{"product_id":"115th-light-anti-aircraft-regiment-royal-artillery-ww2-medal-group-nuneaton","title":"115th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery WW2 Medal Group Nuneaton","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eWW2 British Medal Group of 6 - Gunner Kenneth John Peace Thompson, Royal Artillery\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eWW2 Campaign Medals - \u003ci\u003eunnamed as issued\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eTerritorial Efficiency Medal - \u003cb\u003e5111919. GNR. K. J. THOMPSON. R.A.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eKenneth John Peace Thompson\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e was born on \u003cb\u003e15th October 1921 at Nuneaton, Warwickshire\u003c\/b\u003e, the son of \u003cb\u003eJohn William Thompson and Frances Lillian Peace\u003c\/b\u003e. He grew up in the Nuneaton area and was later residing at \u003cb\u003e64 Arbury Road, Stockingford, Nuneaton\u003c\/b\u003e, the address recorded on his wartime medal claim card.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eDuring the Second World War he served in the \u003cb\u003eBritish Army with the Royal Artillery\u003c\/b\u003e, holding the rank of \u003cb\u003eGunner\u003c\/b\u003e and the service number \u003cb\u003e5111919\u003c\/b\u003e. Records show that he was \u003cb\u003etransferred from the 7th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 27th February 1940\u003c\/b\u003e, part of the large-scale wartime expansion and reorganisation of Britain’s anti-aircraft forces.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHe subsequently served with the \u003cb\u003eRoyal Artillery Light Anti-Aircraft units\u003c\/b\u003e, including \u003cb\u003e115 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery of the 115th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment\u003c\/b\u003e. This regiment had originally been an infantry battalion before being \u003cb\u003econverted to the Royal Artillery on 1st January 1942\u003c\/b\u003e, retraining on \u003cb\u003eBofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns\u003c\/b\u003e used to defend troops and installations from low-flying enemy aircraft.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThe regiment joined the \u003cb\u003e46th Infantry Division\u003c\/b\u003e, a Territorial Army formation that had earlier served in France before being evacuated from Dunkirk. By \u003cb\u003eAugust 1942\u003c\/b\u003e the division was assigned to \u003cb\u003eFirst Army\u003c\/b\u003e, preparing for the Allied landings in North Africa.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eFollowing the \u003cb\u003eAllied invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch) in November 1942\u003c\/b\u003e, the 46th Division and its supporting units were progressively deployed into the \u003cb\u003eTunisian campaign\u003c\/b\u003e. The division arrived in theatre in \u003cb\u003eJanuary 1943\u003c\/b\u003e, moving into the front line shortly afterwards. During the campaign the division fought through difficult terrain and heavy Axis resistance, particularly during the fighting that followed the \u003cb\u003eBattle of Kasserine Pass\u003c\/b\u003e and the subsequent Axis offensive \u003cb\u003eOperation Ochsenkopf\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eLight Anti-Aircraft units such as the \u003cb\u003e115th LAA Regiment\u003c\/b\u003e played an essential role protecting Allied formations from German dive-bombers and low-level attacks, particularly the feared \u003cb\u003eJu 87 Stuka\u003c\/b\u003e aircraft. Their \u003cb\u003eBofors guns\u003c\/b\u003e were frequently moved forward with the infantry despite extremely difficult conditions and constant air attacks. By the end of the Tunisian campaign in \u003cb\u003eMay 1943\u003c\/b\u003e, the regiment had claimed \u003cb\u003e58 enemy aircraft destroyed\u003c\/b\u003e, highlighting the intensity of its operations.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eFollowing the North African victory, the \u003cb\u003e46th Division\u003c\/b\u003e was later used for the \u003cb\u003eAllied invasion of mainland Italy\u003c\/b\u003e, landing during \u003cb\u003eOperation Avalanche at Salerno on 9th September 1943\u003c\/b\u003e. During the difficult fighting that followed, anti-aircraft units were heavily engaged defending the crowded invasion beaches and supply areas from Luftwaffe attacks while the infantry fought to secure the bridgehead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThe division subsequently advanced north through Italy, taking part in the fighting beyond \u003cb\u003eSalerno and Naples\u003c\/b\u003e, the crossing of the \u003cb\u003eVolturno River\u003c\/b\u003e, and later operations along the German defensive positions including the \u003cb\u003eWinter Line\u003c\/b\u003e. By early \u003cb\u003e1944\u003c\/b\u003e, the division was engaged in difficult mountain fighting south of \u003cb\u003eMonte Cassino\u003c\/b\u003e, including operations around the \u003cb\u003eGarigliano River\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eLater in 1944 the division moved to the eastern side of Italy to participate in the offensive against the \u003cb\u003eGothic Line\u003c\/b\u003e, one of the main German defensive positions across northern Italy. The fighting around \u003cb\u003eGemmano and the Rimini Line\u003c\/b\u003e in September 1944 was particularly intense as Allied forces attempted to break through towards the Po Valley.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eBy late 1944 the Allied air forces had achieved almost complete air superiority, greatly reducing the need for large numbers of anti-aircraft units. As a result, the \u003cb\u003e115th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment left the 46th Division on 8th November 1944\u003c\/b\u003e and was \u003cb\u003edisbanded on 8th January 1945\u003c\/b\u003e, with many of its personnel being transferred to other roles to help address the growing infantry manpower shortage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eFor his wartime service Thompson qualified for the following campaign awards:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e1939–45 Star\u003cbr\u003eAfrica Star\u003cbr\u003eItaly Star\u003cbr\u003eDefence Medal\u003cbr\u003eWar Medal 1939–45\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThese awards confirm service in the \u003cb\u003eNorth African and Italian campaigns\u003c\/b\u003e, two of the major theatres in which British anti-aircraft gunners were heavily engaged protecting advancing Allied forces.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThompson was \u003cb\u003ereleased from the Army on 11th May 1946 under Class “A” release\u003c\/b\u003e, returning to civilian life in Warwickshire. His medal claim card confirms that he personally applied for his wartime medal entitlement and gives his address as \u003cb\u003e64 Arbury Road, Stockingford, Nuneaton\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHe married \u003cb\u003eElsie May Gilks in 1946\u003c\/b\u003e, shortly after the end of the war. \u003cb\u003eKenneth John Peace Thompson died on 1st March 1996 at Nuneaton and Bedworth, Warwickshire\u003c\/b\u003e, aged 74.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003ePLEASE NOTE: All research will be sent to the buyer via email. I am unable to provide printed copies, as I do not have access to a printer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAJMS Medals\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AJMS Medals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53868305580378,"sku":null,"price":115.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0958\/9850\/1466\/files\/20260309_110929.png?v=1774260492","url":"https:\/\/ajms-medals.com\/products\/115th-light-anti-aircraft-regiment-royal-artillery-ww2-medal-group-nuneaton","provider":"AJMS Medals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}