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Auction: 20001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - conducted behind closed doors
Lot: 306

General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (5725250 Pte. J. T. Lewis. Dorset. R.), surname officially re-impressed, very fine

James Thomas Lewis, a native of Birmingham, was born in 1917 and first saw active service with the Dorsetshire Regiment in Palestine. Serving with the 1st Battalion during the Second World War, he would have been garrisoned on Malta, bravely defending the island for over three years. The Battalion gave important service in combatting the enemy, repairing bomb damage, mending roads and runways and manning anti-aircraft guns at cost of 33 killed in action.

Landed on Sicily on 10 July 1943 - 'Operation Husky' - liberating the south-eastern quarter of the island over the next six weeks. They subsequently landed at Pizzo on the mainland before being returned to England to prepare for the Normandy landings.

It was the 1st Battalion who were in the first wave onto Gold Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944, making it three beach landings in under 11 months. Capturing all their objectives, the remainder of the month took a heavy toll on the unit. Of all their officers to land on D-Day, by the end of June just one remained not killed, wounded or transferred to another unit - including the CO. Lewis would be killed in action during the attack on 13 August and is buried in the Tilly-sur-Seulles Cemetery, Calvados, France.

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Sold for
£420

Starting price
£40