WWI & WWII group. Warrant Officer/Squadron Quarter Master Sergeant. Harry Ernest Burden Royal Army Service Corps. Middle Eastern POW. Died 1944. Twice MID Palestine. Shoreham, Sussex

A rather poignant group to a regular who served with distinction and  in 3 campaigns.

All mounted on replacement ribbons for display .

Ww1 British War Medal and Victory correctly named to s4-094357 pte h e burden asc .

Pre war Palestine clasp general service medal  with mid oakleaf ( this being an unnamed unofficial replacement / copy  medal  his original must have been lost from the group at some point ) .

1939 star / Africa star/ defence and war medals all unnamed as issued.

George v crowned head regular army bar long service good conduct medal correctly named to .

S7636 s sjt h e burden rasc .

Harry Ernest Burden was born 15th December 1886 at New Shoreham in Sussex.

A baker by occupation in 1911 he was living with his uncle at 45 Warley Rd in Brighton.

In 1916 aged 29 he joined the army service corp being awarded the bwm and victory .

His long service good conduct medal awarded in 1934 .

In 1936 he went to Palestine as part of the troops sent to deal with the Arab rising and due to distinguished Service rendered he was twice mentioned in dispatches.

Already in the middle East Harry stayed there at the beginning of ww2 and on 29th September he was listed as a prisoner of war .

Harry being sent to a German pow camp .

He ended up in stalag xviiid at marburg in the German state of Hesse.

He camp was notorious for overcrowding and infestations of fleas and insects , with no adequate drainage they constantly battled with typhus.

Harry now in his mid 50s sadly suffered and his health declined by late 43 being unwell enough to wattage his repatriation on compassionate grounds .

On return to Britain he took up lodgings above a tobacconists at 88 landor Rd,  London sw9 .

Unfortunately his health continued to decline and on 3rd April 1944 he died of a heart attack at the Queen alexandra military hospital at Shenley in Hertfordshire.

He was buried at Brookwood military cemetery and his estate valued at £1837 9s 0d was disposed of by captain Charles guy pantin.

A very nice group sadly the original general service medal is missing but may be out there somewhere for a reunite .

 

Comes with photocopy research of mids mic etc .