Orders, Decorations and Medals

Family group:

Pair: Gunner F. G. Overall, Royal Garrison Artillery
British War and Victory Medals (140024 Gnr., R.A.) mounted for display

Six: Sergeant L. F. R. Overall, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, served at El Alamein, wounded in Italy, M.I.D. for N.W. Europe
1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf, all unnamed, mounted for wear, medals generally extremely fine (lot) £200-250

Frederick George Overall was born in Wimbledon, Surrey on 21 December 1885, the son of Samuel and Caroline Overall. He married Ada Susan Cook in the Dover District in 1913. Served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during the Great War. He died in the Merton District in 1970; his wife died in the Wandsworth District in 1982. With R.A. cap badge.

Leslie Frederick Robert Overall was born in the Wandsworth District on 22 July 1915, the son of Frederick George (above) and Ada Susan Overall. An Accountant by occupation, he enlisted at Chisledon, Wiltshire on 27 June 1940, serving in ‘B’ Company, 2nd Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Overall went with the battalion to Egypt in October 1941 and served with the 1st Armoured Division in the battle of Gazala, May/June 1942, the retreat to Egypt and the battle of Alam el Halfa, August/September 1942. Then with the 7th Armoured Division, he was present at the battle of El Alamein, October/November 1942. Promoted to Corporal in July 1943. In September 1943 he was with the regiment in Italy, taking part in the Taranto Landings. On 27 November 1943 he received a severe gunshot wound to the right side of his head and face, in action near the Lamone River and was admitted to hospital in Italy. He returned to England with his battalion in January 1944 and was directly admitted to hospital in the U.K. He was physically downgraded from ‘A.1’ to ‘A.3’ by a medical board at Ickworth, Suffolk owing to his wounds which had required extended surgical care, including facial plastic surgery. He joined the British Army in Belgium in August 1944 where he was permanently attached to 116 Town Major, at Saint-Nicholas, in the Province of Liege, Belgium, although still posted to the K.R.R.C. There he remained until he returned to England on 15 September 1945, being appointed Acting Local Sergeant in February 1945. For his wartime services in Northwest Europe he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 4 April 1946). Corporal Overall was discharged at Winchester on 25 February 1946. He died in Sheffield in 2009.

The medals to L. R. F. Overall sold with a quantity of material including: The King’s Badge for Loyal Service, with named forwarding slip; riband bar, cap badges and cloth insignia; K.R.R.C. Association lapel badge, with named forwarding slip and envelope; card forwarding box addressed to ‘Mr L. F. Overall, 12 Egerton Court, Hainault Rd., Leytonstone, E.11’, with associated entitlement slip; Soldier’s Service and Pay Book; Soldier’s Release Book Class “A”; M.I.D. Certificate, with envelope; photograph of the recipient in uniform taken in Egypt 1943; typed message (original copy) concerning the German surrender on 5 May 1945; letter detailing his service; Certificate of Service; Ministry of Pensions document; Movement Order; War Office motorcycle licence and sundry tickets; Supplement to The London Gazette, 4 April 1946; The Daily Telegraph, 4 September 1939; The Observer, 19 August 1945; H.M.S.O., Final Report by Sir Nevile Henderson on the Circumstances Leading to the Termination of his Mission to Berlin, 20 September 1939; The Battle of Egypt, magazine; H.M.S.O., The Eighth Army, booklet; The King’s Royal Rifle Corps Chronicle 1942 and 1944; H.M.S.O. India, The Tiger Kills, paperback; The History of the 4th Armoured Brigade, by Brigadier R. M. P. Carver - with a letter to Overall from Carver to accompany the paperback publication; No Problem Too Difficult, by Julian Paget, hardback with dustcover, inscribed, ‘Leslie with regards Colin, 6 Oct. 06 N.B. Your country needs you.’; The King’s Royal Rifle Corps, by Herbert Fairlie Wood (Famous Regiment Series); St-Nicholas, booklet; map of East Flanders. Also with some copied research.