Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Corporal C. W. Rosenhahn, Umvoti Mounted Rifles, Union Defence Force, who escaped Axis incarceration in Italy, successfully making his way through the Alps to Switzerland in 1943
1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ‘1796 C. W. Rosenhahn’, good very fine

1939-45 Star; Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-45 (2); Africa Service Medal (176601 H. T. Kitching); India Service Medal; New Zealand War Service Medal; Australia Service Medal (QX11017 D. A. Cumming) good very fine (12) £120-£160

Carl William Rosenhahn was born in Richard’s Bay, Zululand, on 6 July 1910, the son of Frederick Carl Maree Rosenhahn. He joined the Umvoti Mounted Rifles and was captured in North Africa on 21 June 1942, likely when nearly the whole Regiment was taken Prisoner of War by Rommel’s Afrika Korps at the Fall of Tobruk. Transferred to Italy, Rosenhahn successfully escaped to neutral Switzerland in September 1943, where he was interviewed by the Allied authorities.

Returning home to South Africa, Rosenhahn married Iris May Osborn on 5 June 1948 at Empangeni, Kwazulu-Natal. He likely returned to pre-war employment as a fitter ands turner and died at Hibberdene on 12 September 1996.

Sold with original Swiss identity card for Military escapers; U.D.F. escaper identity card, dated 30 October 1944; U.D.F. medal entitlement slip and O.H.M.S. envelope of transmittal for medals, this addressed to ‘C. W. Rosenhahn, P.O. Felixton, Zululand.’