Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Staff Sergeant K. R. Cornish, Royal New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, late Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and Royal Navy

1939-45 Star; Burma Star, 1 clasp, Pacific; War Medal 1939-45 (538856 AB K R Cornish R.N.) impressed naming; Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (22288384 Cfn. K. R. Cornish. R.E.M.E.); U.N. Korea 1950-54 (22288384 Cfn K R Cornish REME); Army L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue, New Zealand (36433 T/SSgt K J [sic] Cornish RNZEME) mounted as worn, traces of lacquer, very fine and better (6) £280-320

Kenneth Richard Cornish was born in Dagenham, Essex on 26 August 1926, and enlisted into the Royal Navy on 19 August 1944. After training at H.M.S. Ganges and Pembroke he went onto further training at H.M.S. Golden Hind in Australia:
‘In November 1944 the Australian government began transferring military bases and facilities to the Admiralty in preparation for the arrival in Australian waters of the newly formed British Pacific Fleet. On 20 November 1944 H.M.S. Golden Hind was commissioned as an Royal Navy Accounting Base and Headquarters at the former American army camp at Hargrave Park, Liverpool, Sydney, New South Wales. The Headquarters camp comprised of wooden huts, with additional accommodation being completed in the early part of 1945. A Barracks & Drafting Pool was established on the opposite side of the railway line, at the nearby Warwick Farm racecourse; this was a huge tented camp which occupied the centre of the racecourse. Here the naval personnel arriving from the United Kingdom were accommodated while awaiting passage to join the British Pacific Fleet at Manus or elsewhere.’
Cornish served in the aircraft-carrier H.M.S. Illustrious from 27 February to 20 May 1945, and in H.M.S. Indomitable from 13 June to 18 October 1945. He continued to serve in the Royal Navy until being discharged on 5 December 1947. He subsequently enlisted in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers as a vehicle mechanic on 19 September 1949, and saw service in Korea from 1 October 1950 to 22 May 1952 as an Armoured Vehicle Mechanic where it is likely he served with either “C” Squadron, 7 Royal Tank Regiment or the 8th Hussars. Promoted Corporal, he transferred to the Army Reserve on 18 September 1954, and was discharged on 14 November 1956. On 18 March 1957 he re-enlisted into the New Zealand Regular Army, and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal prior to his final discharge, with the rank of Staff Sergeant, on 24 June 1971, after a varied service career that took him from Aircraft Carriers in the heat of the tropics of the Indian Ocean and South East Asia during the Second World War, to Armoured Fighting Vehicles in the freezing winter during the Korean War.

Sold with the recipient’s Royal Navy parchment Certificate of Service; Regular Army Certificate of Service Red Book; Reservist’s Instruction Book; and New Zealand Armed Forces Statement of Service.