Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 25113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 491

Four: Captain J. D. Blount, Intelligence Corps, late Royal Signals, who served as a translator for the War Crimes Trials in Tokyo at the end of the Second World War

1939-1945 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, the first two engraved (Capt. J. D. Blount. Int. Corps), mounted as worn, very fine (4)

John David Blount was born on 29 December 1920 and was the son of Cecil Blount, he was educated at Cheltenham College and then having won a scholarship went to St. Catherine's College, Cambridge in 1939 to read Classics. He was called up on 10 July 1941 to join the British Army serving as an Other Rank in the Royal Signals. He was sent to London University in August 1942 and spent a year learning Japanese at the School of Oriental and African Studies completing his course in October 1943. Blount transferred to the Intelligence Corps on 12 October 1943 and in the same month proceeded to G.H.Q. Delhi. Blount was given an Emergency Commission (Emergency) into the Intelligence Corps on 22 March 1944 and spent time in Delhi before moving to S.E.Asia in July 1944 where he worked at the Translation & Interrogation Centre. He was sent to Singapore on 22 August 1945 to the H.Q. SEATIC SEALF. Blount was sent to Tokyo on 22 March 1946 where he took part in the War Crimes Trials where he worked as a translator. He eventually proceeded to the U.K. on 30 August 1947 and was finally demobbed on 19 January 1948.

Blount briefly worked as a proof-reader for the Cambridge University Press before he joined GCHQ in 1951 serving with the Russian Department at Eastcote, London. When GCHQ moved to Cheltenham he moved with them and continued to work there until he retired in 1966. He died on 24 January 2013.

Sold together with the following archive:

i)
Photograph of him in uniform wearing an Intelligence Corps badged cap.

ii)
Slip for Second World War Medals.

iii)
Various postcards with notes retrieved for Intelligence from Japanese corpses or POWS during the Burma campaign of 1944.

iv)
Minor telegrams and paperwork.

v)
A quantity of copied service papers and related documentation covering his service career, Blount himself applied for the papers which comes with covering letters from the Army Personnel Centre in 2009.

vi)
Order of Service for him dated 8 February 2013.

vii)
A quantity of letters written to him from the family.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Estimate

Starting price
£210