Orders, Decorations and Medals

A civil M.B.E. group of four awarded to Serjeant J. Bonner, Royal Irish Fusiliers

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (6974800 Sjt., R. Ir. Fus) official correction to one letter of surname; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1953, these unnamed, mounted as worn, some contact marks, generally very fine (4) £220-260

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Royal Irish Fusiliers.

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James Bonner joined the Royal Irish Fusiliers at Omagh in 1924. He served with the regiment in Egypt, India, the Sudan, Palestine and Malta. When the 2nd Battalion was reformed in 1937, he joined it as Orderly Room Serjeant. He received a medical discharge in 1939. During the war years he was employed as a Civilian Clerk at the regimental depot at Ballykinlar and in 1948 he accompanied the depot when it moved to Gough Barracks, remaining there until the barracks closed down in 1960. He then became a Clerical Officer at Regional Headquarters until his death on 31 December 1968. In 1949 he became the Hon. Secretary of the Central Branch of the Regimental Benevolent Fund

He was awarded the M.B.E. in 1964 in recognition of his outstanding work on behalf of retired members of the Regiment who required help from the Regimental Association. He was presented with the M.B.E. by the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace on 18 February 1964. With copied research.