Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 26002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 224

The M.S.M. group of nine awarded to Warrant Officer Class II C. H. Benn, Royal West Kent Regiment, later 2nd Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry (Volunteers), a champion shot who was awarded an Italian Merit Medal for his services in Italy in 1944

1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Coronation 1953; Army L.S. & G.C., Regular Army, G.VI.R. (6912488 W.O. Cl. 2. C. H. Benn. R.W.K.); Meritorious Service Medal, E.II.R. (6912488 W.O. Cl. 2. C. H. Benn. R.W.K.); Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal; Italy, Kingdom, Medal of Merit, the first eight mounted as worn, good very fine (9)

Charles Henry Benn was born at Islington, London on 22 June 1912 and attested with the Rifles Brigade on 22 April 1931. He swiftly became an enthusiastic participant in a number of army shooting tournaments, winning his first - The Malta Command Small Arms Meeting - as Corporal with the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade in December 1936.

Serving during the Second World War he earned an Italian Merit Medal during the Italian campaign, this award was confirmed with the Italian Embassy in 2011 as having been made in 1944. It is unclear whether Benn transferred to the Royal West Kent Regiment before the war or afterwards but he does appear in their Regimental Gazette, again taking part in shooting competitions, from 1948.

He won the East Anglian district individual championship rifles competition in 1956 with the rank of Warrant Officer Class II. A cutting from a Ceylon Newspaper places him with the 2nd Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry, winning the Queen's Medal for Champion in the Miliary Forces of Ceylon. Given that the medal is not with his group - this likely places it in either 1961 or 1962 when nobody managed a high enough score to earn the medal, despite the highest scorer, Benn, still being declared a winner.

Benn returned to Britian at some stage with his wife Sybil, appearing in the Colchester Evening Gazette in December 1880 as a visiting lecturer. This suggests that they had settled in the area; sold together with copied research and an archive of original material comprising two cap badges, a number of newspaper cuttings, an Enlistment Notice and set of Fortress Orders, along with a shooting medal, two rank insignia and an envelope of banknotes from around the world.

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

Estimate
£400 to £600

Starting price
£320