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Auction: 25111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 602

The campaign group of four awarded to Gunner C. O'Toole, 56th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery, who was taken Prisoner of War in Tunisia in 1943, while serving in the same unit as Spike Milligan

1939-45 Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., Territorial (770257 Gnr. C. O'Toole. R.A.), light contact marks, very fine (4)

Charles O'Toole was born at Edinburgh on 23 February 1908, enlisting on 21 May 1936 he was mobilised on the outbreak of the Second World War with the 57th Medium (Home Counties) Regiment, Royal Artillery. Posted to the 56th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery, he was with this unit at the same time as the comedian Spike Milligan, who wrote of his experiences in a two-part biography called Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall.

Later arriving in North Africa in December 1942 they saw heavy fighting and, as the war in the desert shifted in favour of the allies, advanced into Tunisia. There O'Toole was one of four members of the Regiment taken prisoner of war on 21 April 1943, not long before to the unit advanced into Sicily.

He was taken to Campo 98 in Sicily and from there to Campo 53 at Masaratra, Italy in July. Moved from Italy to Germany in August 1943 he missed the truce with Italy in September which saw mass breakouts throughout the Italian camps. Instead he was moved several times before being settled finally at Stalag VIIIB where he worked as a labourer at Blechammer. He was liberated from Moosburg on 8 May 1945; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£85

Starting price
£80