Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Private G. W. Thurstance, Manchester Regiment, who was captured and taken Prisoner of War at La Bassée in 1940, and received a scarce confirmed ‘Prisoner of War’ award of the France and Germany Star

General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Palestine, Malaya (3525495 Pte. G. H. [sic] Thurstance. Manch R.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Army L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Regular Army (3525495 Pte. G. W. Thurstance. Manch.) minor edge bruising, good very fine (5) £300-£400

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

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George William Thurstance was born on 16 January 1914 at Red Bank, Manchester. He attested for service on 11 February 1932, being posted to 1st Battalion, the Manchester Regiment as a Private. He served in the West Indies and then in the Middle East. In November 1937 his battalion was ordered to Palestine to assist in quelling the Arab Revolt. In February 1939, Private Thurstance was transferred to the Army Reserve, time expired; however, he re-enlisted into the 2nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, on 27 June 1939, and was then voluntarily transferred to 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment, with which he embarked on the S.S. Biarritz, to land in France to join the B.E.F.

Private Thurstance failed to make it back to the evacuation beaches at Dunkirk and was initially reported as missing, but was later confirmed as a Prisoner of War having been taken at La Bassée in the retreat to Dunkirk and was interned in the notorious Stalag XXA, at Torun, Poland. He was only reported as being safe in allied hands on 17 May 1945. He remained in the army after the War and later served in the Malayan Emergency. He was finally discharged from the army on 21 April 1945.

Note: An article appeared in the Orders and Medals Research Society Journal (September 2017) written by Bob Barltrop, titled ‘Special Awards of the France and Germany Star to Dunkirk P.O.W.s’, in which this medal group featured (albeit lacking the France and Germany Star, ‘which had been erroneously removed by a previous owner’). The research in the article confirms that the France and Germany Star could only be awarded to P.O.W.s taken at Dunkirk, if operational service was performed after escape or release and prior to repatriation, such as fighting with the local resistance or partisans, and could only be awarded if a senior officer confirmed this on Army Form A.F.B2070, to which reference is made in Private Thurstance’s service papers, which confirms the award of the France and Germany Star.

Sold with extensive copied research including service papers confirming his medal entitlement and a copied photographic image of the recipient.