Auction Catalogue

17 September 2020

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 787

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17 September 2020

Hammer Price:
£500

United States of America, Purple Heart, gilt and enamel, reverse machine engraved ‘Victor M. Torres’, with slot brooch, in case of issue, good very fine £150-200

Victor Torres, a Corporal in the 3206th Quartermaster Service Company, was killed on the night of 28 April 1944 during Exercise Tiger - a rehearsal for the forthcoming Normandy landings, taking place off Slapton Sands, Devon. In a series of blunders, German E-Boats were able to intercept the landing craft and sank two and damaged two others; 946 U.S. servicemen were killed. The disaster was ‘hushed up’ at the time and remained classified for many decades, with the casualty details only released in August 1944 along with those for the actual D-Day Landings. Torres is commemorated on the American Memorial to the Missing at Cambridge Cemetery.

Sold with associated riband bar and a small U.S.A. flag for display purposes.