Orders, Decorations & Medals - Aust. Groups

Lot 3182    SESSION 13 (2.30PM THURSDAY 25TH MARCH)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Aust. Groups

Estimate $2,400
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $2,200

MBE GROUP OF SEVEN TO POW: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) (type 2 Civil); British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19; 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45. First medal unnamed as issued, Major. N.B.Watch. A.I.F. on second and third medals, NGX459 N.B.Watch on last four medals. All named medals impressed. Good very fine - nearly uncirculated.

Together with Masonic, Excelsior Lodge No 61 WAC, Past Master's jewel in gold (9ct; tot wt 21.14g), inscribed on reverse, 'Presented to/Wor:Bro: N.B.Watch/in appreciation of services/rendered as W.M./1916-17'; also case for MBE and a newspaper clipping for presentation.

In 1950, Major Watch advised the OIC, AIF Base Records in Canberra that his two WWI service medals had been lost when the Japanese invaded New Guinea. Subsequently, after payment of a fee and completion of a Statutory Declaration, the medals were replaced. It is interesting to note that the Victory Medal has a slightly different surface and is struck on a thinner blank.

MBE (Civil): Appointment scroll dated 14/12/1937, to Norman Bennington Watch, Esq, L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S., D.P.H. - it was reported that this award was in recognition of distinguished service during the volcanic eruptions at that time in New Guinea. Dr N.B.Watch, a medical practitioner at Rabaul, immediately after the evacuation offered his services to the Department of Public Health and was allotted to duty as medical officer at Kokopo and rendered excellent service. The insignia was presented to Dr Watch by His Excellency the Acting Governor-General, Lord Huntingfield, at Admiralty House, Sydney on 10 August 1938.
(L.R.C.P. - Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians; L.R.C.S. - Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons; D.P.H. - Doctor of Public Health).

Norman Bennington Watch MBE (Civil), L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S., D.P.H., medical practitioner, born 06Feb1883 at Portsmouth, England; Appt'd Honorary Captain in AAMC Reserve, 5th Mil Dist (Western Australia) 04Sep1911; to Captain 01Apr1915; WWI: Enl.30Sep1916 in AIF while serving as Captain in AAMC; Emb.22Dec1916; promoted to Major 01Jul1918 in France; granted leave in England for post graduate work at London School of Tropical Medicine; RTA 07Sep1919; to Reserve of Officers 01Jul1920; to AAMC Reserve 5th Military District (W.Aust) 01Jul1925; to AAMC Reserve 1st Military District (Qld) 01Feb1939; Major AAMC full time militia (serial no.NG4054) 11Dec1940 as Asst Regt Medical Officer Units Staffs HQs New Guinea Area; Enl.21Jan1942 in 2nd AIF (NGX459) and appt'd Regt Medical Officer, New Guinea Vol Rifles (no date given); reported POW in New Britain (no date given); reported POW via Japanese radio broadcast c29Oct1942; to Prescribed Supernumerary List as POW 04Nov1942 and this confirmed 17Dec1942; reported interned at Camp Zentsuji, Japan 16Jan1943; again reported as POW on Japanese broadcast message of 24Feb1943; Recovered in Japan (no date given); Disemb.12Oct1945 at Sydney per 'Tjitjalinfa'; Disch.12Feb1946 as Major ex NG Vol Regt.; Died 11Sep1951.

With research and appointment document for MBE.