Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian

Lot 3860    Session 12 (11:30am Thursday)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian

Estimate $3,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au

WITHDRAWN FROM SALE. Group of Six: Military Cross (GRI); 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45. The year 1944 engraved on reverse lower arm of first medal, second to fourth medals unnamed as issued, QX4249 on fifth and sixth medals. The first medal engraved, the last two pantographed. Good very fine - uncirculated.

The second to fourth medals were issued unnamed and never returned by recipient for naming. The last two medals are late issues as they were never claimed until recently. There is a letter from the Directorate of Honours and Awards confirming this official late issue. The recipient is also possibly entitled to the Africa Star which also would have been issued unnamed as with his other first delivered medal entitlements.

Together with 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Association 1957 tinnie; original case for Military Cross; official cases for the late issue War Medal 1939-45 and Australia Service Medal 1939-45; the original, large registered post delivery box for his Military Cross and first issued medals; book titled, The Story of the 2/2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion by E.F.Atkin, Melbourne, 1953, pp288, which mentions T.Hulse on ten different pages; two large photos, one with his wife on their wedding day and one as OIC 2 Beach Group receiving the prize won by his unit in the platoon drill event from Lt Gen Sir L.J.Morshead at Herberton, Qld.

MC: LG 20/1/1944, p391; CAG 2/12/1943, p2611.

Citation: Conspicuous courage and initiative at Lae 13 Sep 1943.

Records note that insignia was presented by registered post on 27Jul1946 and the address shown matches that on the delivery box mentioned above.

Lieutenant Thomas Hulse, born at Warrington, England on 15Jun1911; Enl.21Oct1939 at Brisbane, Queensland; served in the Middle East and in New Guinea; taken POW in June 1941 at the Battle of Merdjayoun during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign and after some time at Beyrouth and Aleppo was evacuated with officers to Vichy France; Aug1941 repatriated from France and returned to his unit for duty as part of an agreement to release all officers and warrant officers captured by the Vichy French in Syria in exchange for the release of the Vichy French General Henri Dentz and 35 of his staff officers. In April 1945 the French High Court sentenced Dentz to death, this commuted to life imprisonment but he died a short time later in prison in December 1945; Awarded Military Cross for action 13Sep1943.

In the book 2/2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion, p207, it states, 'Lieuts. T.Hulse and D.Williamson also patrolled to Heath's, and although Hulse in his approach had encountered no enemy, he reported that he was close to the enemy firing on 2/25th Battalion. He pressed on with great skill and daring and occupied positions evacuated by the enemy a short time before. By that time he was well in rear of other enemy positions, and after liaising with 2/33rd Infantry Battalion elements in the vicinity, he fell in with an enemy patrol, killing two, wounding a third, and putting the remainder to flight. In this action the Pioneers sustained their first casualty - Pte. Hatchard of A Company, who was wounded. For outstanding leadership on this and previous occasions Lieut. Hulse was awarded the Military Cross.' Disch.29Oct1945 ex 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.