Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:

Pair: Lance-Corporal W. J. Richards, 9th South African Infantry
British War and Bilingual Victory Medals (L/Cpl. W. J. Richards. 9th S.A.I.) good very fine

Four: Private D. V. Richards, Union Defence Force
1939-45 Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially named ‘577447 D. V. Richards’, good very fine

Rhodesia, General Service Medal (065719H Vdt P. D. Richards) nearly extremely fine (7) £120-£160

William John Richards was born at Bendigo, Vicoria, Australia in 1885 and attested for the South African Forces at Potchefstroom on 4 December 1915, declaring previous military service with the 8th Australian Infantry and the Australian Field Artillery. He served with the 9th South African Infantry during the Great War in East Africa, and was discharged medically unfit on 8 May 1916.

Douglas Vivian Richards, the son of the above, was born in Johannesburg on 1 June 1922 and attested for the Union Defence Force on 5 August 1942, declaring previous military service with the 1st Battalion Transvaal Scottish. He served during the Second World War as an aircraft handler with the South African Air Force, and was then with the 52nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, before serving in Italy with the combined S.A.A.F. / Natal Mounted Rifles Regiment.

P. D. Richards, the son of D. V. Richards, and the grandson of W. J. Richards, served with the Rhodesian Forces.

Sold with copied service papers for the first two recipients.