Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Major R. L. Benton, Royal Artillery, who served as an Air Observation Post Pilot with No. 651 Squadron, Royal Air Force

1939-45 Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (Capt. R. L. Benton. R.A.) light contact marks, generally very fine or better (6) £400-£500

Provenance: Robert Lamb Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, June 1999.

Richard Lawrence Benton was born on 15 March 1921 and attested for the Royal Artillery on 1 September 1939. After serving in the ranks for 218 days, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant on 6 April 1940, and was promoted Lieutenant on 6 October 1941, and Captain on 1 July 1946. Qualifying as an Air Observation Post Pilot, he served with No. 651 Squadron, Royal Air Force, in post-War Palestine from 28 July 1946, before moving to Egypt on a Staff posting in October 1948. He was promoted to Major on 6 April 1953 and appointed to the Army Mechanical Transport School in May 1955, before retiring in December of the same year.

Sold with a group photographic image of 49 Air Observation Post Course - A Syndicate, June 1946, featuring the recipient; copied operational record book extracts of No. 651 Squadron in Palestine; medal roll extract for the General Service Medal; and other copied research.