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Auction: 24111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 666

(x) Family Group

Territorial Force War Medal, (998 Cpl. A. Brown. R.A.), very fine

Six: Gunner A.T. Brown, 5th Field Ambulance, late 33 Heavy Regiment, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force

1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; New Zealand War Service Medal; sold together with an original archive, very fine (6)

Allan Thomas Brown was born at Wellington, New Zealand on 15 May 1922 and enlisted for service on 14 June 1940 serving initially in the Pacific theatre as a gunner with the 33rd Heavy Regiment from late 1942 until 1944. In 1945 he transferred to the 5th Field Ambulance service, NZEF until being discharged on 10 April 1946.

Allan's war time experiences have been preserved for posterity in chapter 8 of the book by Susan Jacobs, 'In Love and War, Kiwi soldiers' romantic encounters in wartime Italy. Interestingly Allan admits in the book that he was on of 'Freyberg's forty thousand thieves', a reference to the poor rates of pay paid to Kiwi's on active service.

Sold together with his identity tags, full copy service papers together with war time photographs detailing his service and the story of meeting his Italian wife, Mary Sogny, who was working with the Red Cross.

For the medals of his brother see Lot 640.


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

Sold for
£230

Starting price
£110