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

Five: Captain H. A. Simmonds, Essex Regiment

1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Palestine 1945-48, Malaya (Lt., Essex); Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Territorial (Lt., Essex), nearly extremely fine and better (lot)
£300-350

Cadet Henry Albert Simmonds received a Regular Army Emergency Commission in the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 4 October 1941. Promoted a War Substantive Lieutenant in the Essex Regiment on 1 October 1942, he gained the rank of Temporary Captain on 9 July 1945. As a Lieutenant he was Temporary Officer Commanding “C” Company, 1st Battalion Essex Regiment in India, January 1947. Captain Simmonds, Essex Regiment was seconded to the University Training Corps in November 1947, being appointed Adjutant and Quarter Master of Nottingham University Training Corps in July 1950. He received his Efficiency Medal in 1952. He was later seconded to the Gurkha Regiment. Research from the Gurkha Museum reads, ‘A Short Service Commission officer who was seconded from the Essex Regiment to the 2nd Goorkhas and served with the 1st Battalion in Malaya until invalided home. It is believed that he was later killed in action in Malaya about 1956 whilst seconded to the King’s African Rifles’.

Sold with the recipient’s mounted group of five miniature dress medals; three cloth badges; several photographs of the recipient in uniform; several postcards home to his wife in Lorne, Northern Ireland; an original Casualty Return form re. his posting to the 1/2nd Gurkha Rifles, January 1949; together with copied research.