Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Company Quartermaster Sergeant R. A. W. Vincent, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, who was wounded in the retreat from France in May 1940

1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (5435191 C. Sjt. R. A .W. Vincent. D.C.L.I.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Regular Army (5435191 C. Sjt. R. A .W. Vincent. D.C.L.I.) mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (5) £200-£240

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the 46th Foot and its Successor Units.

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Ralph Alfred William Vincent was born in Wells, Somerset, on 22 August 1910, and attested for the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry at Taunton on 5 March 1930. He served with the Regiment prior to the Second Word War at home or in Gibraltar, and was advanced Sergeant on 1 October 1938. He served with the British Expeditionary Force during the Second World War from 27 September 1939 to 31 May 1940, and is recorded in the Western Morning News of 18 July 1940 as having been wounded, presumably in the retreat from Dunkirk.

Vincent was appointed Acting Company Quartermaster Sergeant on 31 January 1941, and was confirmed in this appointment on 30 July 1941. He spent the rest of the Second World War at home, before serving in Palestine from 5 December 1945 to 30 December 1948, and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, with gratuity, per Army Order 15 of 1949. He served briefly with the B.O.A.R. in 1950, before transferring to the Reserve on 5 March 1952, after 22 years’ service.

Sold with copied service papers; a poor quality photographic image of the recipient; and other research, including extracts from the Regimental Journal, in which it is recorded that Vincent twice ‘won’ the Regimental Wooden Spoon for the ‘Worst Shot in the Sergeant’s Mess’.