Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War 1944 ‘Operation Neptune’ D.S.C. and ‘Operation Infatuate’ Second Award Bar pair awarded to Lieutenant Commander A. H. Ballard, Royal Naval Reserve, late Private, Tank Corps. Twice mentioned in despatches for service with anti-submarine trawlers off the coast of Norway in 1940, Ballard went on to serve as Joint Principal Beach Master during Operation Ironclad - the invasion of Madagascar, before being further decorated for service with Assault Group G2 during D-Day, and commanding a Landing Craft during the assault of the Island of Walcheren, November 1944

Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1944’, with Second Award Bar, reverse officially dated ‘1944’, hallmarks for London 1943, mounted on investiture pin, and in Garrard & Co. Ltd. case of issue; British War Medal 1914-20 (201228 Pte. A. H. Ballard. Tank Corps.) good very fine (2) £800-£1,200

D.S.C. London Gazette 14 November 1944:

‘For gallantry, skill, determination and undaunted devotion to duty during the landing of Allied Forces on the coast of Normandy.’

D.S.C. Second Award Bar London Gazette 19 December 1944:

‘For gallantry, determination and devotion to duty in the assault and capture of the Island of Walcheren.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 26 September 1940 (Norway).

M.I.D. London Gazette 11 October 1940 (Norway).

Alfred Hunter Ballard was born in Shanghai, China in July 1896. He was the son of James A. Ballard, who was employed as general agent representing the Commercial Union Assurance Co and Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S.A. in partnership with Alfred Carroll Hunter. They traded as Ballard & Hunter and James had known Alfred since 1881 and named his son Alfred Hunter Ballard after him.

Ballard was educated at St. Paul’s School, London, and within their archives is held a copy of his account as a crewman of the tank ‘Flying Fox’ as it attempted to cross the canal bridge at Masnieres, during the Battle of Cambrai, 20 November 1917. He is recorded as being wounded, 10 January 1918, before transferring as a Cadet to the Royal Air Force. Ballard’s MIC merely records his entitlement to British War and Victory Medals whilst serving with the Tank Corps, there are no records of him serving in the Royal Air Force. One account also gives him as being mentioned in despatches for the ‘Flying Fox’ incident, but this is unsubstantiated.

Ballard was demobilised from the Tank Corps in March 1919, and completed his training as a Chartered Accountant. He is recorded as being made a Freeman of the City of London in 1925, and as gaining his Royal Aero Club Certificate in 1933. He re-engaged for service during the Second War, as a Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in January 1940. Ballard commanded H.M.S. Le Tiger (anti-submarine trawler), January - April 1940, before being employed with the Gaul (anti-submarine trawler) during operations off the Norwegian coast, for which he was twice mentioned in despatches, and she was eventually sunk by German dive bombers in Kroken Bay near Namsos, Norway, 3 May 1940.

Ballard subsequently commanded H.M.S. Daneman (anti-submarine trawler), June 1940 - July 1941. Whilst in command of the latter, Ballard picked up the survivors from the Norwegian merchant Eastern Star that was torpedoed and sunk about 200 nautical miles south-west of Reykjavik, Iceland by German U-boat U-94, 8 May 1941. The following day, the Daneman picked up 66 survivors from the British merchant Gregalia which was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-201 east-north-east of Cape Farewell.

By early April 1942 Ballard had been transferred to HMS Monck, the Combined Training Headquarters, commissioned at Largs, Ayrshire. Ballard served as Joint Principal Beach Master for operation Ironclad, the invasion of Madagascar, 5 May 1942. His own account of the action gives the following:

‘That assault craft behaved like a fractious mule; in the rougher weather it did almost everything except sit up & beg. Twice it bucked me into the sea, and on the second occasion I was hauled out the worse for a couple of cracked ribs sustained by striking against the hull on falling overboard. However, there was neither time nor opportunity to get treatment until two days later, when a naval surgeon applied a strapping.’

Ballard also served in the Mediterranean as part of Operation Torch, the allied invasion of North Africa. After which he served with Assault Group G2 (under the command of Captain F. Balance, R.N.), as part of Operation Neptune - the Normandy Landings, 6 June 1944 (D.S.C.), and in command LCG (L) 1 during Operation Infatuate - the assault on the Island of Walcheren, 1 - 8 November 1944 (D.S.C. Second Award Bar).

Ballard advanced to Temporary Acting Lieutenant Commander, and commanded the Tank Landing Ship LST 3506, from July 1945. He was invested with both the D.S.C. and Bar at Buckingham Palace, 16 March 1945. Lieutenant Commander Ballard died from pulmonary tuberculosis, exposure and injuries received during the Second War, 9 September 1950.

Sold with photographic images of recipient in uniform.