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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 103

Pair: Lieutenant-Colonel A. H. Arnold, 1st (Infantry) Railways & Harbours Brigade, South African Armed Forces

British War Medal 1914-20 (Cpl A. H. Arnold. 10th S.A.I.); Colonial Auxiliary Forces L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (Capt. A. H. Arnold. R.L.I.), sold together with a Masonic Jewel named 'Bro. A. T. Arnold of the "King George V" Lodge No. 314', good very fine (2)

Archibald Henry Arnold was born at Ringwood, Hampshire on 12 October 1894, the son of Albert and Elizabeth Arnold. At some stage after 1901 the family moved to South Africa where they settled in the Transvaal. Arnold was now an adult and attested as Private, (Number 2301) with 'D' Company, 10th Infantry (Witwatersrand Rifles) on 24 August 1914. Posted first to German South West Africa on 25 April 1915, whilst there he transferred to the Railway Regiment and was discharged on 25 April 1915.

Volunteering for service in German East Africa Arnold joined the 10th South African Infantry (No 6890) as a Private. Appointed Corporal on 4 February 1916 he embarked for Kilindini on 12 February. He was not there for long before being invalided back to Durban on 25 December 1916 with suspected Malaria.

Resuming his role with the Witwatersrand Rifles he was later transferred to the Railways & Harbour Regiment, which itself became part of the Active Citizen Force on 1 June 1920. Remaining with the military he was promoted Company Quartermaster-Sergeant on 21 February 1921 and Company Sergeant-Major on 10 April 1923.

Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 7 May 1924 with his Regiment, Arnold was advanced Lieutenant the same day. Writing to the Officer Commanding the 11th Battalion, Rand Light Infantry, he was offered a transfer to that unit on 6 October 1926. Being advanced Captain and given command of a Company, he played a major role in the Trooping of the Colour parade in Johannesburg in June 1932.

Arnold was awarded his Colonial Auxiliary Forces L.S. & G.C. the next year in 1933. When the Battalion's second-in-command joined the reserve in August of that year, it was Arnold who was appointed to replace him. However he was not to hold the rank for long, handing in his resignation on 25 June 1934 and requesting a transfer to the Reserve of Officers.

This was not to be the end of his career however, with the outbreak of the Second World War he offered his services and returned to duty on 7 November 1940. Posted to the Railways & Harbour Brigade he acted as Major and was awarded an Efficiency Decoration with them in 1942. He continued to serve in South Africa with this unit, being promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in September 1946. He was released for service the next month on 19 October 1946.

Further entitled to the 1914-15 Star; Victory Medal; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal and Efficiency Decoration; sold together with copied research comprising census data, service papers and the regimental history of the Rand Light Infantry.

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Sold for
£190

Starting price
£160