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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 115

General Service Medal 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya (Capt. J. C. Herbert. R. Sigs.), contact marks, edge bruise, nearly very fine

John Chaplin Herbert was born on 16 August 1911 at Wandsworth, London. He married Catherine Fox at Easington, Durham in late 1936. He was commissioned on 3 March 1941 having previously served with the rank of Sergeant under the number 171973. Not enjoying his new rank for long, Herbert was one of those taken prisoner at Kalamata during the evacuation of Greece on 28 April 1941. He may even have witnessed the bravery of Sergeant Jack Hinton who won the Victoria Cross in a near-suicidal counter attack against overwhelming German forces. Herbert, who is listed on the casualty list as Acting Captain at the time, was taken to Oflag 79, Braunschweig with the prisoner number of 120. He remained in the army after the war, gaining the permanent rank of Lieutenant on 5 March 1951 and being advanced Captain on 30 December 1951. He retired on 5 March 1961 and died in September 1989 at Canterbury, Kent; sold together with copied casualty rolls, birth, marriage and death certificates and extracts relating to the last stand at Kalamata.

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Sold for
£140

Starting price
£100