Five: Captain S. Pillans, Rhodesian Forces, attached Royal Horse Artillery and South Africa Artillery, who served with distinction in the Western Desert

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals; Africa Service Medal 1939-45, this last officially inscribed ‘SR. 598634 S. Pillans’, good very fine or better (5) £100-120

Saxon Pillans, who was born in February 1915, was originally commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Rhodesia Regiment in July 1938. Advanced to Lieutenant in the following year, he was among those officers selected to form the Southern Rhodesia Light Battery, a training unit, shortly before the outbreak of hostilities. Duly qualified, he joined ‘F’ (Sphinx) Battery, 4th R.H.A. in the Western Desert in July 1940, where he served with distinction under his then C.O. Brigadier “Jock” Campbell, shortly to be awarded the V.C., and was credited with ‘an excellent job of work at the gun position’ during the unit’s first major night action against the Italians at Maktila - ‘In return the Italians gave everything they had from about three regiments of artillery, but fortunately the guns were well dug in and most of the shells that arrived were duds.’

Moreover, Pillans again distinguished himself while manning an O.P. truck just outside the southern part of the Tobruk perimeter defences - ‘The task of the small force, largely gunners, of which he was part, was to hold the El Adem road where it approached and entered the Tobruk defences, to enable the Australians and Indians to get inside unimpeded. They were attacked by a superior armoured force, which they delayed by artillery fire, but were forced to withdraw eventually.’

Following further active service in 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Battery, R.H.A. from November 1942, Pillans was posted to 11 Anti-Tank Regiment, S.A.A., in May 1943 and re-embarked for the Union that July - admitted to hospital shortly after his arrival, he saw no further active service. He had, however, qualified for the Africa Service Medal - his remaining campaign awards being issued unnamed by the Rhodesian authorities; sold with copied service record.