Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:
Four: Private A. S. Mace, East Surrey Regiment, who was killed in action in Malaya, 5 February 1942
1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. S. C. Mace, 18 Caversham Avenue, Palmers Green, London, N13.’, extremely fine

One: Mr. S. C. Mace, Home Guard
Defence Medal, with Home Secretary’s enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. S. C. Mace, 18 Caversham Avenue, Palmers Green, London, N13.’, extremely fine (5) £100-140

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties.

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Albert Sydney Mace served during the Second World War as a Private in the 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment in Malaya. When War was declared in 1939 the Battalion was recalled from China and sent to Singapore for combat training. Six months later they were sent north to Tanjon Pau near Jitra in the extreme north of Malaya where they joined the 11th Indian Division. On 7 December 1941 the Japanese landed a strong force of troops from Thailand and quickly swept down the main road towards Jitra. They quickly broke through the original defensive positions, and new positions were set up three miles north of Gurun, where the East Surreys were given a frontage of 15,000 yards to hold. When the attack came the situation rapidly deteriorated and the Regiment was shattered into casualties and small groups of survivors. After four hard days of fighting they were reduced to 10 officers and 260 other ranks. On 20 December those survivors were merged with the Leicesters to form a British Battalion of 760 all ranks, and from 23 December they held positions at Kampar. By 2 January 1943 the Battalion, under immense pressure, began a retreat which lasted twelve days during which time they fought a series of small scale actions. By 27 January the situation in Malaya had deteriorated further and the remains of the battered Battalion were ordered to withdraw, with the survivors eventually reaching Singapore on 29 January. Here they fought on until the Fall of Singapore. In all 169 other ranks of the East Surrey’s were killed in action during this period.

Mace was amongst those killed, aged 21. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial. His medals were sent to his father Sydney Charles Mace, who himself served during the Second World War in the Home Guard.

Note: Although Mace’s death is recorded at 5 February 1942 this is the date that the Regimental record was written off; his actual date of death being sometime during the Battalion’s rearguard action in Malaya prior to the Battalion’s arrival in Singapore on 29 January 1942.