Seven: Warrant Officer Class II L. W. Spalding, Queen’s Own Buffs, Royal Kent Regiment, late Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment and Military Provost Staff Corps

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45; Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (22549499 Cpl. L-W. Spalding. M.P.S.C.); U.N. Korea 1950-54; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Near East, Cyprus (22549499 Sgt. L. W. Spalding. R.W.K.) with official corrections; General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Borneo (22549499 W.O.Cl.2. L. W. Spalding. Queens Own Buffs) unit partially officially corrected on last, mounted as originally worn, very fine and scarce to unit (7) £500-£700

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Small Collection of Medals to the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment.

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Philip Burman Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, May 2018.

The Military Provost Staff Corps, formed in 1901, is one of the smallest Corps in the British Army. Its task is to provide the guards for military prisons. During the Korean War two prisons were established, one in Kure, Japan and one in Pusan. The latter was a joint Commonwealth unit run by Canadian, Australian and British Provost and known as the Canadian Provost Prison Unit. The aim of the prison was to “Turn bad soldiers into good soldiers” and in Korea was universally recognised as imposing a very harsh regime. In 1950 prisoners were required to dig their own prison cells 10ft x 10ft x 8 ft deep, which were covered by barbed wire. (Details of life in this unit are given in the book “Chinese Hordes and Human Waves” page 59, by B. A. H. Parritt).

Before being accepted into the Corps Spalding would have already been qualified to be a sergeant, been interviewed by two Boards, including one by a Brigadier, and would have to attend a 13 week Induction Course.

Korea Medals to the MPSC are very rare as only 15 members qualified.