The Richard Schweder Collection of Medals for Campaigns in Malaysia

A Post War M.B.E. group of six awarded to Major Sir Richard Hill, Royal Fusiliers, later King’s Own Scottish Borderers and Yorkshire Volunteers

The Most Excellent Order of The British Empire, M.B.E., Military, type 2; Defence and War Medals; Korea 1950-53 (Capt. R. G. R. Hill, R.F.); U.N. Korea; General Service 1918-62, E.II.R., 1 clasp, Malaya (Capt. R. G. R. Hill, K.O.S.B.) mounted court style as worn, good very fine (6) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Richard Schweder Collection of Medals for Campaigns in Malaysia.

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M.B.E. London Gazette 15 June 1974 (Major, The Yorkshire Volunteers, now R.A.R.O.). Sold with copy of lengthy original recommendation for service as an Administrative Officer.

The following obituary is extracted from the K.O.S.B. Chronicle: ‘Major Sir Richard Hill died at the Princess Louise Scottish Hospital on 9 March 1992. Dick was commissioned into the Indian Army in August 1945 before transferring to the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). In January 1952 he wangled a posting from an administrative job in Kure, Japan, to 1 KOSB in Korea. Alastair Thorburn writes: “When I took over command of ‘A’ Company in February Dick was Second-in-Command, I soon realised that he was an outstanding leader and was quite unflappable in a crisis.

In March he persuaded me to let him take over a Platoon. He quickly confirmed the high opinion I had formed of him. I well remember an incident during a lively night on 5th April when the Company was attacked by a Chinese Battalion. At the height of the battle I spoke urgently to Dick on the radio asking him for a sitrep. His reply: ‘Oh my dear, the noise and the people’ calmed me down and I knew all would be well.”

On return from Korea he transferred to the Regiment and was posted to the Depot as Company Commander of Training Company, then as Depot Training Officer until 1955. He returned to the 1st Battalion in Malaya to command ‘B’ Company until 1956 when he became the Chief Instructor at the FARELF Training Centre at Kota Tinggi. By 1959 he was back at the Depot as Company Commander of Training Company. He was promoted to Major in 1959 and was posted to the 5th (Dumfries and Galloway) Battalion as Training Major, before returning to command 1 KOSB in Aden. This was to be his last posting as he retired in April 1963. He was made an MBE in 1974 for his service as Adjutant of the 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Volunteers (AVR) at Huddersfield.’