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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 279

Six: Lieutenant-Colonel C. A. S. Melville, 5/6th Rajputana Rifles

1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, S. E. Asia 1945-46 (Lt. Col. C. A. S. Melville. Raj. Rif.), mounted as worn, good very fine (6)

Cyril Alan Swinton Melville was born on 24 June 1906 in Cumbria, the son of Major Alan Melville, Indian Army and was educated at Wellington College, Somerset from 1920-24, before going up to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the 5/6th Rajputana Rifles with whom he served until 1947. During the Second World War he served with the Burma Frontier Force from 1938-41, the 14th Army in Burma 1942-44 and in Italy from 1944.

His Regiment was to take part in Operation 'Zipper', the reconquest of Malaya in 1945, but the Japanese surrender prevented any further action. Instead the Regiment was sent to the Dutch East Indies for the South-East Asia operations (Medal & clasp). In 1946 he returned with his Regiment to India and they took part in policing the riots in the Punjab in 1947. Retired Lieutenant-Colonel, he died at Northallerton on 1 December 1956.

Melville wrote Memoir of Service with 5th Battalion Rajputana Rifles in Assam, Burma and Java, 1942-1946, a copy of which is provided with the Lot. This contains graphic accounts of their encounters and casualties suffered when in action in The Dutch East Indies in late 1945



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Sold for
£300

Starting price
£240