Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private J. Adams, Royal Highlanders, attached ‘C’ Battalion, ‘Layforce’ (No. 11 Scottish Commando), killed in action on the Litani River Raid, 9 June 1941

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. R. Adams, 2 Victoria Street, Perth’, extremely fine (3) £140-180

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties.

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Jack Adams served with the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) during the Second World War, before being attached to ‘C’ Battalion, ‘Layforce’ (No. 11 Scottish Commando). He was killed in action on the Litani River Raid, 9 June 1941, aged 22, and is buried in Sidon War Cemetery, Lebanon. The purpose of the Litani River Raid was to capture a key bridge from the Vichy forces in an effort to stop them blowing it up in the face of the advancing Australians. The original objective assigned to C Battalion ‘Layforce’ (No. 11 Scottish Commando) was to land on two beaches to the north of the Litani River and one the south and seize and hold the Qasmiye Bridge over the Litani until relieved by the 21st Australian Infantry Brigade. The Battalion acquitted itself well, achieving all of the objectives in a revised plan but at the cost of very high casualties, with 5 Officers and 40 other ranks killed and 84 men wounded.

I. McHarg, in his book Litani River, gives the following account of Adams’ death: ‘As they reached the barracks Y party were pinned down by machine gun fire from about 80 yards in an easterly direction to their front and from mortar fire from a point about 300 yards to the north on their left. A short while later Captain Farmiloe commanded a party whose actions put the mortars out of use causing the enemy to desert their machine gun posts. At about 07:00 hours, with the barracks in the hand of the commandos, Dick Pedder ordered Private Adams to enter the barracks and return the French Flag that had been flying there but unfortunately 22 year old Private Jack Adams was killed in action later that day.’

Sold together with a newspaper cutting announcing the recipient’s death, with accompanying photograph.