India General Service Medal 1936-39. With clasp 'North West Frontier 1937-39' (5826606 Pte. R. Pearce. Suff. R.)

Naming: The medal is officially renamed - and exactly as issued by the Royal Mint

Sold together with a white card medal box of issue with King's Crown logo on box lid. The lid with inscriptions on obverse, and inked number '222'

Arnhem Casualty: The recipient's Extant POW Liberation Questionnaire confirms that he was 'Wounded-in-Action' at Arnhem

Important: Confirmed captured at Arnhem (Operation Market Garden) while serving with 156th Battalion Parachute Regiment (late 151st Parachute Battalion) date of capture was 25 September 1944

Medal & clasp verification: The medal and clasp confirmed as entitled & issued per the respective campaign medal roll of 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment viz:

- IGS 1936 Medal with clasp: Reference WO 100/500 , compiled & signed at, Rawalpindi Cantonment, Punjab, India (now in Pakistan) on, 3 November 1941, wherein the recipient is shown as No 5826608 (sic)

The recipients correct army number was 5826606 (from the regimental block allocated to the Suffolk Regiment in 1920). The error number almost certainly being the reason behind the medal being issued as 'officially renamed'. The medal roll annotated with remark 'Trans A.A.C. 1941', reflecting the recipients transfer to the Army Air Corps in India in 1941

In addition to the IGS Medal, Reginald was also entitled to the below following un-named campaign medals for the Second World War:

- The 1939-45 Star. No clasp (for at least 6 x months operational service)
- The Africa Star. No clasp (recipients POW Liberation Questionnaire refers)
- The Italy Star
- The France and Germany Star
- Defence Medal (for at least 1 year non-operational service in India)
- War Medal

The recipient Private Reginald Pearce, was a native of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England, where he was born on, 4 September 1917. Reginal enlisted in the British Army on, 6 January 1936, on which date he was posted to the Suffolk Regiment. Prior to enlisting he had been employed as a 'Moulder'

156th Battalion Parachute Regiment: The battalion was formed in 1941 from amongst British Army units then based in British India - those who joined all being volunteers. Originally styled as 151st Parachute Battalion, they were assigned to the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade. Subsequently the battalion was renumbered the 156th Parachute Battalion and was shipped to the Middle East to join the 4th Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division. The battalion deployed and fought briefly in the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943 and a year later was fighting in the Battle of Arnhem, part of Operation Market Garden, where heavy casualties incurred, including Private Pearce being 'wounded-in-action' resulted in the disbanding of the battalion,

A rare opportunity to buy an officially renamed campaign medal to a confirmed veteran of the epic Battle of Arnhem - 'A Bridge Too Far'

Condition: GVF

Code: 23778