Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian

Lot 4017    SESSION 13 - 2.30PM Thursday 31 July    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian

Estimate $10,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

MILITARY CROSS GROUP OF EIGHT FOR EL ALAMEIN: Military Cross (GRI) GVIR issue; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, - clasp - 8th Army; Pacific Star; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45; Efficiency Decoration (EIIR) with Australia bar. 1942 on bottom arm of first medal, second and third medals unnamed as issued, VX14442 G.Stewart on fourth to eighth medals, Lt.Col. G.Stewart. C.M.F. on last medal. The first and last medals engraved, the other named medals impressed. Display court mounted, some tie downs need replacing, otherwise very fine.

MC: Supplement to London Gazette 22/9/1942, p4155, posn 12, to Lieutenant Gordon Stewart for great coolness, courage, enterprise and skill 21/7/1942. Citation: 'On 21 July 1942, during the operations of an Australian Infantry Brigade, Lieutenant Stewart was acting as Forward Observation Officer with an Australian Infantry Battalion. He showed great coolness and courage under fire. By his enterprise and skill he was continually in a position to support the Battalion. Several times during the day he engaged armoured fighting vehicles which threatened our troops and on two occasions broke up potential counter attacks. His disregard for his own safety and the dash he showed throughout the attack contributed in no small measure to the successful artillery support of this operation. ED: CAG No.47 29/8/1957, p2588 to 3/114012 Lt-Col Gordon Stewart MC, R.Aust.Aty. (Fld. Branch). Gordon Stewart, age 24, library assistant, born at Armadale, Victoria; Enl.28Feb1934 in Militia as 442291 Gnr 2 Med Bde RAA; Bdr 01Jul1935; L/Sgt 10May1937; Sgt 01Sep1939; Disch.31May1940; AIF Enl.07May1940 at Caulfield, Victoria; Lieutenant 05Oct1940; T/Captain 12Feb1941; Emb.27Dec1940 for Middle East; 22Nov1941 AIF (ME) School of Artillery; 08Oct1942 MC; RTA 28Feb1943; Emb.31Jul1943 for Pacific campaign; Captain 12Feb1944; 08Mar1945 to RAAF School of Army Co-op Cse; Emb.06May1945 for New Guinea and British North Borneo; RTA 15Oct1945; Disch.08Nov1945 ex 2/12 Fd Regt; 09Nov1945 to Reserve of Officers; 1950-52 2 Battery Commander (Major) P Battery 10 Fd Regt; 1955-58(?) CO (Lt-Col) 10 Fed Regt; Died 22Aug1981. Gordon Stewart was given the nickname of 'Black Sam', also 'Sam' by the members of his unit because in Africa as a young man he had black hair and darkish skin. They regarded him as a tough, cool character. In the Battle of El Alamein, there was a series of attacks mounted along the whole Ninth Division front. 'Sam' Stewart was FOO (Forward Observation Officer) for the 2/32 Battalion whose objective was to capture Trig 22 on Makh Ridge, better known to the unit as Cairn Ridge. The whole division had suffered heavy casualties during the July battles and this day, July 22, was referred to as 'That desperate day'. Lance-Bombardier George Steele, FOO assistant to Lieutenant Stewart stated, 'I was 'ack' to many good FOOs but Sam Stewart was as good as any I ever saw. He would go anywhere and, the rougher it was, the more he appeared to enjoy it. We were together a lot, his devil-may-care attitude scared the daylights out of me but I had a great affection and respect for him.' Gordon 'Sam' Stewart's life came to a horrendous end in the early hours of 22 August 1981 when he was murdered in his Nepean Highway home at Mentone, Victoria by a young man in his twenties wielding an axe. With research.