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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 296

(x) A remarkable 1918 group of seven awarded to Chaplain to the Forces E. J. Green, late Lance-Corporal, West Yorkshire Regiment, who was taken Prisoner of War during the Fall of Hong Kong in 1941 and severely mistreated by his captors

Military Medal, G.V.R. (62503 L-Cpl. E. J. Green. 5-W.York.R.); British War and Victory Medals (62503 Pte. E. J. Green. W. York. R.); 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, slight contact marks and edge bruising, very fine (7)

M.M. London Gazette 22 July 1919

Eric John Green was born at Croydon, England on 14 October 1898, the son of John and Margaret Green of Ingleside, Wallington, London. Joining the 1/5th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, he was posted to France at some stage after 1916.

This unit saw heavy fighting at the Battle of Valenciennes between 1-2 November 1918. They went into the attack with 16 officers and 453 other ranks seeing 1 officer and 12 other ranks killed and 3 officers and 121 wounded. Notably Green appeared in the casualty lists the next month, quite likely wounded in this action. The Battalion history relates:

'Great was the astonishment of the civilian population in Aulnoye when the West Yorkshires entered their village, for the villagers had been told by the Germans that all the English had been killed. The West Yorkshires were asked by the civilians what State in America they came from and were hardly believed when they said they were English'

(The West Yorkshire Regiment in the War, refers)

Upon the end of the war Green was discharged to the Reserve on 7 March 1919. Between the wars he decided to take to the cloth and was Ordained as a Roman Catholic Priest. To this end Green was commissioned Chaplain to the Forces on 29 May 1939, in the run up to the Second World War.

Assigned to the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment he was to join them in Hong Kong. He was still with them in 1941 when they found themselves fighting against heavy numbers during the fall of the city. They held on for a staggering 17 days but were finally overwhelmed, having over 100 men killed. Further losses were to be suffered after the fall of the city during the terrible months of internship and forced labour, a great many were lost during the sinking of the Lisbon Maru.

Green was fortunate not to be amongst them, he was instead imprisoned at Shamshuipo Camp. Here he was under the command of the senior British officer, Major Cecil Boon, Army Service Corps who soon proved to be all too happy to collaborate with the Japanese. Men were forced to work whilst sick and beating were handed out as a matter of course. One newspaper article stated:

'Captain [SIC] Eric John Green, Roman Catholic chaplain at the camp, declared that, in spite of his cloth, he was beaten up by a Jap n.c.o.'

This does not appear to have bothered him as much as Major Boon's collaboration however as he appeared as a witness for the prosecution. His testimony was recorded in the Gloucester Citizen on 6 September 1946, which stated:

'Capt [sic] Eric John Green, R.C. Chaplain who wore the ribbon of the M.M. and two wound stripes, said that in 1942 the Pope made sum of money available to the camp. A list of what was required was prepared and was sent to Boon. Having heard nothing for three week he wrote to the Jap camp commandant, and on the following morning went to the latter's office.'

Green was liberated on 2 September 1945 and remained in service until 20 February 1947; sold together with copied research including medal rolls, an extract from The West Yorkshire Regiment in the War and M.I.C. as well as census data, London Gazette entries, P.O.W. rolls and newspaper extracts.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£2,400

Starting price
£240