Orders, Decorations and Medals

A good Second World War Normandy operations M.M. group of six awarded to Sapper R. Noble, Royal Engineers, who was decorated for his gallantry on the opening day of “Operation Goodwood” - his unit being attached to the 51st Highland Division in the heavily contested advance on Caen

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (2128232 Spr. R. Noble, R.E.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, together with an 8th Army commemorative medal for the capture of Naples in October 1943, assorted R.E. badges (4), and Highland Division badges (2), generally extremely fine (13) £1200-1500

M.M. London Gazette 21 December 1944. The original recommendation - approved by Montgomery - states:

‘On the morning of 18 July 1944, Driver Noble was the driver of No. 2 Platoon Wireless Vehicle, which was situated half a mile north of Escoville. During the morning this party was heavily shelled and the wireless operator wounded. Driver Noble carried this operator to the Advanced Dressing Station and returned to his vehicle to discover that the second operator had been wounded and evacuated in his absence.

Regardless of the fact that Noble was not trained as a wireless operator, he immediately took control of the set which was the object of continuously heavy and accurate shell fire and maintained communication for the remainder of the day when the R./T. link was vital to the success of the task in which his platoon was engaged.

Throughout the day, Noble was an example to all by his devotion to duty and complete disregard of his own safety.’

Robert Noble, a native of Kenton, enlisted in the Royal Engineers in November 1940. Having then seen action in North Africa, Sicily and Italy with the 8th Army, he won his M.M. for the above cited deeds while serving in 275th Field Company, R.E., attached 51st Highland Division. He was demobilised in January 1946.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for his M.M.; wartime printed messages from Montgomery for the Sicily and Normandy landings, in addition to Eisenhower’s similar message on the eve of D-Day; his Record of Service card, R.E. Record Office, Brighton, dated 30 October 1945; a “Soldiers’ Guide to Scotland” and a wartime newspaper cutting regarding Bailey Bridges, this with handwritten explanatory notes - ‘This is the bridge Daddy helps to build ... ’