Second World War Medal Group – Lance Bombardier George Budden, Royal Artillery
1939–45 Star – unnamed as issued
Africa Star, 8th Army clasp – unnamed as issued
Italy Star – unnamed as issued
Defence Medal – unnamed as issued
War Medal – unnamed as issued
Territorial Efficiency Medal - 2051942 GNR. G. BUDDEN. R.A.
Mounted as worn in the incorrect order.
George Budden was born on 14 April 1915 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, the son of Edwin Budden and Nellie (née Harnden). By the late 1930s he was living in Petersfield, Hampshire, where he appears in local civilian records prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. A pre-war local newspaper report records Budden as a civilian witness in a court case involving soldiers stationed in Petersfield.
During the Second World War he served with the Royal Artillery, attaining the rank of Lance Bombardier, and was administered through R.A. Woolwich. His campaign medal entitlement confirms overseas service, including qualification for the 1939–45 Star, Africa Star (8th Army), Italy Star, Defence Medal, and War Medal, indicating service across multiple operational theatres.
The British Eighth Army was one of the most famous field armies of the Second World War, formed in September 1941 and operating primarily in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy. It became synonymous with the desert war against Axis forces, fighting a series of hard-fought campaigns across Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. The army’s victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October–November 1942 marked a decisive turning point in the North African campaign and is widely regarded as one of the most important British victories of the war. Following the defeat of Axis forces in North Africa, Eighth Army formations spearheaded the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 before advancing up the Italian mainland, facing determined resistance, difficult terrain and severe weather. Throughout these campaigns, the Eighth Army relied heavily on its artillery arm, with Royal Artillery units playing a central role in both defensive and offensive operations.
In addition to his wartime awards, Budden was also granted the Efficiency Medal (Territorial), officially awarded in 1946, reflecting sustained and satisfactory service beyond the end of hostilities.
Following the war, George Budden returned to civilian life in Hampshire. He married Florence O. E. Staff in 1947 and remained in the Petersfield area for the rest of his life. He died in 1999, aged 84.
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AJMS Medals