Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Major G. C. Matthews, Cheshire Regiment, attached Machine Gun Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment, Indian Army, later Singapore Police, who was Mentioned in Despatches for his services in Burma

1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (A.S.P. G. C. Matthews. S’pore Pol.) mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (5) £120-£160

M.I.D. London Gazette 19 July 1945.

Guy Collington Matthews was born in 1919 and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Cheshire Regiment on 20 April 1940. Promoted Lieutenant on 20 October 1941, he served during the Second World War as a British Service Officer attached to the Machine Gun Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment, Indian Army, and was advanced Acting Major by April 1945.

The Machine Gun Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment was formed in January 1942 and served in the Arakan initially from April to October 1943. In February 1944 the unit moved back into the Arakan and played its part in the relief of the Admin Box: ‘The battalion can justifiably claim its share of dead Japs... Major Matthews commanded “C” Company during these operations’ (Regimental Magazine refers).

The October 1945 edition of the Magazine also lists Matthews serving with the unit. After operating on Ramree Island the record states ‘When the Japs eventually were driven out of the island itself two companies were employed on the mainland. Guy Matthews C Company and Bruce Hobson D Company were the lucky ones this time...’

Regarding the Rangoon landing: ‘Guy Matthews with his Company and the Second-in Command with the remainder of the battalion headquarters had no sooner arrived in the concentration area than they were told that their convoys had been cancelled and that they would be returning to India... This came as a considerable anti-climax.’

The February 1946 edition of the Magazine also lists Matthews serving with the unit, but he departed before the battalion embarked for operations in Java. For his services in Burma Matthews was Mentioned in Despatches.

Transferring to Regular Army Reserve of Officers, Cheshire Regiment, with the honorary rank of Major on 6 May 1949, Matthews sailed for Singapore on 6 February 1963 in the SS Canton, giving his occupation as Police Superintendent. He died in 1985 and is buried at Holy Trinity Church burial ground, West Runton, Norfolk, where his father, Felix Hackett Matthews (1883-1964) was vicar for 45 years.