Auction Catalogue

5 & 6 December 2018

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 166

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5 December 2018

Hammer Price:
£420

A Second War ‘North Africa’ B.E.M. awarded to Lance-Corporal H. Wadham, Royal Army Service Corps

British Empire Medal, (Military) G.VI.R., 1st issue (No. T/288277 L/Cpl. Henry Wadham) in card box of issue, extremely fine £200-£240

B.E.M. London Gazette 23 September 1943:
‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North Africa.’

The original recommendation, dated 15 April 1943, states: ‘During March 1943 in the Sedjenane area, this N.C.O. was driving an ambulance car attached to 16 Paratroop Battalion for evacuation of casualties. For two weeks he was engaged continuously making day and night runs from Advanced Dressing Station to Main Dressing Station, often under shelling and machine gun fire. On one occasion at night time he volunteered to go 6 miles forward of the Advanced Dressing Station to pick up casualties. he drove without lights over a road which had been shelled and mined and found in some bushes 5 Germans seriously wounded. He loaded these with difficulty on to his ambulance car and being unable to turn round had to travel in reverse for two miles. He unloaded his casualties at the Advanced Dressing Station and immediately went back for more. This N.C.O., by his gallantry and devotion to duty, saved during this fortnight many valuable lives.’

Henry Wadham was a native of Brixton, and served during the Second World War with 112 Mobile Ambulance Column, Royal Army Service Corps.