Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

U.S.A., Legion of Merit, Legionnaire’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, unnamed, with full wrap brooch numbered, ‘7655’, in damaged case of issue; Pair: attributed to AOM 1st Class R. R. Batt, U.S. Navy: American Defense Service Medal, 1 clasp, Base; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, this in card box of issue, both with riband bars; Combat Aircrew Badge, with three gold stars, by Gemsco, New York, pin-backed; Original papers relating to Battalion Sergeant-Major T. A. Kunst, U.S. Army - awarded the Silver Star and the British Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery in operations against the Hindenburg Line, 29 September 1918; Certificate of Service, record card and other papers relating to Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas A. Price, U.S. Army Dental Surgeon; Honorable Discharge Certificate (2), to Paul Allan Schmidt, 344 58 116 Private E1 Regular Army, dated 2 June 1978, in green War Office folder; another, to Joseph D. Isaacson, 5297035 Private, in black wallet; unrelated Croix de Guerre citation, papers, generally in good condition, medals good very fine (lot) £120-160

Legion of Merit attributed to Colonel H. E. De Lee, Ordnance Department, U.S. Army - involved in the disastrous ‘Exercise Tiger’, off Slapton Sands, 28 April 1944. Lieutenant-Colonel De Lee of the 71st Ordnance Group was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with gilt star in January 1945. Colonel De Lee (Army Serial No. 0476916), Ordnance Department, U.S. Army, awarded the Legion of Merit, Legionnaire in June 1945, for service in the European theatre of operations during 25 July 1944-15 April 1945.
With official copied papers re the award of the Croix de Guerre; official copied papers re the award of the Legion of Merit; papers re the unit history of the Headquarters, 101st Ordnance Ammunition Battalion in which De Lee is several times mentioned, and a group photograph, taken 23 April 1944, including De Lee.

Medals to Batt sold with nine related photographs; ten various identity cards, passes etc.; three letters from the recipient, dated 1943 and 1946 (2); personal notebook from Aircraft Armourers’ School, dated September 1944 and leather name tag. AOM Roy R. Batt was serving in Torpedo Squadron 4 in 1946.

Papers to Theodore A. Kunst include: document appointing him Battalion Sergeant-Major, Headquarters Company, 107th Infantry, 16 September 1918; British Fourth Army Orders, listing the award of the D.C.M. to Kunst; Fourth Army certificate of award; General H.Q. American Expeditionary Forces letter giving approval for the acceptance and wearing of the British D.C.M.; War Department letter, dated 10 December 1929 re his gallantry and authorising the wearing of a ‘silver star’ on Victory Medal ribbon, with accompanying citation; Silver Star certificate of award, dated 13 February 1930.

Thomas Ashby Price studied Dentistry at the Medical College of Virginia. Commissioned a 1st Lieutenant in January 1926, he attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in April 1943. Entitled to the American Defense, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medals.