GALLANTRY MEDALS, ORDERS & DECORATIONS
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Defence Medal
1953 Coronation Medal
Latharna Preceptory Larne Masonic Medal Presented to E. Sir Knight C. Ross E.P. of Latharna Preceptory
Masonic Medal (not gold)
Gold fob CR
Parts of the large Masonic medal are gold (estimated around £200 worth).
Charles Ross was born at Fairview, Ballyclare in 1887. Educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and King William College, Isle of Man. Settled in Larne around 1910 and worked for the family laundry business, Sun Laundry Ltd. A founder-member of the Northern Ireland Institute of Mechanical Engineers. During World War 2 he was Chief Warden of the A.R.P. Service in Larne and was awarded his M.B.E. 3 January 1945 as "Air Raid Precautions Group Controller, Larne."
1946 became a member of the Borough Council and in 1952 was elected Mayor of Larne. Vice-Chairman of the Northern Ireland Fire Authority 1948-50. Coronation Medal 1953 as Mayor. Appointed to the Road Advisory Council for Northern Ireland 1956. President of the Association of Municipal Authorities 1959. A member of the Antrim County Council. Chairman of the Mid-Antrim Waterworks Board; East Antrim Hospital Management Committee; trustee of Larne Grammar School. As a Mason he was a member of Latharna Lodge No.33, Latharna Royal Arch Chapter and Preceptory, and also a Prince Mason of Chapter 15, Belfast.
He died 16 September 1960 and large crowds lined the route of his funeral at Larne Cemetery. His obituary mentioned "Often the real man within us is revealed best in the crises of life when we are face to face with ultimate realities. It was at the time of the sinking of the Princess Victoria that we saw a man who felt for and with those who were so suddenly plunged into sorrow. He entered into that sorrow as he entered into their homes to convey to them the sympathy of their fellow townsfolk. It was no empty sympathy, for in the months that followed he devoted himself to the establishment of a disaster fund." (135 people were killed when the ferry MV Princess Victoria sank 31 January 1953.
Frame: £ 550
Military Cross 1945
1939-45 Star
France and Germany Star
1939-45 War Medal
Defence
Medal
War Medal
Framed
with document named to Capt. R.R. Souper, M.C., Royal Artillery, letter
and two photographs. Also includes box of issue for the MC and some
books on the explorer Edward Adrian Wilson, who died with Scott in the
Antarctic.
Robert Reinagle Souper was born in 1918. His aunt, Oriana Souper,
married Edward Wilson (who was born in Cheltenham) in 1901. Robert was
commissioned in the Royal Artillery with 1st Independent
Sound Ranging Battery, Royal Artillery in 1940. These located enemy
guns by detecting sound waves when they fired. 1943 he commanded C
Troop, 53rd Observation Battery, 7th Survey Regiment, R.A. In June 1944
he landed at Juno Beach, Normandy. In 1944 they were in Holland. In
March 1945 his unit crossed the Rhine and at the end of the war was in
Hamburg. He was presented his MC by Montgomery in a cinema!
His MC was awarded in the London Gazette 1 March 1945 while serving
with 7 Survey Regiment, Royal Artillery. "Capt. Souper's S.R. Base was
in support of the southern thrust of the recent Schijndal -
S'Hertogenbosch operation. On 24 Oct. (1944) he was ordered to redeploy
to the bridgehead just gained at St. Michiels ? Owing to the narrowness
of our thrust line the ground necessary for one advance post and the
flanks of the base had not been cleared of the enemy. Despite this
Capt. Souper by bold personal reconnaissance succeeded in penetrating
to suitable ground and in establishing his base many hourse earlier
than would have been the case had he waited for the ground to be
cleared. This proved invaluable as his S.R. tp happened to be the only
effective means of locating HBs in that area. Capt. Souper again
repeated this performance when advancing his troop three days later on
27 Oct. to the area of the canal west of S'Hertogenbosch. ... Capt.
Souper, despite the fact that he had been "seen off" by close range
spandau fire and against the advice of a tank troop commander,
succeeded in establishing his flank microphones by crawling along a
ditch covered by the same spandau. Again results which could not
otherwise have been obtained proved invaluable, especially as the guns
located were shelling S'Hertogenbosch."
He lived in Cheltenham 1950s-1960s and died in Cornwall in May 2000.
Lot: £2000 being sold on commission
Benjamin James King Rider was born in Stoke Damerel, Devonport, Devon in 1856. By 1891 he was a "Town Postman" there. He was still living there in 1911 and still a postman. He was awarded the medal in the London Gazette 7th July 1916 as "Postman, Plymouth." He died in Torpoint, Cornwall 7th October 1935.
The 1st type I.S.M. was awarded between 1911 and 1920. (J.S.)
click image
In case of issue. Born in December 1908. In 1939 lived in Horsham as a "Skilled workman PO Engineers Department."
Medal awarded in the London Gazette 13 November 1973 as "Lately Technical Officer, Brighton.
He died in Cornwall in 1993. (J.S.)
With framed certificate to Madame Armand Cloutier.
Armand Cloutier was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.A. on 31st December 1901. He became a Liberal politician in Canada and was a member of parliament from 1940 to 1957. He married Jeanette Galarneau in July 1933.
Armand died in Montreal in 1982.