The Robert Barltrop Collection of Medals to the Manchester Regiment

Three: Sergeant J. Prince, Manchester Regiment, later Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps

General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (89981 Pte. J. Prince. Manch. R.); 1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45 mounted court-style for display, minor edge bruising to first, otherwise very fine and better (3) £100-£140

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Robert Barltrop Collection of Medals to the Manchester Regiment.

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John Vincent Prince was born on 28 September 1900 in Crumpsall, Salford, Lancashire, and enlisted into the Regular Army at Shoreham on Sea on 31 January 1919. He was posted to 2nd Battalion the Manchester Regiment with service number 89981, but was later re-numbered 3514031. His battalion sailed for Mesopotamia (Iraq) on H.M.T. Macedonia on 13 February 1920 and reached Baghdad in April, being stationed at Tekrit. It is likely that he served with his regiment in the so called ‘Manchester Column’ at the disastrous ambush and Battle of Hillah on 24 July. He was discharged from the army in February 1923, his ‘services no longer required’.

Prince re-enlisted following the outbreak of the Second World War on 26 October 1939 and was posted to 18th Labour Company Royal Army Ordnance Corps at their Cardiff Depot. Now a Sergeant, he was posted to the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps and served in France with the B.E.F., landing there to join 39th Labour Company. His company formed part of the improvised brigade formed by Lieutenant Colonel J. B. H. Diggle, known as ‘Digforce’ part of the Beauman Division fighting in the defence of the Andelle and Bethune rivers on 8 June 1940 against the 5th and 7th Panzer Divisions. His unit was evacuated as part of ‘Operation Ariel’, and was embarked in H.M.T. Lancastria when it was sunk off St. Nazaire on 17 June 1940; it is possible, but unconfirmed, that Prince was on board the Lancastria when it was sunk, and it is recorded in his service papers that he returned to the U.K. a few days later. In September of the same year he was tried by Field General Court Martial for ‘Desertion and absence without leave’, and being found guilty of the latter charge was reduced to Private. He was again charged with being a deserter in June 1941, and was again found guilty of being Absent Without Leave and of ‘losing his clothing and necessaries’. He was discharged in 1942 and was described as ‘permanently unfit for any form of military service’. He died on 19 May 1962 at Salford.

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