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Auction: 23002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 61

A very rare 'South East Asia 1945-46' casualty's campaign group of four awarded to Corporal W. G. E. Frost, Royal Air Force, who was killed in action when the truck in which he was travelling to Adek Camp (Rapwi) was ambushed by Indonesian Extremists on 21 December 1945

1939-45 Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, S. E. Asia 1945-46 (1435253 Cpl. W. G. E. Frost. R.A.F.), the Second War awards addressed to his father and with the Air Council condolence slip in the name of 'Corporal W. G. E. Frost.', the G.S.M. in its named box of issue, extremely fine (4)

William George Edward Frost, a native of Worcester Park, London was born in 1920 and served as an Instrument Repairer with No. 31 Squadron, Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was serving with 904 Wing during the South East Asia operations of 1945-46 when he was killed in action. A letter from the Air Ministry to his father, 2 May 1946, gives more - and sometimes grizzly - details:

'...2. A liberty truck left No. 904 Wing M.T. yard at approximately 1800hrs on the 21st December 1945 and proceeded in the direction of Adek Camp (Rapwi). In the course of the journey and at approximately 1820hrs, the truck was held up and fired upon in the area of the Kramat Camp by Indonesian Extremists armed with Sten Guns. A hand grenade was then thrown at the truck causing the driver to swerve and hit a post which caused the vehicle to overturn. The occupants jumped out and took cover under the aforementioned vehicle. The Extremists continued firing as they closed in and your son was hit in the face.

3. I am to say that on hearsay evidence, it appears that two airmen riding in the same vehicle as your son, were shot before the truck overturned and were either bayonetted or stabbed to death whilst still in the overturned vehicle. Another airman was wounded in the leg at the beginning of the 'Battle' but managed to crawl to a nearby house and while there, your son came in and died later. A fifth airman was wounded in the affray and a sixth airman died later.

4. I very much regret that it should be necessary for me to relate all the foregoing morbid details, the point of which is to explain that the vehicle in which your son was travelling was, in point of fact, conveying a number of airmen and that it was therefore not a case of your son travelling in a vehicle alone and unarmed.'

Frost, who was aged 25, was buried in the Jakarta War Cemetery. His parents had his gravestone further inscribed:

'OUR SMILING SON BILLIE WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED BY US. MUM, DAD AND BROTHERS'

Sold together with the aforementioned letter, besides a number of letters from the recipient during the Burma Campaign, a number of photographs of the burial, besides the Defence and War Medals awarded to his brother Corporal A. H. F. Frost, Royal Air Force (No. 1644378).

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Sold for
£550

Starting price
£500