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Auction: 5019 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 477

An Interesting and Rare Group of Ten to Mechanician First Class F. Ward, Royal Navy, Late Army Air Corps and Parachute Regiment, A Veteran of Arnhem, Where He Was Taken Prisoner and Escaped, Palestine, Korea, Near East and Borneo 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal; General Service 1918-62, G.VI.R, one clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (5350636 Pte. F. Ward. A.A.C.); Korea 1950-53, 1st type (C/KX. 859169 F. Ward L.S.M. R.N.); United Nations Korea Medal; Naval General Service 1915-62, E.II.R., one clasp, Near East (C/KX.859169 F. Ward. Mech. 1. R.N.); General Service 1962-, E.II.R., one clasp, Borneo (KX. 859169 F. Ward. Mech. 1. R.N.); Naval Long Service & G.C., E.II.R. (KX. 859169. F. Ward. Mech. 1. H.M.S. Pembroke.); good very fine or better, mounted for display with portrait photograph, Parachute Regiment Cap Badge, cloth naval insignia and his father´s Special Constabulary Long Service Medal, G.V.R. (Frank N. Ward), extremely fine, also with the following documents: - Soldier´s Release Book, dated 6.9.1948 - Naval Long Service Certificate, dated 13.7.1967 - 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, 1st Airborne Division, "Not In Vain" book of remembrance, in original addressed card envelope of issue - H.M.S. Diamond Commission Report February 1956-August 1957 - Copy of Death Certificate Estimate £ 2,500-3,000Heroes in History ´If, in years to come, any man says to you "I fought with the Arnhem Airborne Force" take your hat off to him, for he is of the stuff of which England´s greatness is made. The few of Arnhem will rank in glory with the few of the Battle of Britain.´ (Extract from despatch of the War Correspondent for the Combined Press, refers) Mechanician First Class Frank Ward, (1926-1994), the date of birth being worthy of note as Ward lied about his age, telling the recruiting officer that he was born in 1924, and thus he enlisted in the Royal Berkshire Regiment as a 16 year old, 9.1.1942; transferred Army Air Corps 4.3.1943; served in North Africa 15.5.1943-9.12.1943 and North Western Europe 17.9.1944-24.4.1945, during the latter period he served with 1st Airborne Division in ´Operation Market Garden´ 17.9-26.9.1944, and was with Colonel John Frost´s 2nd Battalion at Arnhem Bridge. ´Private Ward has served in the Army for four and a half years, three and a half with the Parachute Regiment. He saw active service in Sicily and at Arnhem where he was taken P.O.W. A good clean soldier he can be relied upon to give his best at any job he is doing.´ (Release Leave Certificate Testimonial, refers). Ward was taken prisoner by the German armoured units that swamped the small band of Paratroopers, but managed to escape in the chaos that ensued and made his way back to the Allied lines. ´For nine days they checked the fury of the Hun and when, on 26th September, they came out a proud and haughty band - paratroopers, air-landing men, glider pilots, clerks, cooks and batmen, soldiers all - 2,000 strong out of 7,500 that entered the battle.´ (letter from General D.D. Eisenhower to Major-General R.E. Urquhart D.S.O., Commander, 1st Airborne, dated October 1944, refers). 1,485 Allied troops were killed or died from their wounds as a result of ´Operation Market Garden´, with 6,525 taken Prisoner of War. After the War, Ward went on to serve in Palestine, 24.3-16.12.1946, before being discharged from the Army Air Corps 6.9.1948. After a brief period in civilian life he joined the Royal Navy in time to serve in the Korean Conflict (1950-53), eventually retiring in 1967 after 25 years service in the armed forces.

Sold for
£4,000