Following their successful sale of medals belonging to SAS legend William Mundell last month, Herefordshire military antiques traders War & Son, will next week be offering the rare medals of a Herefordshire Regiment hero for sale.
Steve War reports that the William Mundell SAS archive sold at £65,000 and is heading to a British-based collector of SAS medals: "Immediately after the sale," said Mr War,"we informed William Mundell’s son, and he was pleased that the items had gone to someone who would fully appreciate them and his father’s outstanding achievements in service."
Now, medals earned by Sergeant Gomer Bevan will be offered for sale for £8,000 on Tuesday, June 20.
Sergeant Gomer Bevan's two sons had initially contacted War & Son in 2020, but were unable to visit the Leominster shop in the following years. True to their promise and with no family to pass the heirloom on to, the sons recently presented their treasured archive in Leominster.
The WWII archive includes the gallantry medal of Sgt. Bevan still in its packet of issue. He was awarded it for bravery in the woodland east of the Dortmund Ems Canal on April 1, 1945.
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The archive includes the original citation for his brave act, Buckingham Palace slip and a number of fragile letters from Herefordshire Regiment officers, one congratulating Bevan on his award and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Another regimentally important letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Barneby is dated July 1946 and marks the disbandment of the 1st Battalion of the Herefordshire Regiment with the line: “We have reached a sad day in our history…I hope we shall meet at one of the Old Comrades functions of the future.”
Also included amongst the items are the medals of Gomer’s brother, William John Bevan. The eldest of nine brothers with an incredible 22 year age gap between the two soldiers, William served with the Army Service Corps and survived WWI.
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