The Bernard Harris Collection of Medals to the 1st Regiment, South African Infantry

Seven: Sergeant J. S. Heydenrych, South African Air Force, late South African Artillery and 1st Regiment, South African Infantry, who was twice wounded in action during the Great War

1914-15 Star (Pte. J. S. Heydenrych 6th Infantry.); British War and Bilingual Victory Medals (Pte. J. S. Heydenrych. 1st. S.A.I.); Italy Star (10495 J. S. Heydenrych.) unofficially renamed; War Medal 1939-45 (10495 J. S. Heydenrych); Africa Service Medal (10495 J. S. Heydenrych); Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st (bilingual) issue, Union of South Africa (Sgt. J. S. Heydenrych S.A.A.F.) glue residue to reverse of all, good fine and better (7) £160-£200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bernard Harris Collection of Medals to the 1st Regiment, South African Infantry.

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John Sydney Heydenrych, a mechanic by trade, was born in Cape Town on 20 August 1897, the son of Mrs K. Heydenrych of Cradock, South Africa. He attested for the South African infantry at Potchefstroom on 10 December 1915 and served in France from 13 July 1916 to 25 December 1917. Transferred to England for training and medical attention to his feet, he returned to the Western Front on 1 April 1918 and suffered a severe gunshot wound to the right thigh and throat eleven days later. Evacuated to No. 11 Stationary Hospital at Rouen, he spent 5 months in recovery before returning to the trenches and receiving a shrapnel wound to the right knee on 9 October 1918; returned to Rouen, Heydenrych witnessed the Armistice from a hospital bed in Havre suffering from a bout of influenza.

Qualifying as a Lewis Gunner on 26 December 1918, he was discharged in England in May 1919, his address at that time recorded as ‘Bell Lane, Birdham, near Chichester’. Returned home to South Africa, he volunteered his services at the outbreak of the Second War and was appointed on 11 September 1939 as Gunner in the 6th Heavy Battery, South African Artillery. Raised Temporary Lance Bombardier in the Cape Artillery Brigade, he was posted to The Castle (Cape Town) from 12 December 1940, and is later recorded as serving at Waterkloof with the South African Air Force in February 1943. Sent to No. 24 Squadron, his Army Service Record confirms entitlement and notes the dispatch of his three Second War medals on 26 September 1951.

Sold with copied service record for both campaigns.