Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Eight: Captain W. J. Jeffery, Royal Engineers, late Royal Marines

British War Medal 1914-20 (R.M.A. 16591 Bugr. W. J. Jeffery); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, E.II.R. (Capt. W. J. Jeffrey, R.E.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue (PO. 216591 W. J. Jeffery, Sgt., R.M.), the first with slack suspension bar and somewhat polished, good fine, the remainder very fine and better (8) £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards for the 1939-45 War.

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William James Jeffery was born in Fareham, Hampshire in February 1905 and enlisted in the Royal Marine Artillery as a Bugler in August 1918, thereby gaining entitlement to his single British War Medal 1914-20. Enjoying several seagoing appointments between the Wars, including H.M.S. Hood between May 1931 and July 1933, he also gained steady advancement, being appointed
Corporal in January 1932 and Sergeant in March 1936.

Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in May 1937, Jeffery was serving aboard the battleship Ramillies on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, in which capacity he remained actively employed until the end of 1942, seeing action in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean, including the battle of Spartivento in 1940. Having been advanced to Colour-Sergeant in March 1942, he was commissioned as a Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Marines in late 1943, thereafter serving as an instructor at the R.M. Training Group at Dalditch, Devon, until April 1945, when he was posted to the Chatham Division.

Post-war, Jeffery was granted a commission in the Movement Control Section of the Royal Engineers (London Gazette 7 December 1951 refers), gaining advancement to Captain in December 1953 and witnessing further active service in the Malaya operations; sold with copied service record and research.