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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 439

Six: Sergeant F. A. McNair, Royal Engineers, late Royal West Kent Regiment, taken Prisoner of War on Leros in November 1943

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Army L.S & G.C., Regular Army, E.II.R. (6344035 Sgt. F. A. Mc Nair. R.E.), mounted for display, contact marks, nearly very fine (6)

Frederick Alexander McNair was born in London on 26 January 1920. Whilst living at Colbourne Avenue, Brighton, McNair enlisted with the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment on 26 February 1937. He served with the 2nd Battalion during the Siege of Malta and later the Defence of Leros. In September 1943, the Battalion had been ordered to the defence of the Greek Islands, and in the second week of November, on Leros, was more or less wiped out, reeling under a ferocious German invasion. The attack began when the enemy made a seaborne attack followed by some 700 paratroopers that swarmed the island. In bitter and confused fighting, besides relentless aerial attacks and with companies acting independently, all but 43 men were killed or taken prisoner within 24 hours. McNair had already been taken by that point and was transported first to Greece and then Germany, ending his trip at Stalag VII-A, Isar. He was detailed onto Arbeitskommando No. '3841' in February 1944; this forced labour party comprised 85 British POW's who worked at Schleissheimer Strasse in Much. McNair was liberated here in April 1945 and repatriated. It is noted in his M.I.9. prisoner of war questionnaire that he had been instructed on Malta by Major H. E. Scott on how to behave in the event of his capture. He later transferred to the Royal Engineers with the rank of Sergeant and died in 1987 at Kettering, Northamptonshire.

Sold together with copied research including his prisoner of war questionnaire, extracts of online biographies and extracts relating to the regiment.

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Sold for
£170

Starting price
£110