The Collection of Medals Formed by Bill and Angela Strong

A Second World War casualty’s group of four awarded to Corporal of Horse M. Staples, Royal Horse Guards, onetime attached the Commandos and killed in action in Tunisia with the 1st Special Air Service (S.A.S.) in January 1943

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, together with Household Brigade prize medals (2), one in silver for Junior Cup Winners 1932-33, named to ‘543 Tpr. Staples’, and the other in bronze for 220 Yards Race, named to ‘543 Tpr. Staples’, occasional edge bruises to these last, otherwise good very fine (6) £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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Montague Staples was born in February 1904 and enlisted in the Royal Horse Guards in October 1922. Transferred to the Army Reserve in October 1930, he joined the Palestine Police, but returned home at the end of 1932 and was reinstated on the Reserve. Recalled on the renewal of hostilities, in the rank of Corporal of Horse in his old regiment, he transferred to No. 8 Commando in February 1941 and thence to “Layforce”, in which capacity he witnessed active service in Egypt.

But it was as a member of 1st Special Air Service (S.A.S.) that he was killed in action on 20 January 1943, having transferred to ‘C’ Squadron in September 1942 - most likely on one of the unit’s jeep patrols mounted at this time in support of Montgomery’s push on Tripoli and the Mareth Line. Confirmed on The Blues Roll of Honour in the Guards Chapel as having been attached to 1st S.A.S. at the time of his death, he is buried in Sfax War Cemetery, Tunisia. He left a widow, Alice Harriet Staples of Harringay, Middlesex.