Auction Catalogue

27 & 28 September 2016

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Live Online Auction

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Lot

№ 994

.

28 September 2016

Hammer Price:
£170

Five: Gunner A. E. Y. Todd, Royal Artillery
1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Territorial (2049012. Gnr. A. E. Y. Todd. R.A.) with riband bar and Record Office enclosure; and a photograph of the recipient, extremely fine

Three:
Corporal J. G. Todd, Black Watch, taken P.O.W. at Arras, 20 May 1940
1939-45
Star; War Medal 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Territorial (4454518 Cpl. J. G. Todd. B.W.) extremely fine (8) £80-120

John George Todd was born on 3 August 1907 and served during the Second World War with the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch). The battalion consisted of 660 men and was sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force on 23 April 1940, primarily to be used as a Labour company as its men were not fully trained or equipped. On 17 May they were sent to defend a ten mile length of the Canal du Nord but plans changed constantly, and on 19 May they were withdrawn to Hendrecourt. The following morning, whilst marching from Neuville to Saultry, near Arras, they were soon overrun and found themselves surrounded by armoured cars and panzer tanks, with only rifles and bayonets to fight them off. Putting away all thoughts of surrender, they made a gallant final stand, keeping the panzers at bay for over five hours, giving vital time for troops on the beaches of Dunkirk to embark. Their resistance only came to an end when all ammunition available was spent. In his book ‘the Black Watch and the King’s Enemies’, Brian Fergusson elaborates: ‘The companies of the Battalion, under-armed and ill-equipped, continued to fight individual company actions until they had exhausted what little ammunition had been given for their original role. The provost serjeant was killed as he clambered on to a tank and fired his rifle through its embrasure. A section of the youngest soldiers, with less than eight weeks’ service, was seen to fix bayonets as an enemy tank approached them.’ In their gallant stand the battalion won 4 Military Crosses, 1 Distinguished Conduct Medal, and 4 Military Medals, with fewer than 80 men of the battalion surviving and avoiding capture. Todd was one of those men taken Prisoner of War, and was initially sent to a working camp at Chulitz, where he worked in carrying rail sleepers, from 31 July 1940 until May 1941, before being held at camp XXA at Thorn, Poland, from July 1941 until September 1942, and then at Stalag 383 in Bavaria, from September 1942 until May 1945.

Sold with copies of the Battalion War Diary from the period.