (1^st) Division’

The group asked famed Australian Coast Watcher Martin Clemens to translate the inscription they decided upon in Latin Twining’s continues “He gave us a sharp look, but then we explained that our ‘George’ had nothing whatever to do with King George V, and I explained the idea of our medal. Martin was delighted and suggested the words, ‘Faciat Geogius’, a loose rendering of “let George Do It’

Adjutant and Artist for Leatherneck magazine Captain Donald L. Dickson tracing a 50 cent piece onto a Japanese post card sketched what became the symbolic design.

Obverse; Outstretched hand with Navy stripes on the lower sleeve, dropping a hot potato in the shape of Guadalcanal into the hands of a tired, less grateful Marine. Also depicted was a Saguaro (barrel) cactus representing the military code for the Guadalcanal campaign.

Reverse: Image of a cow with tail in air facing an electric fan to suggest the “*!*!” has hit the fan. The inscription below reads “In fond remembrance of the happy days spent from Aug. 7^th 1942 to Jan. 5^th 1943. USMC.”

Various pins were used but to be considered truly authentic the pale green herringbone twill from the US Marine utility uniform was to be used as ribbon as it had been washed in the Lunga River at Guadalcanal.

When the remnants of the division returned to Australia in December 1942 the press officer Lt Herbert C. Merillat contacted a Melbourne Company (believed to be K. G. Luke) to strike the medal. A small amount was struck before production was halted as the request had not come through official channels. With the war still being fought and the allies’ future in the balance no Officer wanted to sign his name to an order taking resources away and the subsequent use of man hours for this humorous medal.

As the creation of the medals were now no longer to be a defence expense as assumed, Intelligence Officers 2^nd Lt. John C. Schiller and Lieutenant Frank Farrell were assigned to collect One Australian Pound in payment for the believed to be estimated 45 medals already made, which they had no trouble doing.

At a later date the unit themselves took control of the production of a second striking, the second mold is said to produce a slightly smaller medal in size due to being taken from a first example medal and this mold currently presides in the Marine Corps Museum. It is estimated that around 350 of the second strike were struck to bring the overall total to be in the vicinity of 400.  Amazingly there are also surviving examples of several certificates that accompanied the issue of the medal.

Note: Beware, there are many fakes of this very rare medal but this example is exact to that awarded to Major General William H. Rupertus, which still resides with his Family and can be seen here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faciat_Georgius

VF $1400

Pair: Serving Sister Badge of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and Service Medal of the Order of St John (with three silver award bars signifying 25 years’ service). All medals correctly named to 7288 F. POULTNEY AUSTRALIA S. J. A. B. 1947

Note: The original circular design was used up until 1948.  This group also comes with an Officer Sister Order of St John of Jerusalem enamelled miniature (28mm wide) worn in a bow to signify it was awarded to a female (Sister). Further research required about Sister Poultney’s service.

VF $350

Single: Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, “Cape Colony, Orange Free State & Johannesburg” cavalry style engraved to 3781 Pvte. A. SMITH. 7. Dn. Gds.

Near EF $375

Single: Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, “Cape Colony, Orange Free State & Johannesburg” correctly impressed to 5972 PTE M. FARRELL S. WALES BORD. 

Gd VF $360

Five: 1914/15 Star, British War, Victory Medal, General Service Medal “Iraq” and India General Service Medal “Waziristan 1921-24”. Trio correctly impressed NO.3152 SEPOY BAKSHOO, 2-124 BALN. INFY. GSM impressed JEMOR BAKSHO and IGS correctly impressed JEMOR BAKSHI, 4 H. PRS.

VF $650

Family Grouping;

Five: Mons Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. All medals correctly impressed to 9890 PTE W. J. DOUBLE 2/S. LANC: R. Death plaques named to WILLIAM JAMES DOUBLE and JOHN HENRY DOUBLE

9890 Private William James Double 2nd Bn. South Lancashire Regiment died 30^th October 1914PAS DE CALAIS, FRANCE. CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, SOUCHEZ XII. D. 13. German Trench Grave No. 4 “No clothing of any description found on remains”

9858 Private John Henry Double 7th Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment died 9^th August 1915. TURKEY. HELLES MEMORIAL Panel 135 to 137.

Near EF $550

Three: 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. All medals correctly impressed to M2-119200 PTE A MILNE. A.S.C.

Date of disembarkation 15^th September 1915

A.R.CL.Z. (Army reserve class Z) discharged to the reserves on the 25^th May 1919

VF $125

Family Grouping;

PAIR: British War and Victory Medal, both correctly impressed to 174553 GNR T. WALCHESTER. R.A.

Gunner Thomas Walchester’s medal entitlement is confirmed on his medal card as full entitlement

2^nd PAIR: British War and Victory Medal, both correctly impressed to 186263 DVR J. WALCHESTER. R.A.

Records show Driver Jack Walchester’s service as 20^th November 1917 – 18^th January 1920

(Mesopotamia). Medal entitlement is confirmed on his medal card as full entitlement

VF $250

Pair: British War and Victory Medal both correctly impressed to 9656 SGT. J. L. PAPPIN 11 F. C. E. AIF.

EMB: 31^st May 1916

John Llandaff Pappin was the Farrier Sergeant of the 11^th Field Company Engineers

RTA: 12^th March 1918

Note: Comes with Original Discharge paper, Eastern and Australian Steamship Co., Ltd. S.S. “AUSTRALIAN” 9^TH MAY 1906 passenger list booklet from Australia to Japan confirming Pappin as a passenger, Two Australian Consolidated Commonwealth Government Stock Certificates to Mrs Mary Eliza Pappin, Glenelg SA both to the value of 3500 pounds, The Last Will and Testament of John Llandaff Pappin dated 1935 and listing John as a Coachbuilder in South Australia, and two letter/receipts dealing with the cost and arrangement of his funeral along with two grave site photo postcards. 

VF SOLD

Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal impressed to SE-26795 A. J. KEMPTER VET. CORPS

Note: Private Arthur J. Kempter’s BWM and VM is confirmed as his full entitlement for service with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in WW1

GD VF $100

Four: Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and Australian Service Medal 1939/45. Pacific Star un-named (as often issued). Defence, War and Australian Service medals all officially impressed to VX79121 G. G. Curry

Sgt Curry Enlisted 13^th April 1942

Transferred to “Z” Special Unit 23^rd November 1942 (Katherine)

Transferred as Sergeant to “M” Special Unit 8^th May 1943

Ruptured Gastric Ulcer on the 6^th November 1944 in Queensland leads to Sgt Curry’s eventual discharge a year later

In July 1942 the Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB) was formally established with two ‘arms’: Intelligence (which operated as M Special Unit: the ‘Coastwatchers’), with personnel being inserted along the coast behind enemy lines where they would observe enemy movements and report back to the AIB via radio. The other being Sabotage (which operated as Z Special Unit).

Due to the Secret nature of all Special Forces soldiers in WW2 it is hard to determine exactly what each member did and it is possibly only due to Sgt Curry’s 1944 illness (and his subsequent leaving the unit) that we have any records at all. “for those wishing to read "Z" Special Unit personnel files, they do not exist. All that is left in Canberra is the index file page, with name rank and the two serial numbers (ordinary and AK). General Blamey had the rest destroyed after the war.” (Dunn. P., ozatwar.com in reference to Z Special Forces National Archives files A10797).

The basic records we do have of Sergeant Curry’s show overseas service as Timor (“M” Special Unit) and his service in Australia as being in Katherine so with this we know his focus in the Special Forces was on “Operations in Portuguese Timor”. The following are the names and date ranges of known operations by Special Forces in WW2 of which Sergeant Curry was likely involved;

LIZARD I-III (SRD Project 24) 7 July 1942 to 10 February 1943

PORTOLIZARD 10 February 1943 to 4 August 1943

LAGARTO: 1 July 1943 to 29 September 1943

COBRA: 27 January 1944 to (mid) February 1944

ADDER: 21 to 22 August 1944

Very rare to see groups like this come on the market.

Near EF $2200

Newspaper article showing McLachlan as Professional golfer prior to his death at the hands of the Japanese

Four: 1939/45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal and Australian Service Medal 1939/45. All medals officially impressed to NX23783 J McLACHLAN

James was born in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland moving to Australia prior to the war as a professional golfer at Glenelg Golf Club, Adelaide in 1929  (where a tournament for the Jimmy McLachlan Memorial Trophy is still held).

Enlisted: 12^th June 1941 2/18^th Battalion

The 2/18th Battalion participated in the unsuccessful defence of Singapore in early February 1942 where the men were taken as prisoners of war. Jimmy McLachlan died as a POW in 1942.

Date of Death: 11^th July 1942. Initially classed as missing and then classed as died of illness which is how each prisoner’s death was recorded to the Red Cross.

Cemetery/memorial: James Sawers McLachlan was buried in the Kranji War cemetery, Singapore plot 2 row B grave number 16 inscribed “Always remembered” (In 1946, the graves from Changi were also moved to Kranji, many of them during the construction of the Burma-Thailand railway).

Note: Comes with a photograph of Pte McLachlan’s war grave in the Singapore Military Cemetery, four medal documents / letters, a photograph of Pte McLachlan pre-war, newspaper cuttings, Glenelg Golf Club program the “Jimmy McLachlan Memorial Trophy” dated 1948, 1914/18 Red cross medallion and two buttons.

The ‘Jimmy Mac’ is a 36 Hole Stroke Play Championship, open to all Full, Provisional, Intermediate and Junior male members of the Club with a G.A. handicap of 10.1 or less (both amateurs and professionals).

EF SOLD

Three: 1939/45 Star, War Medal and Australian Service Medal. All medals correctly named to NX83811 R ABRAHAMS

At the time of listing these medals, Gunner Abrahams service records were still sealed. The following was taken from the WW2 nominal roll.

Enlisted 14^th January 1942 into the Australian Army at Paddington, NSW

Discharged 24^th July 1946

Unit on discharge listed as “53 AUSTRALIAN COMPOSITE ANTI AIRCRAFT REGIMENT”

A second file at National Archives which is open showing service at the Liverpool Prisoner of War and Internee Garrison (Liverpool PW & I Camp) having returned from his overseas deployment due to his father’s illness. Gunner Abraham states at the time that he had served “3 months in New Guinea and 6 months in Tarakan (Borneo)”.

Note: Comes in medal cardboard box. Interesting group with service at the Liverpool Prisoner of War Camp, further research required.

Near EF $325

FAMILY GROUPING;

Pair: War Medal and Australian Service Medal. All medals correctly named to S212133 L. W. SANDO

Enlisted 27^th September 1939 into the Australian Army at Echunga, SA

Discharged 6^th Jan 1944 as a Captain

Unit on discharge listed as “HQ (WE) 4MD”

Note: Captain Sando’s record is open and shows WW1 service as a Sergeant with the 48^th Battalion number 3304 and entitled to WW1 trio

2^nd Pair: Defence Medal and War Medal All medals correctly named to SX14678 V. G. SANDO

At the time of listing these medals, Private Sando’s service records were still sealed. The following was taken from the WW2 nominal roll.

Enlisted 25^th September 1941 into the Australian Army at Clarence Park, SA

Discharged 29^th November 1945

Unit on discharge listed as “1 AUST BULK PET STORAGE COY”

Note: As the Australian Service Medal was issued last out of all the campaign medals, there is the possibility that the medal was not issued.

VF $275

Three: Defence Medal, War Medal and Australian Service Medal. All medals correctly named to SX15900 R. R. BLIGHT

Enlisted 3^rd January 1942 into the Australian Army at Bowden, SA

Discharged 10^th December 1945

Unit on discharge listed as “10/48 AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION”

Note: Private Blight’s records are open which shows service at home in various infantry units before being posted to Darwin where he qualifies for the Defence medal. This is his full entitlement.

VF $285

Pair: Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75 “Vietnam” clasp and Vietnam Medal to 4720718 W. S. BRIDGEWATER with both medals correctly named.

4720718 Sapper William Sydney Bridgewater a Royal Engineer National Serviceman from Henley Beach South Australia

Service shown as;

32 Small Ship Squadron (AV 1356 Clive Steele) 17/12/1969-02/03/1970

32 Small Ship Squadron (AV 1353 Harry Chauvel) 21/05/1970-06/06/1970

32 Small Ship Squadron (AV 1353 Harry Chauvel) 11/11/1970-15/12/1970

Note: Sapper Bridgewater is not entitled to the Vietnam Star due to 128 days in country (less than the 6 months service in country needed).

VF SOLD