Campaign Groups and Pairs 487
A well-documented group of six awarded to Staff Sergeant S. C. Nicholson, Royal Engineers, who was wounded in North West Europe in 1944, and was Mentioned in Despatches for his services in Singapore
1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, E.II.R., with M.I.D. oak leaf (1878022 S/Sgt. S. C. Nicholson. R.E.); Army L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 1st issue, Regular Army (1878022 S. Sgt. S. C. Nicholson. R.E.) light contact marks, nearly extremely fine (6)
£240-£280 M.I.D. London Gazette 26 October 1954: ‘In recognition of distinguished services in Malaya during the period 1st January to 30th June 1954.’
Stan C. Nicholson was born in St. John’s Wood, London, to a serving soldier in the Royal Horse Artillery, and spent the early years of his childhood growing up in India. Returning to the U.K., he was educated at Maldon Grammar School, Essex, before attesting as an apprentice tradesman as an electrician in the Royal Engineers in 1939. He served during the Second War in North West Europe, taking part in the Normandy Invasion, and was subsequently wounded: ‘We were all loaded onto assault landing craft, and away we went. If anyone tells you they were not scared, you should believe them, because the seas were that rough that I, for one, was far too busy being sick to worry about where we were going... Late in November 1944 I received a small shrapnel wound to my left wrist whilst riding a motor cycle. I finished up hitting a tree and breaking my arm, so I was sent to a military hospital in Brussels, and from there, as few days later, I was flown back to England. This was a real stroke of luck for me as my unit soon pressed ahead to Neijmeigen and took a hammering.’ (extract from the recipient’s autobiography refers).
Returning to India after the cessation of hostilities, Nicholson spent the next two years in the East, before returning home following Indian Independence. He saw further peace-time service in Kenya and Somalia, before proceeding to Singapore (then part of Malaya) in 1952. Employed in maintaining the military electrical and water-supply, for his services in Singapore he was awarded a Commander- in-Chief’s Commendation on 30 October 1953, and was Mentioned in Despatches the following year.
After further periods of service with B.A.O.R. in Germany, Nicholson resigned from the Army, and was subsequently employed by a multi-national Electrical Cable manufacturer. He later emigrated to Australia.
Sold with a copy of the recipient’s privately compiled autobiography, entitled ‘The Decline of an Empire’, approximately 100pp, with photographs.
488
Six: Police Chief Inspector D. L. Struthers, late Sapper, Royal Engineers, who was taken Prisoner of War in North Africa
1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Efficiency Medal,
G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial (2093371 Spr D L Struther RE) suspension re-affixed; Jubilee 1977; Police Long Service Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (Ch. Inspr. David L. Struthers) mounted as worn in this order, good very fine (6)
£240-£280
David L. Struthers served with the Royal Engineers during the Great War, and was taken Prisoner of War in North Africa, being held at Camp 344 at Lamsdorf.
489
Seven: Regimental Sergeant Major R. J. Wombwell, Royal Signals
1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (22212672 Sgt. R. J. Wombwell, R. Sigs.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed as issued; Army L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue, Regular Army (22212672 W.O. Cl.2. R. J. Wombwell, R. Sigs.) mounted as worn, generally good very fine (7)
£140-£180
Raymond J. Wombwell was born in Cambridgeshire in 1924 and served with the Royal Signals during the Second World War and in Korea. He was advanced Warrant Officer Class I (Regimental Sergeant Major) on 7 December 1965, and in 1970 was the second senior R.S.M. in the Royal Signals.
Sold with a photographic image of the recipient receiving his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, September 1963.
490
Four: Signalman T. Copley, Royal Corps of Signals, who was captured by the Japanese in Java in March 1942 and who as a Prisoner at Fukuoka-25B-Shinkai camp in 1945 would have been witness to the detonation of the Atomic Bomb over Nagasaki in August of that year
1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45; Imperial Service Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (Thomas Copley) mounted as worn, good very fine (4)
£180-£220
Thomas Copley was born in Bradford on 16 April 1910. On the outbreak of the Second World War he enlisted into the Royal Corps of Signals (T.A.) and was posted to the 18th Divisional Signals. Sent to Malaya as part of 53rd Infantry Brigade HQ and was wounded during the Japanese attack on Singapore; a Captain W. Greenwood reporting;
‘His wound was bomb splinter (right ?) forearm. I was an eyewitness. Occurred on 13 February in Singapore City.’
Copley was evacuated to Java but was taken prisoner of war when the Japanese captured that Island. In 1945, he was reported to be a prisoner at Fukuoka-6D-Tanourar camp, and finally Fukuoka-25B-Shinkai, when finally released from captivity on 2 September 1942. This camp was located on the bay east of Nagasaki and the proximity of this camp to this city would have meant that Copley would have witnessed the detonation of the Atomic Bomb over that city on 9 August 1945. Post War Copley went back to his civilian job as a Postman and retired in 1970, being awarded the Imperial Service Medal, as Senior Technician, General Post Office, Bradford (London Gazette 12 June 1970). He died in December 2004, aged 94 years.
Sold with copied research.
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