Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes

Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes

£450.00
Skip to product information
Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
  • Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes
Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes

Mixed collection of medals & other items to ARTHUR CURRY, 2/10th Bn Middlesex Regiment (wounded at Gallipoli) & Wiltshire Special Constabulary, & 2 x rare American Red Cross certificates to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ Devizes

£450.00

MM-MED-0016

 

You are looking at a mixed but unfortunately incomplete (missing British War & Victory Medal) collection of medals, 4 x in total, and other items relating to ARTHUR CURRY, who served with the Middlesex Regiment during WW1, was seriously wounded at Gallipoli, and had a long and distinguished post-war voluntary service with the Wiltshire Special Constabulary, including police service during WW2, along with two very interesting and rare WW2 ‘American Red Cross’ certificates awarded to his wife DOROTHY, who served as a volunteer at the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ in Devizes, supporting thousands of United States troops training in the area in preparation for D-Day and the Normandy landings.

This ‘what you see is what you get’ collection looks disjointed and is a bit of a mixed bag, but research has revealed a multi-faceted husband and wife story that spans both world wars, and details a dedicated service to the military and the police, and voluntary service supporting foreign troops preparing for one of the most important events in modern world history, making the collection much more interesting than it may seem at first glance, and a fascinating insight into military and police service life as well as the social history surrounding civilians who volunteered their services to support the war effort during WW2. 

The collection consists of:

  •        1914-15 Star inscribed ‘2817 PTE. A.C.CURRY. MIDD’X R.’
  •        Silver War Badge inscribed ‘476620’ – awarded to ARTHUR CURRY.
  •        Special Constabulary Medal inscribed ‘ARTHUR C CURRY’ – The medal is missing its ribbon.
  •        Medal Ribbon bar ‘Long Service 1944’ – Bar is loose so not attached to medal.
  •        Defence Medal 1939-1945.
  •       1953 Queen’s Coronation Medal.
  •        Wiltshire Special Constabulary badge with King’s Crown.
  •       British Legion badge inscribed ‘246629’, ‘RD 684409’, ‘BIRMINGHAM MEDAL CO’.
  •        Medal ribbon bar - WW1 trio, plus ‘Defence Medal’.
  •       Medal ribbon bar - Special Constabulary Long Service Medal with long service 3 x rosettes attached, 1953 Queen’s Coronation Medal.
  •        Medal ribbon bar single, 1939-1945 War Medal (WW2).
  •      ‘AMERICAN RED CROSS Certificates of Devoted Service’, awarded to Mrs DOROTHY CURRY‘ – ARC Devizes Wiltshire dated 27th December 1944.
  •        ‘AMERICAN RED CROSS Certificates of Devoted Service’, awarded to Mrs DOROTHY CURRY – Donut Dugout Devizes 5th July 1945.
  •       Loose British War Medal ribbon.

 

WW1 Service & Gallipoli

On the 22nd of October 1914, ARTHUR enlisted into the 2/10th (Reserve) Battalion (Duke of Cambridge’s Own) the Middlesex Regiment, service number 2817, with his home address at the time recorded as The Ridge, High Road, Wealdstone.

According to his medal record, he first entered the Balkans (Gallipoli) theatre of war on the 18th of July 1915, although the ‘The Long, Long Trail’ suggests that was the date the battalion sailed from Devonport, and, travelling via Imbros in Turkey, they continued on to Gallipoli where they landed as Suvla Bay at midnight on the 8th/9th of August.

According to the available military records, on the 10th of August 1915, so the day after his battalion landed on the beaches, ARTHUR sustained a gunshot wound to his right shoulder, and he was recorded in the War Office Casualty List dated the 15th of September as having been wounded and entitled to wear a ‘Wound Stripe’, and he was awarded the Silver War Badge (serial number 476620) that is within this collection in recognition of his injury.  

There is also an entry in the Harrow Observer Newspaper, dated the 17th of September 1915, to the effect that Private ARTHUR CYRIL CURRY of the 2/10th Battalion the Middlesex Regiment had been wounded in the Dardanelles, having sustained a gunshot through the right shoulder shortly after landing on the Peninsula, and he was being treated at the Citadel Military Hospital in Cairo.

ARTHUR was back in England on the 9th of October 1915, so prior to the 10th Battalion’s evacuation from Gallipoli that took place in the December of 1915.

Following his service in the Balkans, ARTHUR was posted to the Eastern Command Depot (6th May 1916), a military rehabilitation and convalescent camp, he was then transferred to the 607th Home Service Employment Company (6th July 1917), and then compulsorily transferred to the Royal Defence Corps (service number 75876) on the 28th of June 1918, with a later document suggesting he was in the 51st Company.

ARTHUR married DOROTHY LOUISE PUTTICK on the 27th of June 1918, the day before his compulsory transfer to the RDC, and in the marriage record he is described as a private soldier with the 106th Employment Company of the Labour Corps, with his address provided as Eastern Command Depot, Kingston-on-Sea.

Wiltshire Special Constabulary

After leaving the army, ARTHUR went on to join the Wiltshire Special Constabulary, and it appears he served for many years, being awarded the King GEORGE VI Special Constabulary Long Service Medal with ‘Ind Imp’ legend denoting issue between 1937 and 1948, and on the Special Constabulary LS Medal ribbon bar that is within this collection, the ribbon has 3 x rosettes attached, denoting extra periods of service, with a loose ‘Long Service 1944’ bar also within the collection...And it is his long service that probably led to him being one of only 18 x serving officers (regular & Special Constabulary) within the Wiltshire Constabulary nominated for the award of the 1953 Queen’s Coronation Medal. 

As to when he joined the Special Constabulary, this is not clear, because the issue of rosettes for extra service took into account service during WW2, and the time served during the conflict was tripled due to the nature of the work constables were involved in, however, with King GEORGE VI having started his reign in December 1936, then the issue of the medal with this sovereign’s head would have been 1937 onwards, and that would mean ARTHUR could not have joined the Specials until 1928 at the very earliest, to have served 9 x years making him eligible for the award of the medal in 1937, so he joined at some point from 1928, and with other criteria taken into account, probably at some point from 1928-1930, although this time period has not been confirmed beyond doubt.

The 1953 Queen’s Coronation Medal is interesting because those for sale are very often unattributed, in that the recipient is unknown. As for numbers and criteria, only around 129,000 -138,000 were awarded to people from various walks of public service life, and where the police and emergency services were concerned, it was awarded to prominent members who demonstrated significant contribution to their communities, a great accolade for ARTHUR, bearing in mind he was one of only 18 x Wiltshire officers who were nominated for the award across of the whole of the Wiltshire Constabulary, those receiving it being the Chief Constable, Assistant Chief Constable, 5 x Superintendents, 2 x Inspectors, 4 x Sergeants, 1 x Detective Constable, 1 x Special Inspector, 2 x Special Sergeants (including ARTHUR) and 1 x Special Constable.

He would have been just over 60 years old in 1953 when he received the Queen’s Coronation Medal and was still serving with the Special Constabulary at the time.

DOROTHY CURRY’S & the ‘American Red Cross – DONUT DUGOUT’

In addition to the items relating to ARTHUR CURRY and his army and Special Constabulary career, the collection also includes two certificates that were awarded by the ‘American Red Cross’ (ARC) to his wife DOROTHY CURRY, acknowledging and praising her for the work she had done.

  •           The first, dated the 27th of December 1944, recognised over 150 x hours of faithful and loyal VOLUNTEER service to the US armed forces, and was signed by the director of the ARC (American Red Cross) with the address Devizes, Wiltshire recorded.
  • The second, dated the 5th of July 1945, recognised over 500 x hours of faithful and loyal VOLUNTEER service to the US armed forces, and was signed by the director, with the address ‘DONUT DUGOUT’, Devizes recorded.

The ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ as it was referred to, was a corrugated Nissan hut situated on the Green in Devizes. It was run by the ‘American Red Cross’ (ARC) as a club and canteen and served donuts and drinks to the US troops stationed in the area, many of whom were in training, on Salisbury Plain etc, in preparation for D-Day. It was designed to provide some comforts of home and boost the morale of US troops in the build-up to Operation Overlord and their eventual deployment onto the beaches of Normandy, and local woman such as DOROTHY, ‘Donut Dollies’ as they were referred to, volunteered to help, frying literally thousands of donuts to be eaten by the US troops, and these certificates were awarded in recognition of the work they did in supporting the operation.  

 

Devizes was a key location, an official marshalling area for US troops making their way to the south coast and eventual deployment to the beaches along the Normandy coast, and for some of those troops, the ‘DONUT DUGOUT’ would have been one of the last comfortable meeting places they experienced before heading to Europe.  

 

 

ARTHUR CYRIL CURRY was the son of ARTHUR and KATE CURRY, and he was born in 1892, with his birth registered at West Ham (June quarter, volume 41 page 357), although a later historical record suggests he was born on the 7th of June 1893. He married DOROTHY LOUISE PUTTICK (Born 3rd July 1895 at Broadwater in Worthing, daughter of WILLIAM EDWARD and JANE PUTTICK) on the 27th of June 1918, and they eventually settled in the Devizes area, and were living at The Bungalow off Bath Road in the town in 1939, at the start of WW2.

DOROTHY LOUISE CURRY died c1971/72, with the event registered at Poole in Dorset in the March quarter of 1872 (volume 7c page 358), and ARTHUR died a few years later, in 1975, with the event registered at Poole in the June quarter of that year (volume 23 page 755).

 

You may also like