Bidspirit auction | WW2 Col H R R

WW2 Col H R R Conder OBE signed The Road to Mandalay js50/44/4 RAF cover. 50th ann WW2 series of covers. Colonel Henry Conder was born in Reading on 18th November 1907. He went to school at Durlston Court Prep School Swannage and Haileybury College. He joined the 2nd Battalion Norfolk Regiment in Egypt after Sandhurst - with them he went to Shanghai and India - he was an instructor at the Machine Gun school at Armednagar and returned to England in 1936. Adjutant at Norwich 1937/38 and married Mary Philpot in 1938. Joined the Norfolks in Gibraltar for nine months before going to the Staff College Camberley in 1939 until the outbreak of war. Joined the Staff of 2 Division which was commanded by future Field Marshal the Major General Sir Harold Alexander. He was evacuated from Dunkirk to Harwich then he became Brigade Major of the 3rd Infantry Brigade having been Mentioned in Despatches for his part in the withdrawal from France. He was assigned to HQ 2 Division at the GSO 3 and left England for the 8th Army in North Africa but the convoy was diverted to Bombay from Cape Town. He became 2nd in command of the 2nd Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment and was wounded in the close quarter fighting t Kohima where the Japanese fought tooth and nail against the Commonwealth troops who were cut off. The victory at Kohima stopped any further advance into India and turned the tide in favour of the Allies. On leaving hospital he was posted as Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion the Kings Own Scottish Borderers in the advance to and capture of Mandalay. He soon came to grips with the language and welcoming drams of whisky from the Companies; during this phase of the war he gained the OBE and was once more Mentioned in Despatches. After the capture of Rangoon the Battalion was posted to Peshawar and shortly after the Colonel was repatriated. He later served at the War Office - Egypt, Benghazi, Japan, Fontainbleau (Allied Land Forces Central Europe) and finished his service as GSO 1 at Nottingham. He was Mentioned in Despatches for the third time in 1946. He retired to Suffolk in 1960 and played an active part in the County Council and District Council for many years as well as other works in aid of the community. He died in 1998. Good condition. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide.