Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 442

(x) Greece, Kingdom, Hellenic Red Cross Silver Medal, by Eleftherios Kelaides, 5th Class (Burton Berry 1948), good very fine

Burton Yosh Berry was born on 31 August 1901 at Fowler, Indiana, his father The Hon. Judge Burton Bowers Berry and mother Jessie Yost. Young Berry passed of out Indiana University and found a career in the United States Consular Service. Consul to Athens in 1938, Istanbul in 1943 and Bucharest in 1944, he was Director of the State Department's Office of African, South Asian & Near East Affairs from 1947. During the Second World War he had worked closely with the American School of Classical Studies to assist in the evacuation of students and also reported on the famine conditions sweeping the local population. He was also closely linked into the Truman Doctrine in assisting the local nations against the communist containment of the region.

A keen collector of Middle Eastern, Greek and Byzantine textiles, coins, gems and antiques, much of his collection went to the Art Institute of Chicago, the American Numismatic Society and the Indiana Art Museum.

Latterly US Ambassador to Iraq in 1952-54 and lived in the Middle East until the Lebanese Civil War of 1975. Settling in Zurich, he died in August 1985; sold together with copied research.

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

Estimate
£80 to £120

Starting price
£60