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Auction: 25113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 508

The campaign group of five awarded to Gunner W. J. Neville, 106th (Lancashire Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, a pre-war Lancashire Hussar who served in the Western Desert with the 7th Armoured Division- the Desert Rats- before going 'in the bag' at the fall of Crete

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., Territorial (902404 Gnr. W. J. Neville. R.A.), all in their named boxes of issue, sold together with the Second World War slip of issue, the recipient's service number handwritten upon it, good very fine (5)

William Joseph Neville was born on 2 October 1914, a native of Lancashire he was living at 28 Alfred Street, Liverpool prior to the Second World War. Neville enlisted on 4 April 1939 with the Lancashire Yeomanry, mobilised and posted to 106th (Lancashire Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, also called the Lancashire Hussars.

The unit was raised in Liverpool and joined the 1st Cavalry Division, being sent to Palestine in January 1940. Posted to North Africa they joined the famed 7th Armoured Division, the Desert Rats, and served in an anti-tank role during Operation Compass.

Renamed the 106th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (Lancashire Hussars), in February 1941 they were posted to Greece in March 1941 and stationed at Larrissa. Driven from there to Nauplion, the Regiment were forced to destroy their guns before withdrawing to Crete. There they fought as infantry in the Defence of Suda Bay before largely being taken prisoner of war there on 1 June 1941.

Neville was taken there and sent first to Stalag IIID outside Berlin, arriving on 10 August and remaining there for some years. As the war dragged on, he was moved to Stalag VIF in 1944, being liberated from there on 15 April 1945. The entire time he was employed as a labourer in work camps and his Liberation Questionnaire notes regarding sabotage:

'I was never employed in any direct war work but I ill used any tools I was given to work with.'

His medals were sent to him at Alfred Street, Liverpool on 25 November 1949; sold together with copied research.

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Estimate

Starting price
£70