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Auction: 25112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 699

(x) The rare 'Egypt' M.S.M. awarded to Warrant Officer R.L. Hastie, 19th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, later Honorary Wing Commander, Royal Australian Air Force

Hastie emigrated to Singapore in 1920 and was later to play a prominent role in Singapore, Canada and England during the Second World War as an Honorary Commissioner and later Honorary Federal Secretary of the Australian Comforts Fund

Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R. (5832 W.O. R.L. Hastie. 19/Aust: Inf:), very fine

M.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1919, further reported in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 23 May 1919.

Roy Leslie Hastie was born at Balmain, New South Wales on 27 August 1892 the son of James Hastie a marine engineer from Kilmarnock, Scotland. A public Accountant Hastie enlisted in the A.I.F. on 3 April 1916 and was posted to C Company 19th Battalion, 16th Reinforcements. Posted initially to London with the rank of Company Sergeant Major as part of the Audit section administration HQ on 19 December 1916, he left for Alexandria on 24 March 1917 attached to the Australian HQ at Cairo for admin purposes.

Advanced to Warrant Officer Class 1 on 2 March 1918 Hastie was awarded the M.S.M. in recognition of valuable services rendered with the forces in Egypt, one of only 8 M.S.M.'s awarded to the 19th Battalion.

He was next posted to Bombay, India with the Royal Australian Pay Corps and commissioned Second Lieutenant on 7 May 1919 returning to Australia on 26 April 1920 and discharged on 12 September 1920.

Emigrating to Singapore after being discharged, he became a prominent businessman and resident of Singapore before leaving for Canada with his wife prior to the Second World War. Volunteering for service during the war Hastie was given the honorary commission of Squadron Leader in the Royal Australian Air Force as a commissioner with the Australian Comforts Fund on 5 September 1941.

Australian Comforts Fund - an extraordinary and selfless contribution

The Australian Comforts Fund (ACF) was first formed in August 1916 from a number of individual state-based organisations that had been created at the beginning of World War I to send comfort to the troops. Many local women's groups formed early in the war to provide various 'luxury items' to supplement the Australian soldier's army rations and personal kit. These groups were amalgamated in 1916 to form a national association which sought to provide additional 'comfort' items to all Australian's who were abroad. This federated organisation was titled the Australian Comforts Fund and quickly grew into a fundraising, collecting, sorting and distributing machine which rivalled the scope of the Red Cross. At the conclusion of World War I, the ACF officially dissolved as of the 16th of April 1920, however it was revived in 1939 with the outbreak of World War II to provide comforts to a new generation of soldiers.

The aim of the ACF was to provide free 'comfort' items that were not supplied by the services to all Australian servicemen. These items included singlets, socks, pyjamas, cigarettes and tobacco, razor blades, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and reading material (newspapers and magazines). Additionally, the ACF also provided recreational facilities, rest rooms, sporting equipment, gramophones and records to the troops, as well as regularly providing writing materials such as pencils, paper and postcards so the soldiers could write home.

Hastie, who was in Canada when the Second World War was declared and having recently retired from his business activities in Singapore, immediately cabled the Australian government offering his services in an honorary capacity. Disappointed with the lack of response from the government he returned to Sydney and approached the ACF whereupon he returned to Singapore at his own expense and laid the foundations for the ACF foundations in Singapore, remaining there until October 1941. He next, again at his own expense, travelled to Canada with a similar mission. Accompanied by his wife he remained in Canada for two years responsible for all the amenities given to RAAF trainees and personnel in Canada and the USA. He established leave hostels and club centres and helped the trainees with their leave in the USA.

Returning to Australia he was appointed honorary Wing Commander on 16 September 1943 and honorary Federal secretary of the ACF in Australia. He next volunteered to go to England to supervise the winding up of the Funds activities, his role ending on 28 April 1947.

Incredibly, apart from honorary appointments within the RAAF he didn't receive any official award for his selfless service to the Australian Comforts Fund.

He features extensively in the official history of the Australian Comforts Fund by C O Badham Jackson published in 1949; sold together with copied research.

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

Sold for
£480

Starting price
£280