Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Sergeant G. T. Simpson, South African Engineer Corps
1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ‘85420 G. T. Simpson’, reverses with traces of old adhesive, good very fine

Five Corporal N. G. Botha, South African Engineer Corps
1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal; Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ‘229033 N. G. Botha’, good very fine

Four: Corporal S. M. Venter, South African Engineer Corps
1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ‘215120 S. M. Venter’, good very fine (14) £120-£160

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Lieutenant-Colonel Edward De Santis.

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Geoffrey Thourborne Simpson was born in Penzance, Cornwall on 8 July 1904 but later emigrated to South Africa, where he was employed by the Randfontein Estates Gold Mine on enlisting in the South African Engineer Corps (S.A.E.C.) in April 1940. Embarked for Kenya in 12 Field Company, S.A.E.C., in November 1940, he participated in the invasion of Italian Somaliland in early 1941, including the action at Mega. But he was laid low by malaria and invalided back home. His service record reveals ongoing bouts of the illness but by November 1944, he was deemed fit enough to serve overseas, joining 93 Engineer Base Workshop in Bari, Italy as a Sergeant. He was finally discharged in October 1945.

Nicolas Gerhardus Botha joined the South African Engineer Corps (S.A.E.C.) in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 1942. Posted as a Sapper to 11 Field Company, S.A.E.C., he was embarked for North Africa in May 1943, where he witnessed active service in Egypt and Libya. He saw further action in Italy as a Corporal in 22 Corps Field Park Company, S.A.E.C., in which he remained employed until being repatriated in November 1945.

Stephanus Martinus Venter was born in Brummersdorp, South Africa on 15 September 1899 and was employed as a leading shunter for a railway company on enlisting in the South African Engineer Corps (S.A.E.C.) in May 1941, aged 41. Embarked for Egypt in 1st Composite Railway Construction Company, S.A.E.C., in June 1941, he was hospitalised with nervous dyspepsia in early 1942 and invalided home. He was subsequently discharged as a Corporal in Pretoria April 1942.