Auction Catalogue

16 April 2020

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Live Online Auction

Download Images

Lot

№ 86

.

16 April 2020

Hammer Price:
£3,200

A good Second War ‘Prisoner of War’ M.M. group of six awarded to Sergeant C. A. Stone, 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), Royal Armoured Corps, who after 12 days in hiding managed to escape his German captors, and after unsuccessfully trying to evacuate by sea joined a patriot band, remaining with them for four months before being wounded whilst evading capture

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (7902535 A. Sjt. C. A. Stone. C. of Lond. Yeo.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine and better (6) £1,400-£1,800

M.M. London Gazette 1 March 1945.

The original Recommendation states: ‘Captured at Knightsbridge on 13 June 1942, Sergeant Claude Archibald Stone, 4th County of London Yeomanry, Royal Armoured Corps, was imprisoned at Camp 153 (Swani Ben Adem) and Camp 70 (Fermo). While at Camp 153 he twice engaged in making tunnels which were discovered before completion. He attempted to escape from Camp 70 in April 1943 by scaling the wall with a rope ladder, but was caught and punished with three months in an observation cell.

After the Armistice Camp 70 was taken over by the Germans. While other Prisoners of War were leaving for Germany, Stone and five others hid under the weighbridge for 12 days, and on 7 October 1943 succeeded in evading the guards and climbing the wall.

With another Prisoner of War Stone took pat in an unsuccessful attempt to evacuate by sea at Ascoli. They then travelled to Castilenti, where they joined a patriot band. Stone remained with them from December 1943 to April 1944, when he was wounded while evading capture. He met Allied troops at Pescara.’