Auction Catalogue

4 April 2001

Starting at 1:00 PM

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Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Regus Conference Centre  12 St James Square  London  SW1Y 4RB

Lot

№ 1004

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4 April 2001

Hammer Price:
£300

A good Second War ‘North Africa’ M.B.E. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant Colonel D. M. Aston, 66th Anti Aircraft Brigade, Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers

The Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) 2nd type; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 1st Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (Lt. Col., R.E.M.E.); together with original named bestowal certificate for M.B.E., two sets of corresponding miniatures; and a related Victory Medal (155799 Pte. C. Aston, R.A.M.C.) good very fine or better (22) £200-250

M.B.E. London Gazette 16 September 1943. The recommendation states ‘In January 1943 a destroyer H.M.S. Ithurial was damaged by enemy action in Bone Harbour, beached and its 4.7 inch guns dismantled. At that time it seemed likely that a seaborne attack might develop against shipping. A suggestion was made that the guns from H.M.S. Ithurial provided an answer to seaborne attacks.

Major Aston designed platforms on which to mount these guns, obtained material for their construction and supervised their manufacture. He emplaced the guns and eventually fired some proof rounds. Throughout this period he had to improvise not only the platforms but every method to make them and emplace them.

Later he added a 4 inch HALA (Naval) gun to the coast defence battery. His enthusiasm and drive infected the troops who actually did the work. The battery assisted in driving off enemy light aircraft in an action on 1st/2nd March.’