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Auction: 11010 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 68

Family Group: Five: Private J. Smith, Royal Lancashire Regiment Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, two clasps, Transvaal, Laing´s Nek (5842 Pte. J. Smith, R. Lanc: Regt.); King´s South Africa 1901-02, two clasps (5842 Pte. J. Smith, Rl. Lanc: Regt.); 1914 Star, with Bar (5842 Pte. J. Smith, R. Lanc. R.); British War and Victory Medals (5842 Pte. J. Smith. R. Lanc. R.), light contact marks overall, therefore very fine A Group of Three to Private W. Smith, King´s Own Regiment, Killed in Action at Falluja, Iraq, 22.5.1941, During the Uprising Led By Sayid Rashid el Gailani General Service 1918-62, G.VI.R., one clasp, Palestine (3711595. Pte. W. Smith. King´s Own. R.), unit partially officially corrected; 1939-1945 Star; War Medal, nearly extremely fine, with a comprehensive file of research (8) Estimate £ 380-420 5842 Private J. Smith Royal Lancashire Regiment, was invalided from South Africa, 14.3.1901; he was the father of Private William Smith. 3711595 Private William Smith was serving with ´C´ Company 1st Battalion King´s Own Royal Regiment in Iraq when Sayid Rashid el Gailani engineered a coup d´etat there in April 1941; the latter, who was pro-Axis, deposed of the Regent with the help of the Iraqi Army; the Regent favoured Britain and had allowed the R.A.F. to have a training school at Habbaniya, 60 miles west of Baghdad; on the 1st of May Iraqi troops, having surrounded the R.A.F. School, opened fire on the cantonement; this initiated a short, sharp campaign which lasted just over a month - during the latter stages a fierce action took place at Falluja, 22.5.1941; Smith as part of ´C´ Company held a defensive position astride the Falluja - Baghdad Road; in the early hours of the morning the Iraqis attacked ´C´ and ´D´ Companies and Smith was killed during the action; Private C. Blood, who was serving in ´D´ Company offers the following incite: ´On the morning of 22nd May 1941 we were ordered up to support ´C´ Company during a counter attack by an Iraqi Brigade, as we entered the village having crossed the river Euphrates which was in flood, we passed quite a few casualties on the far bank, one I recognised as ´Bill´ Smith a ´townee´ of mine, he appeared to have been hit in the chest and was no doubt dead.´ (letter from Blood included in lot refers); during the action the King´s Own suffered 1 officer killed and four wounded, 16 other ranks killed and 25 wounded, all before 6.30am; Smith is buried in the Habbaniya War Cemetery, Iraq.

Sold for
£520