Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Private A. St. J. Burnett, South African Police Battalion, 6th South African Infantry Brigade, who was captured and taken Prisoner of War at Tobruk on 21 June 1942

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially named ‘SAP195994 A. St. J. Burnett’; South Africa Police Good Service Medal, 3rd type (No. 10615 (M) Constable. A. St. J. Burnett.) engraved in large capitals, mounted as worn, very fine (5) £100-£140

A. St. J. Burnett served with either the 1st or 2nd South African Police Battalion during the Second World War. Both South African Police Battalions were part of the 6th South African Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (South Africa). The division was formed on 23 October 1940 with its HQ at Voortrekkerhoogte, South Africa and it served in the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War.

On 21 June 1942, 35,000 Allied troops (including the South African 2nd Division) surrendered to General Enea Navarrini at the fall of Tobruk, with the number of South African prisoners taken at Tobruk recorded as 10772. ‘The burden of blame’ for the loss of Tobruk in 1942, Churchill wrote in volume 4 of his memoirs, The Hinge of Fate, ‘falls upon the [British] High Command rather than on [the fortress commander South African] General [Hendrik] Klopper and still less on his troops.’

Burnett was held initially as a prisoner of war on Sardinia (Camp 110) and was later transferred to Stalag 9C (Muhlhausen), Germany. After the war he resumed his career as a Constable in the South Africa Police, completing over 18 years exemplary service.