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Auction: 24003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 133

An 'Italy Operations 1944' Silver Star group of eight awarded to Captain H. H. Greig, L (Nery) Battery, 2nd Royal Horse Artillery, who was decorated by the United States for his gallantry when R.H.Q. of the 9th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry was shelled during their attack on the Arboreta feature in September 1944

1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Coronation 1953; United States of America, Silver Star, mounted as worn, together with another Silver Star (Hunter H. Greig), with their cases of issue, good very fine (8)

Approximately 335 awards of the Silver Star to British personnel during the Second World War.

United States Silver Star, London Gazette 18 July 1947:

'For gallantry in action in Italy on 19 September 1944. When the Regimental HQ of the infantry unit which he was supporting was accurately shelled by enemy artillery fire which killed, wounded or partially buried most of the occupants and set fire to stores of ammunition nearby, Captain Greig demonstrated outstanding courage in assisting the removal of the wounded and in directing the fire of his Battery on hostile artillery until it was completely silenced. Then despite the burning ammunition which was exploding all around him, he maintained communications with forward elements of the infantry unit until other units arrived to assist in the counter assault.'

M.I.D. London Gazette 23 May 1946.

Hunter Hanbury Greig was born on 25 April 1919 at Bombay, the son of Farleigh and Gwendolyn Greig. His father was a banker in the city and the young Greig visited a number of cities throughout his youth including Karachi, London and even Kobe, Japan. He was living in Fleet, Hampshire during the escalation of tensions before the Second World War and quickly volunteered, being commissioned 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Artillery on 26 January 1939.

Posted to the Royal Horse Artillery he was advanced Lieutenant the next year on 1 January 1941. By the attack on the Arboreta feature on 9 September 1944 he was a Captain commanding L (Nery) Battery, 2nd Royal Horse Artillery.

Marrying shortly after the war Greig retired to East Lothian, Scotland, he died there on 16 November 2014 at Edinburgh, sold together with copied research.

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Estimate
£1,400 to £1,800

Starting price
£1100