Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Lot 3019    SESSION 14 (2.30PM THURSDAY 1ST AUG)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Estimate $12,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au

MC GROUP OF SEVEN TO POW MEDICAL OFFICER: Military Cross (GVIR with monogram GRI); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Pacific Star; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45 with MID; Australia Service Medal 1939-45. 1941 engraved on reverse of lower arm of first medal, QX6083 J.J.Ryan on other medals. All named medals impressed. Swing mounted, some contact marks, the stars toned, otherwise good very fine.

Together with National Safety Council 5 Years Drivers Award medal in silver and enamel, by K.G.Luke, Melb., ring top suspension with ribbon, reverse with impressed number 3102 and engraved name, 'J.J.Ryan'; book titled 'The History of the 2/11th (City of Perth) Australian Infantry Battalion 1939-45', by K.T.Johnson, hardcover with dust jacket, 289pp, with b&w photos and maps, includes Nominal Roll. J.J.Ryan, the Registered Medical Officer, nicknamed 'Killer' is mentioned on pp42, 43, 70, 80, 96, 97, 104, 115, 123 and 243.^MC: Second Supplement to LG 6/5/1941, p2646 - to Captain James Joseph Ryan (QX6083), Australian Military Forces, in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East.^Citation: On 28 Jan. 41 during the advance along the Main Rd into Derna the foremost troops walked on to an enemy mine and one man was killed and an officer and 5 O.Rs severely wounded. The road was being shelled and machine gunned at the time but this officer proceeded to the scene and attended to the wounded on the spot. Two of the wounded are still on the danger list but it is probable that Capt. Ryan's bravery on this occasion may save their lives. Throughout the recent fighting at Bardia and Tobruk this Officer has attended to the wounded in the forward area without any regard to the risks involved. ^MID: Supplement to LG 15/12/1942, p5446 - to Capt. J.J.Ryan, M.C. (QX6083), in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East during the period November, 1941, to April, 1942.^MID (2nd occasion): Supplement to LG 22/4/1943, p1848 - to Capt. J.J.Ryan, M.C. (QX6083), in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the field.^James Joseph Ryan, medical practitioner, age 29, born at Brisbane, Qld; Enl.12Oct1939 at Brisbane, Qld in AAMC at rank of Captain; to AIF 13Nov1939; Emb.20Apr1940 for Middle East; Disemb.19May1940 and to camp in Palestine; to 2/11Bn 10Nov1940 and ops in North Africa; awarded MC in Derna in Libyan region of Cyrenaica; Emb.10Apr1941 from Middle East to Greece; MIA 13Jun1941 and on 18Jul1941 declared POW in Italy; exchanged POW arrived at Alexandria 11Apr1942 and admitted to hospital sick; RTA 10May1942; to Major 01Sep1942; Emb.02Sep1943 for Port Moresby; various postings and ops in Milne Bay, Ramu Valley and Finschafen; RTA 03May1944; Emb.26Nov1944 for Aitape and ops in New Guinea; ops in Wewak and Bougainville with 2/2 Field Amb; to T/Lt-Col 16Jun1945; to Lt-Col 27Sep1945; RTA 13Nov1945; Disch.07Jan1946; to Reserve of Officers 08Jan1946.^Dr James Joseph Ryan M.C., BA, MB, BS Syd. 1933, FRACS. Resident Surgeon at Mater Misericordiae Public Hospital Brisbane (Ex Register of Medical Doctors in 1973).^J.J.Ryan, AAMC, gave a statement regarding the circumstances of his capture as follows:- 'At Retymo, Crete, two Australian battalions were defending the Aerodrome and on the morning of 31 May 1941 a battalion conference was held and the C.O. informed us that Col. Campbell, the Force Commander, had ordered that the battalion should surrender. He asked the opinion of the officers there and all the officers concurred in the decision that the position of the battalion was hopeless and it would be useless fighting any further. Col. Sandover (then Major) said that he himself intended taking to the hills and any member of the battalion who wished could do likewise. I accompanied Sandover with about 130 members of the battalion. We made our way to the southern part of the island, where we joined a large party consisting of R.A.F. personnel, British Naval people, Argyle and Southern Highlanders and members of the Black Watch regiment, making a total of about 500 men. For two days the Naval people signalled at night and even though the signals were recognised by British bombers, nothing was done about picking us up. In the meantime, a party of Australian and English troops, led by Capt. Fitzharding, of the 2/3 Field Regiment, put into repair a motor landing craft that had been beached and was in disorder. They decided they could take 70 men and after a conference it was decided that the full party should set out for Egypt. I was not concerned in this party but they sent a message to Col Sandover saying they had kept a place for me and Col. Sandover gave me the order to go. We set off at 2000 hours on 2 June. At 0200 hours on 3 June we sighted a submarine. We at first thought it was a British submarine but it opened fire with machine guns and a 40 inch naval gun. Capt. Fitzharding surrendered the craft. The Italians then came close and asked Capt. Fitzharding to swim across to them and after a while he sang out that he wanted the eight officers to come on board the craft. Some of them swam over and in doing so one - Lieut. Gill of the South African Air Force - was drowned. I informed them at this stage that I was a medical officer and had wounded on board and asked did they want me to come across. They said they did. By this time the submarine had tied up to the craft and I went on board. We were taken down below and searched. They asked me about the wounded on the landing barge and I gave them an exaggerated account but they just walked off and left us. Seven other officers and myself were on board the submarine. I understand the rest of the party left on the landing barge got back to Egypt safely. I was taken to Taranto, Italy.'^With copy of Service File, research by Mostly Unsung and a large assortment of other research.