S.A.S. Lilly collection. WW2 1939-1945, Africa, Italy Stars,...

Estimate

£2,500 - £2,500

S.A.S. Lilly collection. WW2 1939-1945, Africa, Italy Stars, Defence Medal attributed to 49889 Sgt Reginald George Lilly, 2nd S.A.S. Regiment, good extremely fine in Infantry & AAC box of issue addressed to R. Lilly, Willow Cottage, S. Dareth, Nr Dartford, with transmittal slip.
With photo album containing mainly family photos, but also a WW2 2nd S.A.S. cloth shoulder title, light blue embroided letters on maroon, rounded ends, frayed edges from wear, 10cm long, a 1944 SAS Xmas card to his family, SAS Cap badge and parachute wings, 3 photos in uniform, 2 group photos in uniform, Field Postcard dated 31/5/40 on his return from Dunkirk, good range of post war newspaper cuttings relating to SAS. Also contains 9 hand written pages relating to a late 1944 operation behind the Dutch lines to supply the SAS.
With 19 copied pages of service record, he was born 11/2/04, known as Joe, the family think he raced in the Isle of Man T.T. races in the 1920s, he enlisted in R.A.S.C. 18/2/30, trade listed as a motor driver, mobilised and posted to 27 Coy RASC, embarked with B.E.F. 27/9/39, evacuated from Dunkirk and landed UK 31/5/40. Promoted A/Cpl 21/2/41, Cpl 22/5/41. Posted to North Africa with 25th Tank Bde Coy 19/1/43, joined 2nd Regt SAS 9/6/43 which had just formed in Algeria under Lt Col William Stirling in May 1943. He remained in Africa with 2nd SAS until 30/9/43 when he moved to Italy and served with 2nd SAS until 12/3/44, when he returned to UK with 1st & 2nd SAS which formed the SAS Bde of Army Air Corps. He was officially transferred to AAC 1/4/44 and was granted additional pay of 1 shilling for Airborne qualification the same day. He was admitted to 113 General Hospital with concussion/cut scalp 1/7/44, and returned to duty with 2nd SAS 17/7/44. At the end of WW2 the SAS Bde was flown to Norway to disarm the 300,000 strong German garrison and Lilly was part of this deployment even though it does not appear on his record. Released to Army Reserve 21/10/45. While his records confirm these medals as his full entitlement and do not record any service in North west Europe post 1944, his diary record in photo album would dispute this! The pages cover 14 days (thought to be November 1944), some brief extracts: parachuted in Sat "We have picked up containers with the help of Dutch farmers. Hid containers in cellar of farmhouse where we are resting waiting for night." Sun "made good progress, saw a few German patrols but managed to keep away from them, oh how we would like to shoot them but can't it would give us away." "Cpl Tom is going out on patrol. We have waited 2 hrs & Tom not back yet, it looks as though he has been caught." Mon No Tom back yet worst luck but still it leaves two of us. Some Germans passed us about an hour ago, only about 20 yards away, we thought our number was up." Wed "Made good progress are hiding up again ready to make contact with SAS. We were stopped by too many German patrols, spotted once, thought our number was up ran for it, had to part but picked each other up this morning. Plane about again looking for us so can't move until dark, about 1 mile to go to another farm house where we should contact the SAS and give them the position of ep stores, then our job is done." Sat "We are now making our way to the coast to be picked up by the Navy." Mon "We are to make a different route and will go back to England by plane." Tues "Had a hard day as it has been blowing & snowing all day. Must be on the move again tonight as it isn't safe now to go in day time, too near the German lines. had a message that a jeep patrol will pick us up Wed night." Thurs "Back from behind the lines & are at an advanced airdrome waiting to be picked up for England." Post war he owned the Creg-ny-Baa hotel on the TT route in the Isle of Man.
Also with framed Liberation of Norway 8th May 1945 certificate to 99889 Cpl R.G. Lilly AAC, SAS books Winged Dagger by Roy Farran and Geoffrey by John Appleyard, 1987 UK passport, box with range of ribbon bars, IOM TT 1950s pin badges, R.A. sweetheart badge, German Army officer's embroided cap badge etc.
A rare archive to an SAS veteran.
(See photos) (½B)