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Auction: 20002 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Space Exploration
Lot: 685

The mounted group of nine miniature dress medals worn by Colonel J. N. Fraser, 2nd and 5th Gurkha Rifles, late Driver, Honourable Artillery Company

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2nd Type Member's breast Badge, silver; Military Cross, G.VI.R.; India General Service 1935-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1936-37; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, mounted court-style as worn by Spink & Son, St James's, good very fine (9)

M.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1951.

M.C. London Gazette 8 July 1943.

John Neilson Fraser, or 'Bumble' to his friends and comrades, was born in 1905. He initially served as a Driver with the Honourable Artillery Company before going to India to be a tea planter in 1927. He was commissioned into the Indian Army Reserve Officers and posted to the 2nd King Edward's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) as a Reserve Officer, with whom he carried out his annual training. In 1937 he elected to train with the 1st Battalion and saw operational service in Waziristan. He joined the 1st Battalion in 1940 and served with it in Iraq, Persia, Cyprus and the Western Desert. It was at the Battle of Wadi Akarit in Tunisia in April 1943 as a company commander that he was awarded his MC. In 1943 he returned to India and subsequently served as Second-in-Command of the 2nd Battalion 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) in Imphal, Burma. In 1945, he assumed command of 29th Gurkha Rifles, a training Battalion. He was released from service at the end of the War with Japan but re-employed in 1946 as the Administrative Officer at the Staff College Quetta. Following the formation of the Brigade of Gurkhas in 1948, he was given an Extended Service Commission and served as a Deputy Recruiting Officer for British Gurkhas in India, for which he was awarded the M.B.E. He later served in the temporary rank of Colonel as Chief Recruiting Officer for British Gurkhas in India. His last posting was as a Youth Liaison Officer in the UK until his retirement in 1961. He died in 1982. His full size medals are held by the Royal Gurkha Rifles in Brunei.

Sold together with original ink description of the award of his Military Cross, two newspaper cuttings, housed in a file with biographical details.

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Sold for
£350

Starting price
£60