Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War North Africa operations D.S.O. group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel R. J. B. Snook, Royal Artillery, who was decorated for his gallantry as C.O. of 7th Medium Regiment R.A. at Bardia and Tobruk in January 1941 - subsequently wounded and taken P.O.W. in Crete, he ended the War at Colditz and added a second “mention” to his accolades on being repatriated

Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., 1st issue, silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse of the suspension bar officially dated ‘1941’; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Iraq, Palestine (2 Lieut. R. J. B. Snook); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf, the second nearly very fine, the remainder good very fine (5) £2500-3000

D.S.O. London Gazette 8 July 1941:

‘In recognition of distinguished services in the Middle East during the period December 1940 to February 1941.’

The original recommendation states:

‘Both at Bardia on 3 January and at Tobruk on 22 January 1941, Major Snook was commanding the 7th Medium Regiment, R.A., In both battles it was essential for the 6-inch howitzers to move forward from their bombardment positions as soon as it was known that the defences had been penetrated and on each occasion Major Snook led a small reconnaissance party behind the attack to select a new O.P. and gun areas. In both cases, despite heavy shelling and M.G. fire, excellent positions were selected and successfully occupied. During the whole campaign Major Snook has shown outstanding devotion to duty and courage. His complete disregard of personal safety and apparent immunity from fatigue was a high example to all ranks.’

Robert James Bracher Snooks, who was born in July 1899, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in January 1919 and received his first appointment overseas in June 1920, when he served briefly as a Cypher Officer in Iraq (Medal & clasp). Advanced to Lieutenant in the following year, and to Captain in January 1932, he served as an Adjutant, T.A. for several years before seeing further active service in Palestine in the late 1930s (clasp).

A Major serving in 7th Medium Regiment, R.A., in Egypt on the outbreak of hostilities, he quickly saw action in Operation “Compass”, Major-General O’Connor’s offensive in the Western Desert, which commenced in early December 1940. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 1 April 1941, refers), and, as cited above, awarded the D.S.O.

7th Medium Regiment, with Snook in command, next saw action in Greece, prior to being sent to Crete, and it was in the latter theatre of war that he was wounded and taken P.O.W. Of events on 20 May 1941, the unit history states:

‘The enemy increased the tempo of his air attacks on the island as the day for the invasion drew near, culminating in a two-hour non-stop raid on the Heraklion area on the afternoon of the 20th May. Immediately following this the first waves of parachute troops arrived. From 17.00 hours onwards squadrons of Junker 52 aircraft to a total of about two hundred planes flew in to drop their loads of troops and supplies right on top of the defender's positions.

As soon as the parachutists began descending, they were greeted with intense fire from everything that could shoot and they suffered terrible casualties before they even reached the ground. Several troop-carriers were shot down in or near the Regimental positions and one of these claimed was by the Lewis gun; in all fifteen of these planes fell to the defender's fire. After the first wave of the attackers had landed Major Snook and the Adjutant, Captain J. A. Jourdier, went round the posts and found everyone in good heart. While they were returning to R.H.Q. a second wave arrived and they only reached the school in which R.H.Q. was situated after a few very hectic and dangerous minutes.

More waves of troop-carriers flew in and their cargoes were speedily dealt with. At one time a German tommy-gunner was seen from the roof of the school building crawling towards one of the section posts, unobserved by the section, and he was only dealt with after the C.O. [Snook] had hurriedly obtained a rifle from the R.S.M. As a result of this excitement, R.H.Q. left one side of their roof temporarily unguarded and a German, who managed to get up close, lobbed a grenade on to the roof where it landed and exploded at the C.O's feet, seriously wounding him in the legs, and causing his evacuation to the hospital at Knossos ... Major Snook had to be left behind, to the sorrow of the Regiment, as his wounds were too bad to allow him to be moved.’

Of his subsequent experiences and adventures as a P.O.W. little is known, although his arrival at Colditz in April 1944 suggests he had been active in escape work (Colditz, Major P.R. Reid, M.B.E., M.C., refers). He was mentioned in despatches on his return home (London Gazette 6 June 1946), and was placed on the Retired List as a Lieutenant-Colonel in January 1949.