Auction Catalogue

5 April 2006

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 1132

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5 April 2006

Hammer Price:
£230

Four: Private H. Byers, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry

Canadian Volunteer Service Medal; War Medal 1939-45, Canadian issue in silver; Korea 1950-53, Canadian issue, silver (SG-3962); U.N. Korea (SG-3962), mounted as worn, extremely fine (4) £150-200

Henry George Byers was born in St. John, New Brunswick on 25 August 1925. Employed as a labourer, he enlisted into the R.C.I.C. at Fredericton, N.B. in 1943. Posted to 70 CABTC for basic training, he was then sent to North Bay, Ontario for 4 months guard duty. He was discharged in July 1944 for being underage at the time of enlistment. In 1948-49 he enrolled into the 3 HAA (RF) and re-enrolled in 1950. Byers enlisted into the Canadian Army with the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry at Fredricton in January 1952. Serving with them he entered Korea on 20 July 1952.

He was accidentally wounded on 28 April 1953, receiving lacerations to the left side of his face as a result of a bullet ricochet and was admitted to 60 Field Ambulance and thence 43 MASH. In his sworn statement concerning the incident, he states: ‘... on 28 April, while on the Ochon Feature one evening during stand-to while I was looking out the fire bay [name blocked out] who is a KATCOM, asked me to pass him his rifle. I handed him his rifle which he immediately held in the port arms position. He then asked me if he was correct which I said he was. I then told him not to continue. I then turned to look out again and he asked me if this was examine arms. I turned and found him adopting the correct position but the muzzle was very close to my head so I told him to put the rifle down. As he was putting it down it went off and the ricochet hit me in the head’. The board of enquiry found that the shooting was not intentional, though the ‘KATCOM’ soldier was found to be negligent. He returned to the PPCLI on 9 May - the unit taking part in the battle of ‘the Hook’ later that month.

Byers embarked from Korea to Canada on 22 December 1953. He was released from service on 11 November 1954 for ‘unsatisfactory conduct’ due to several instances of being AWOL. Henry George Byers died on 18 December 1972. Sold with a complete copied set of service papers, paper cuttings etc, approx. 280 sheets!