WW2 AUSTRALIAN 6 MEDAL GROUP AFRICA AND PACIFIC.
Correctly impressed medal group to VX 12775 Sergeant Bernard Wilcox.
Medal group comprises of the 1939-45 Star with 8th Army Clasp, Pacific Star, 1939-45 Defence Medal, 1939-45 British War Medal, and the Australian service Medal. All medals and clasp are confirmed by original accompanying documents.
His posting on discharge was with the HQ 26 Infantry Brigade (9th Australian Division) however he was more than likely to have been a member of one of the Brigades Infantry Battalions in North Africa and early Pacific service before being posted to 26 Brigade HQ at the end of the war for discharge.
The Brigade comprised of 2/23, 2/24 and 2/48th Battalions (the later battalion was the most highly decorated 2nd AIF unit having 6 Victoria Cross recipients (non of whom survived the war).
The Brigade arrived in North Africa in mid December 1940 and saw extensive service in 1941 and 1942 before serving in the Pacific in 1943 (New Guinea) and 1945 (Borneo). It is unlikely he served in Borneo due to his date of discharge.
He more than likely served during the siege of Tobruk (Jul-Dec 1941) and would have been in North Africa for the Battle of EL Alamein period (Oct-Nov1942), hence the issue of the 8th Army Bar.
Accompanying copied documents state he enlisted on 22 April 1940 and was discharged on 30 May 1945.
Although he was a Victorian enlistment he took discharge in Western Australia and died on the 29 May 1970 at the young age of 54.
This medal group is the classic "full book" for Australian service in North Africa and the South West Pacific and testifies to fighting against the Italians, Germans and the Japanese.
The medal group comes with its original old RSL Trading Co Ltd (Hay St Perth) box with interior cushion and 4 original documents/notifications regarding the medals.