Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part III)

Four: Private R. D. Bowen, 1st Transvaal Scottish Regiment

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War and Africa Service Medals , all officially named (26857 R. D. Bowen) very fine (lot) £200-250

Duncan Bowen was born on 29 April 1920.

He joined the Transvaal Scottish on 1 July 1939, aged 19 years. He served with them in East Africa and Abyssinia and was killed in action on 24 November 1941 at the Battle of Sidi Rezegh whilst on detached duty. He was a member of the ack-ack section of the 1st Transvaal Scottish.

Sold with cedar wood backed bronze South African next-of-kin plaque with plate below reading, ‘Killed in Action-World War 1939-1945, 26857 Pte. R. D. Bowen, 1 T.S., Gesneuwel-Wereldoorlog’; Next-of-Kin brooch, numbered ‘898’, pin-backed, as worn by the bereaved mother, with an accompanying slip from Field Marshal Smuts; Buckingham Palce condolence slip; three original photographs of Bowen; a letter written by Mrs Bowen to her son, with envelope - this returned to her as he was already dead; a pair of Transvaal Scottish shoulder titles and collar badges; riband bar; his watch taken from his body inscribed, ‘To Duncan from Dorothy, 29.4.41’; pocket dictionary inscribed to ‘Duncan Bowen’ and 11 pages of copied research.