Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Army L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue, Regular Army (5566779 W.O. Cl. 3 R. H. Pritchard, Wilts.), nearly extremely fine £80-100

A rare example of an award named to the short-lived rank of Warrant Officer Class 3, namely a Platoon Sergeant-Major.

Reginald Henry Pritchard was born in Bath, Wiltshire, in November 1909 and enlisted in the Wiltshire Regiment in October 1926. Advanced to Sergeant in April 1936, he saw active service with the 2nd Battalion in Palestine in the following year (Medal & clasp), and, having been appointed Warrant Officer Class 3 in December 1938, was wounded and taken P.O.W. at Rouex on the River Scarpe on 23 May 1940.

Having then been admitted to hospital in Cambrai and Asvenes in May-July 1940, he was transported to Stalag VIA at Hemer, Germany, and thence, in October, to Stalag 210/ST. at Strasbourg, France. His subsequent transfers were to Stalag VB, back in Germany, in December 1940; Stalag XXIE at Sudhof in April 1941; Stalag XXID at Posen, Poland, and, finally, Stalag 383 at Hohenfels, Germany, in June 1943.

On 17 April 1945, Pritchard and a comrade, Sergeant Kibble of the Gloucestershire Regiment, managed to hide while Stalag 383 was being evacuated by the Germans and, obtaining a car, managed to drive through enemy lines and reach Antwerp (Pritchard’s P.O.W. debrief refers).

Pritchard was awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal (AO 133 of August 1946 refers) on his return to the U.K. and died in Plymouth in 1967; sold with research.