WW2 British Medal Group of 5 - Private Richard Noel Skinner, 103 Field Bakery, Royal Army Service Corps
1939-45 Star
Africa Star with 1st Army clasp
France & Germany Star
Defence Medal
War Medal
All unnamed as issued.
Private Richard Noel Skinner
Army Catering Corps attd. R.A.S.C.
Service No. 13029601
Richard Noel Skinner was born on 1 February 1914 and lived at 19 Mereland Road, Didcot, Berkshire. In civilian life he was employed as a baker and confectioner, a skilled trade that would later directly inform his military role during the Second World War.
He enlisted into the British Army on 6 June 1940, joining the Army Catering Corps. During his wartime service he was attached to the 103 Field Bakery, Royal Army Service Corps, a specialist unit responsible for the large-scale production of bread and baked goods to sustain frontline and rear-area troops. Field bakeries were an essential but often overlooked component of army logistics, operating close behind the fighting units and frequently under demanding operational conditions.
Skinner’s medal entitlement reflects overseas service in multiple theatres. His award of the Africa Star with ‘1st Army’ clasp confirms service with the British First Army during the North African campaign, while the France & Germany Star indicates participation in the final stages of the war in North-West Europe following the Allied advance from 1944 into Germany. These awards, together with the 1939–45 Star, Defence Medal, and War Medal, reflect sustained wartime service from the early years of the conflict through to its conclusion.
Following the end of hostilities, Skinner remained in military service for several years. He was ultimately discharged from the Army Catering Corps on 26 February 1953, having completed 5 years and 319 days with the Colours, followed by 6 years and 281 days in the Army Reserve, bringing his total period of obligation to well over a decade.
The group is accompanied by a large quantity of original paperwork, providing further documentary context to his service and post-war military career (see images). Together, the medals and paperwork document the wartime and extended post-war service of a skilled tradesman whose role was vital to the operational effectiveness of the British Army during the Second World War.
AJMS Medals