Orders, Decorations and Medals

Eight: Lieutenant-Colonel R. Watson, Royal Engineers

General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (Lieut., R.E.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, mounted as worn; together with an Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, Regular Army (1853743 W.O.Cl.II. R. Watson, R.E.), last with slight edge bruising, generally good very fine (8) £220-260

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Brigadier Brian Parritt, C.B.E..

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Richard Watson enlisted at Chatham on 20 June 1916 as a Boy Soldier and became a Bugler on 5 February 1917. Finishing Boys Service, he became a Sapper in the Royal Engineers on 7 August 1919 and attained the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 in 1933. On 13 July 1934 he was awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal (not in lot) and on 25 July 1934 was commissioned a Lieutenant. Serving in Jamaica then Palestine, he was in Egypt when the Second World War started. During the conflict he served in North Africa and in the ‘Persia and Iraq Force’ (Pai Force), which was formed to defend Northern Iraq from possible German invasion from the Caucasus. He attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on 28 March 1952 and retired from the Army on 31 August 1954 and died in Devon in 1979. A note with the lot states that he never wore his Long Service medal as he was reluctant to be recognised as an ‘ex-ranker’.