A Union of South Africa Second World War 'East & North Africa' campaign medal group of 4: Private Arthur Henry Elford, Cape Town Highlanders

- The 1939-45 Star (14961 A. H. Elford)
- The Africa Star (14961 A. H. Elford)
- War Medal (14961 A. H. Elford)
- Union of South Africa: Africa Service Medal (14961 A. H. Elford)

Important: The recipients unique service number was in the regimental block 14651-15050 allocated to the Cape Town Highlanders

Arthur Henry Elford, son of Arthur William Elford (a Compositor & former member of the Imperial Yeomanry during the South African War) and Elsie Elford, was a native of Cape Town, South Africa, where he was born in 1906. Baptized in London, England, on 1906, he returned to South Africa in 1922, prior to which he had been employed as a teenager 'Compositor' who had been residing with his sibling brother, George Union Elford (b. South Africa 1911, and named 'Union' in commemoration of the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910) at, his maternal Scottish family, at 8 Holland Place, Aberdeen, Scotland. Prior to embarking for service in 'North Africa' Arthur married Gertrude Knight at Cape Town, on January 1941. Arthur Henry Elford is recorded as having died at Cape Town, South Africa, on 3 October 1984, and he was succeeded by his wife, who died in Cape Town, on, 10 June 1990

Cape Town Highlanders: At the outbreak of World War II in 1939 the regiment was mobilised, and in mid-1941, the regiment was briefly sent to Egypt to escort thousands of Italian prisoners of war to internment camps in South Africa. The Cape Town Highlanders returned to Egypt in late June of the same year to join the newly arrived 1st South African Infantry Division in the Western Desert. The Cape Town Highlanders fought in all of the major battles of the Western Desert campaign, including the Battle of El Alamein. The Cape Town Highlanders is one of only three in the world (all South African) to have not only the usual two Alamein battle honours – "Alamein Defence" and "El Alamein" – but a third, "Alamein Box", which resulted from a separate action during the initial defence.This action played a significant role in halting Rommel's advance on the tired and depleted British Eighth Army. The Cape Town Highlanders returned to South Africa in January 1943. After a period of recuperation and replenishment, the regiment embarked for Egypt in October 1943, where they amalgamated with South Africa's senior Scottish unit, the First City Regiment, to form the 'First City/Cape Town Highlanders'. This combined unit embarked for Italy in April 1944, where they disembarked at Taranto, on, 21 April. The joint regiment then fought with distinction from Battle of Monte Cassino to the Alps, culminating in the heroic capture at bayonet-point of the strategic peak of Monte Sole as part of the South African 6th Armoured Division

The Cape Town Highlanders was an overseas affiliate regiment of the Gordon Highlanders of the British Army, and similarly wore 'Gordon' tartan kilts

Condition: GVF

Code: 21757