Medals from the Collection of the late Eric Smith

A ‘Malayan Service’ B.E.M. group of eight awarded to Warrant Officer Class 2 Raymond Henry John Hewitt, East Anglian Regiment, late Army Air Corps

British Empire Medal, (Military) E.II.R. (22221487 Col. Sgt. Raymond H. J. Hewitt, 1 E. Anglian); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, these unnamed; General Service 1918-62, 3 clasps, S.E. Asia 1945-46, Palestine 1945-48, Malaya (149837 Cpl., A.A.C.); Coronation 1953, unnamed; Army L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue, Regular Army (22221487 W.O. Cl. 2, B.E.M., 1 E. Anglian) mounted as worn, slight contact marks, very fine and better (8) £650-750

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of the late Eric Smith.

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B.E.M. London Gazette 27 December 1960. ‘... in recognition of distinguished service in Malaya for the period 1st January to 31st July 1960’. ‘22221487 Colour Sergeant Raymond Henry John Hewitt, 1st East Anglian Regiment (Royal Norfolk and Suffolk)’.

Recommendation states: ‘The task of an Orderly Room Sergeant in a British Battalion composed largely of National Service soldiers is complicated under any circumstances. When the Battalion is on operations with Companies inaccessible for long periods at a time, it becomes more difficult.

This Battalion has now been operating in Malaya since November 1959 and a slight lowering of the standard of efficiency in the work of the Orderly Room during this time might well have taken place. That this has not happened is due to the efforts of the Orderly Room Sergeant, Colour Sergeant Hewitt. Despite changing Staff, detachment of Companies on operations and, since early May 1960, the location of the Battalion Advance Party at Malacca, Colour Sergeant Hewitt has maintained the efficiency of the Orderly Room at the very high level to which he brought it before the Battalion moved to the Far East.

He has one thought only and that is to give the best possible service to his Battalion and to the men in it. This has involved him working very long hours, including many weekends and during official holidays, and in being on call day and night throughout the whole period, Setting himself and his staff a very high standard of efficiency, behaviour and loyalty, his cheerfulness and his willingness to set aside his own personal convenience in the face of many difficulties and irritations, have been a splendid example to the whole Battalion. The continuing high quality of the work in the Orderly Room bears witness to his outstanding efforts both before and since the arrival of the Battalion in Malaya’.

It is believed that the recipient had wartime service with the Parachute Regiment.