Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part II)

Six: Warrant Officer Class 2 Alfred England, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, late R.A.C. and Reconnaissance Corps

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; Army L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue, Regular Army, with Second Award Bar, naming erased; Army Meritorious Service Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (LS/22782455 W.O. Cl. 2, D.W.R.), good very fine or better, together with Dunkirk 1940 commemorative award (7) £200-250

Alfred England originally enlisted in the Royal Artillery at Halifax in February 1929 but, having promptly been discharged on medical grounds, re-enlisted in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment two months later. Posted to the 1st Battalion, he was advanced to Corporal in November 1932 and to Lance-Sergeant in January 1937, and, in July 1939, to Sergeant in the 6th Battalion.

Posted to the Infantry Training Centre at Halifax in the rank of Company Sergeant-Major soon after the outbreak of hostilities, England transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps (R.A.C.) in July 1942, when he was posted to 114 Regiment, and, in September of the same year, as a Regimental Sergeant-Major, to 57 Training Unit R.A.C. Then between January 1944 and September 1945, he served in the Reconnaissance Corps, witnessing active service in the North West Europe operations.

Immediately after the War, England was posted to East Africa, where, between 1945-49, he was onetime attached to the 5th and 6th Battalions of the King’s African Rifles, among other units. Discharged to the Reserve in April 1952, he re-enlisted into the R.A.C. (Regular Army) in August of the same year, when he was appointed a Warrant Officer Class 2 and Army Recruiter at the Record Office, Enfield, in which capacity he served until his final discharge in October 1965, one year after having been awarded his M.S.M. He died at Bradford in July 1973.

Sold with several original photographs and a quantity of correspondence appertaining to his career, in addition to an Army Rugby Union prize medal, silver (named and dated 1932-33), in fitted case; Command Rugby Football Competition prize medals (2), bronze (both named and dated 1932-33 and 1938-39 respectively), in fitted cases; and his Duke of Wellington’s Rugby Football cap, marron velvet, with embroidered Arms, motto and date ‘1932-33’.