Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: attributed to Major R. S. T. Sandberg, Royal Army Dental Corps, who committed suicide, 11 June 1948

Defence and War Medals; Efficiency Decoration, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial, reverse officially dated ‘1946’, all unnamed, extremely fine (3) £80-100

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Awards to the Medical Services from the Collection of the late Tony Sabell.

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Reginald Samuel Thomas Sandberg served six years in the school cadet force and attained the rank of C.Q.M.S. Later served in the London University O.T.C. Gained qualification as a Dental Surgeon (L.D.S., R.C.S.) 1927. Commissioned a Lieutenant in the Territorial Army on 1 July 1931. Posted to the 8th London Hygiene Company, R.A.M.C. (T.A.) in July 1931 and promoted to Captain in May 1934. Embodied at the outbreak of the Second World War, he was 2i/c of the 8th London Hygiene Company R.A.M.C. (T.A.). Posted to the Army School of Hygiene, Aldershot as a Specialist in Sanitation, 6 September 1939, he transferred to the Army Dental Corps in October 1939 with the rank of Captain. From November 1939 he was 1i/c of the Dental Centre, Martinique House, Bordon. Major Sandberg died in Northwood on 11 June 1948, having committed suicide by inhaling nitrous oxide gas. The coroner’s findings were that he had ‘killed himself not being of sound mind’.

With medal forwarding box addressed to ‘Mrs M. Sandberg, Brambledown, 20, Batchworth Lane, Northwood, Middlesex’; condolence slip named to ‘Major R. S. T. Sandberg’; with the recipient’s commission document appointing him a Lieutenant in the T.A., dated 1 July 1931; together with copied research. The medals, condolence slip and card box all set in a 25.5 x 25.5cm. glazed wooded frame.