{"product_id":"ww2-privately-named-medal-group-x-4-1939-1945-star-africa-star-defence-medal-war-medal-1939-1945-2nd-lieutenant-kenneth-greer-hopwood-lincolnshire-regiment","title":"WW2 privately named medal group x 4 – 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Defence Medal \u0026 War Medal 1939-1945 – 2nd Lieutenant KENNETH GREER HOPWOOD – Lincolnshire Regiment","description":"\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eReference: MM-MED-0006\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eYou are looking at a privately named set of 4 x WW2 medals, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"eop\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Defence Medal \u0026amp; War Medal 1939-1945, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eall inscribed K G HOPWOOD.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eKENNETH GREER HOPWOOD, the son of HENRY and GERTRUDE HOPWOOD, was born at Grimsby on the 8\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e of June 1913. In 1921, he appears alongside his parents in the census record, with his father described as a steam trawler owner within the fishing trade, and KENNETH next appears in the 1939 Register, again listed alongside his parents, but with his own profession recorded as a steam fishing vessel owner. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eOn the 4\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e of December 1938, it appears that KENNETH earned a flying qualification at Grimsby Aero Club, with the certificate taken on a ‘Swallow – Cirrus Minor 90hp’, a 1930s two-seater training monoplane aircraft, and at the time, he was described as company director, which would suggest he was running his own fishing business or was involved in the fishing industry with his family.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eAs for KENNETH’S WW2 military service, the records are limited, but we do know that on or around the 13\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e of May 1944, he was promoted from cadet to 2\u003csup\u003end\u003c\/sup\u003e Lieutenant in the Lincolnshire Regiment, and he was then promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (war-substantive) on the 13\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e of November that same year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e‘War-Substantive’ and ‘Emergency Commission’ usually refers to a temporary officer rank held by those recruited into the army from civilian life, or from rank and file soldiers already serving in the army. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eNo record can be found for KENNETH HOPWOOD prior to his promotion from cadet to 2\u003csup\u003end\u003c\/sup\u003e Lt in 1944, but we know he was discharged from the army in November 1945, so within weeks of war ending, and we know he then applied for his medals, which included the ‘Africa Star’, and at the side of ‘Africa’ in the medal application form is the term ‘1\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e’, which would appear to be a reference to the ‘1\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e Army’ clasp that was attached to the Africa Star ribbon indicating that the recipient had served with the British First Army in Tunisia and Algeria between the 8\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e of November 1942 and the 12\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e of May 1943. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eThe criteria for the award of the Africa Star with ‘1\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e Army’ clasp tells us KENNETH was serving with the army in North Africa prior to his promotion to 2\u003csup\u003end\u003c\/sup\u003e Lt in 1944, and accepting that he was in the Lincolnshire Regiment, then it is likely he was serving with the 6\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e Battalion, because they were the only battalion of the regiment who saw service with the ‘First Army’ in North Africa. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eThe 6\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment arrived in Tunisia in 1943, serving with the British First Army in the final stages of the North African campaign, and later that year, they were sent to Italy, arriving at Salerno in the September and being involved in the ‘Battle of Monte Cassino’ in February 1944.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eHad KENNETH served in Italy, he would have been entitled to the award of the ‘Italy Star’, but he did not apply for this medal after the war, so on the face of it, he served in North Africa only, before entering officer cadet training, that usually lasted for a period of 20 weeks, and then being promoted. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eKENNETH GREER HOPWOOD died at Grimsby in 2006, at the age of 93 years. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: #ee0000;\"\u003eSeller note 1 – KENNETH’S military service, as described above, is not guaranteed, it has been pieced together from an assessment of the limited records and historical facts. \u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: #ee0000;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; color: #ee0000;\"\u003eSeller note 2 – These four medals were originally purchased without ribbons, and modern replacement ribbons and a replacement numeral ‘1’ denoting the ‘1\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e Army’ have been provided. Please bear in mind the reference to the ‘1\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e Army’ is an assumption made from the information provided in the recipients post-war medal application form. \u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003ePostage\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003ePostage within the United Kingdom is \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003e£4.85\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e via Royal Mail Tracked 48 with signature.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003eInternational postage is charged at a \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003eflat rate of £14.95\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e using a tracked service. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;\"\u003eIf the actual postage cost within the UK or to the destination country is lower than the amount charged, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003eany overpayment will be refunded after dispatch\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"paragraph\" style=\"margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"normaltextrun\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Maddox Medals \u0026 Militaria ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54057577742682,"sku":null,"price":120.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1013\/7180\/6042\/files\/IMG_3047.jpg?v=1777016025","url":"https:\/\/maddoxmedals.co.uk\/products\/ww2-privately-named-medal-group-x-4-1939-1945-star-africa-star-defence-medal-war-medal-1939-1945-2nd-lieutenant-kenneth-greer-hopwood-lincolnshire-regiment","provider":"Maddox Medals \u0026 Militaria ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}