A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties 281
Three: Private J. Adams, Royal Highlanders, attached ‘C’ Battalion, ‘Layforce’ (No. 11 Scottish Commando), killed in action on the Litani River Raid, 9 June 1941
1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. R. Adams, 2 Victoria Street, Perth’, extremely fine (3)
£140-180
Jack Adams served with the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) during the Second World War, before being attached to ‘C’ Battalion, ‘Layforce’ (No. 11 Scottish Commando). He was killed in action on the Litani River Raid, 9 June 1941, aged 22, and is buried in Sidon War Cemetery, Lebanon. The purpose of the Litani River Raid was to capture a key bridge from the Vichy forces in an effort to stop them blowing it up in the face of the advancing Australians. The original objective assigned to C Battalion ‘Layforce’ (No. 11 Scottish Commando) was to land on two beaches to the north of the Litani River and one the south and seize and hold the Qasmiye Bridge over the Litani until relieved by the 21st Australian Infantry Brigade. The Battalion acquitted itself well, achieving all of the objectives in a revised plan but at the cost of very high casualties, with 5 Officers and 40 other ranks killed and 84 men wounded.
I. McHarg, in his book Litani River, gives the following account of Adams’ death: ‘As they reached the barracks Y party were pinned down by machine gun fire from about 80 yards in an easterly direction to their front and from mortar fire from a point about 300 yards to the north on their left. A short while later Captain Farmiloe commanded a party whose actions put the mortars out of use causing the enemy to desert their machine gun posts. At about 07:00 hours, with the barracks in the hand of the commandos, Dick Pedder ordered Private Adams to enter the barracks and return the French Flag that had been flying there but unfortunately 22 year old Private Jack Adams was killed in action later that day.’
Sold together with a newspaper cutting announcing the recipient’s death, with accompanying photograph. 282 Four: Private L. A. T. Rimell, killed in action during the fall of Hong Kong, 24 December 1941
1939-45 STAR; PACIFIC STAR; DEFENCE ANDWARMEDALS 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. G. Rimell, 3 Tudor Court, South Wembley, Middx’, extremely fine (4)
£100-140
Leonard Albert T. Rimell served with the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment during the Second World War, and was killed in action on Christmas Eve 1941, aged 21, during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, which led to the fall of the Colony the following day. He has no known grave, and is commemorated on the Sai Wan Memorial, Hong Kong.
283 Three: Private R. Head, Yorkshire Regiment, killed in action at Mersa Matruh, 29 June 1942
1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘... Head, 5 Peaton Street, North Ormesby, Middlesborough’, extremely fine (3)
£70-90
Richard Head served with the 7th Battalion, Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) during the Second World War, and was killed in action during the fierce fighting during the retreat and defensive action at Mersa Matruh, North Africa, on 29 June 1942, aged 25. On this date Rommel started a drive from Mersa Matruh towards El Alamein. Many of the soldiers were worn down by two years of constant strain and combat and in the months running up to this point fierce fighting had taken place. The 50th Division as a whole (of which the 7th Green Howards were part) suffered over 9,000 casualties in the two months’ fighting. Head is buried in El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt.
284
Four: Private H. N. Morris, Royal Regiment of Canada, killed in action during Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid, 19 August 1942
1939-45 STAR; DEFENCE MEDAL, Canadian issue in silver; CANADIAN VOLUNTEER SERVICE MEDAL, with Overseas Bar; WAR MEDAL 1939-45, Canadian issue in silver; together with the recipient’s CANADIAN MEMORIAL CROSS,
G.VI.R. (B67189 Pte. H. N. Morris) with transmission slip, in case and outer card box of issue, replacement ring suspension to the Memorial Cross, otherwise nearly extremely fine (5)
£200-240
Henry Noel Morris was born in Winnipeg, Canada, on 7 April 1913, and attested for the Canadian Active Service Force at Toronto on 16 September 1939. He served with the Royal Regiment of Canada during the Second World War, and was killed in action during Operation Jubilee, the ill-fated Dieppe raid, on 19 August 1942. As Ronald Atkin, in his book Dieppe 1942, wrote, ‘The Canadians who had been itching to get into action for two years were flung into battle ill prepared and inadequately armed, reduced to overcoming concrete and barbed wire with little more than sheer courage. Of the 5,000 men who took part almost 3,500 were killed, captured, or wounded, and many of those who returned were never actually landed on French soil. Casualties in some Canadian sections were higher than ninety percent. On that one August morning the Canadians alone suffered 906 men killed, and lost more as prisoners than in the whole 20 months of the Italian campaign. Not since the Somme in 1916 had a Canadian military formation suffered such shattering losses.’
Morris had married five months previously on 31 March 1942, and was killed leaving behind a 29 year old widow. He is buried in Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery, France.
285 Three: Private S. Sanders, The Queen’s Royal Regiment, killed in action at El Alamein, 24 October 1942
1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. B. Saunders, 16 Damien Street, London E1’, extremely fine (3)
£80-120
Sidney Saunders served with the 1st/7th Battalion, The Queen’s Royal (West Surrey) Regiment during the Second World War, and was killed in action during the Second battle of El Alamein on 25 October 1942, aged 31. The Battalion suffered heavily in their battle, with 11 Officers, including their Commanding Officer, and 179 other ranks killed, wounded, or missing in heavy fighting against the German Foglore and 22nd Parachute Brigades. Saunders is buried in El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt; he is also commemorated on the WW2 AJEX (The Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women) Roll.
286 Three: Private G. E. J. Langer, East Surrey Regiment, killed in action at Medjez-el-Bab, 27 December 1942
1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. L. Langer, c/o G.P.O., Christchurch, Hants’, extremely fine (3)
£70-90
George Edward James Langer served with the 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment during the Second World War, and was killed in action at the Battle of Medjez-el-Bab on 27 December 1942, aged 21. The Battalion had arrived in North Africa with 35 Officers and 758 other ranks; at the time of Langer’s death they were down to 23 Officers and 320 other ranks, holding their position some 25 miles from Tunis. He is buried in Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia.
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