Sergeant Alick William Sturt Royal Signals and Army Cadet Force
War Medal 1939-45. General Service Medl 'Canal Zone' (copy), Efficiency Medal 'Territorial', Efficiency Medal 'T&AVR', Cadet Forces Medal.
The Man Alick William Sturt was born in the first quarter of 1928 in Reigate, Surrey, son of Alick senior, a Gardener and Bessie Ada Lacomb nee Brooks. He had one sister, Mary Ada born in 1930.
At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 he was aged just 11 and still at school, he enlisted aged 17 towards the very end of the war with service number 14483409 in the General Service Corps before being posted. He was awarded the War Medal 1939-45.
On leaving the regulars he joined the Territorial Army 565 (Mixed) Light Anti-Aircraft/Searchlight Regiment (Surrey), Royal Artillery as a Gunner with a new service number 22207580. Mixed indicating some of the members from the Women’s Royal Army Corps. He attended annual camp at Stiffkey, Norfolk in August 1950 and saw service in the Canal Zone between May and June 1952. He was awarded or became eligible for the General Service Medal with clasp ‘Canal Zone’.
At some point he transferred to the Royal Corps of Signals TA and promoted to Sergeant, seeing further service in Germany, as part of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), which was the command structure for the NATO forces in Europe. He also served in the The 41st PLKR (Platoon of the Royal Signals) a military unit within the Royal Signals whose role is to provide communications and information systems, ensuring the Army's operational effectiveness. Alick also worked in the 265 KSY Squadron Royal Signals, a Support Squadron within the 71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment, part of the TA. It's formally known as 265 (Kent and County of London Yeomanry) Support Squadron and is part of the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry (KSY) affiliation.
Alick was awarded his Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’ in Army List 73 of 1966 and 12 years later in List 121 of 1979 his Efficiency Medal ‘T&AVR’.
Following his service in the TA, Alick joined the Army Cadet Force and appears to have gone back into uniform in 1988 aged 60, with No C00484 and rising to the rank of Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant. During the 2000s he lived 5 the Cottages, Outwood Lane, Chipstead and in the London Gazette of 20th October 2010 awarded his Cadet Forces Medal, aged 72.
In later life Alick lived in sheltered housing at Drewery House, Drewery Drive, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, and passed away on 17th November 2024 aged 97. It appears that he never married and had no children.
At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 he was aged just 11 and still at school, he enlisted aged 17 towards the very end of the war with service number 14483409 in the General Service Corps before being posted. He was awarded the War Medal 1939-45.
On leaving the regulars he joined the Territorial Army 565 (Mixed) Light Anti-Aircraft/Searchlight Regiment (Surrey), Royal Artillery as a Gunner with a new service number 22207580. Mixed indicating some of the members from the Women’s Royal Army Corps. He attended annual camp at Stiffkey, Norfolk in August 1950 and saw service in the Canal Zone between May and June 1952. He was awarded or became eligible for the General Service Medal with clasp ‘Canal Zone’.
At some point he transferred to the Royal Corps of Signals TA and promoted to Sergeant, seeing further service in Germany, as part of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), which was the command structure for the NATO forces in Europe. He also served in the The 41st PLKR (Platoon of the Royal Signals) a military unit within the Royal Signals whose role is to provide communications and information systems, ensuring the Army's operational effectiveness. Alick also worked in the 265 KSY Squadron Royal Signals, a Support Squadron within the 71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment, part of the TA. It's formally known as 265 (Kent and County of London Yeomanry) Support Squadron and is part of the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry (KSY) affiliation.
Alick was awarded his Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’ in Army List 73 of 1966 and 12 years later in List 121 of 1979 his Efficiency Medal ‘T&AVR’.
Following his service in the TA, Alick joined the Army Cadet Force and appears to have gone back into uniform in 1988 aged 60, with No C00484 and rising to the rank of Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant. During the 2000s he lived 5 the Cottages, Outwood Lane, Chipstead and in the London Gazette of 20th October 2010 awarded his Cadet Forces Medal, aged 72.
In later life Alick lived in sheltered housing at Drewery House, Drewery Drive, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, and passed away on 17th November 2024 aged 97. It appears that he never married and had no children.
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Medal Award Box for the Cadet Forces Medal
Alick Sturt's miniature medals
The Story The medals awarded to Alick William Sturt were won at Warrington and Northwich Auction on 13th May 2025 and of interest because of the treble long service combination of the Efficiency Medals and Cadet Forces.
With the group came a matching set of miniatures, a second named War Medal 1939-45, a copy Cadet Forces Medal also named, corresponding miniatures, four commemorative medals reflecting his service all named to him and a large photograph of soldiers at Stiffkey Camp in 1950 but he is not identified.
Although it looks an interesting combination of medals, there are two conundrums, no details can be found for the award of his War Medal 1939-45, although it is possible as he was aged 17 at the end of the War and would have been in the General Service Corps initially, which the medal has been privately named to. The second War Medal with the group has the same number but his rank as Gunner in the Royal Artillery to which he may have ben assigned and later joined in the TA.
The General Service Medal is a copy, why he didn’t apply for his actual medal, if entitled, is unknown although he did also purchased a commemorative Canal Zone Medal, it could be the original was lost or not mounted due to its value and ultimately separated or he may have been in the Canal Zone but not for the required 30 day period and self-awarded.
Additionally, he has his original Cadet Forces Medal mounted with the group, but in the box of award is a copy medal engraved with his ACF No (confirmed in the London Gazette), rank and name.
It seems Alick took much care to have copies of his medal made and his service recorded on the commemorative medals, yet it is odd there is a spare and differently engraved War Medal, copy CFM not with the group and a copy GSM with the group!
Ancestry, Forces War Records, Google and the commemorative medals all helped piece together a fairly detailed service biography and the fact he died only a few months before their sale aged 94 – seemingly with no relatives or family as a public notice was placed asking for anyone with claims on the estate to make contact.
A pity that for such an extensive set of original and commemorative medals, that the recipient took time to have named, there is little corroborating information or paperwork and were most likely part of a hurried house clearance.
With the group came a matching set of miniatures, a second named War Medal 1939-45, a copy Cadet Forces Medal also named, corresponding miniatures, four commemorative medals reflecting his service all named to him and a large photograph of soldiers at Stiffkey Camp in 1950 but he is not identified.
Although it looks an interesting combination of medals, there are two conundrums, no details can be found for the award of his War Medal 1939-45, although it is possible as he was aged 17 at the end of the War and would have been in the General Service Corps initially, which the medal has been privately named to. The second War Medal with the group has the same number but his rank as Gunner in the Royal Artillery to which he may have ben assigned and later joined in the TA.
The General Service Medal is a copy, why he didn’t apply for his actual medal, if entitled, is unknown although he did also purchased a commemorative Canal Zone Medal, it could be the original was lost or not mounted due to its value and ultimately separated or he may have been in the Canal Zone but not for the required 30 day period and self-awarded.
Additionally, he has his original Cadet Forces Medal mounted with the group, but in the box of award is a copy medal engraved with his ACF No (confirmed in the London Gazette), rank and name.
It seems Alick took much care to have copies of his medal made and his service recorded on the commemorative medals, yet it is odd there is a spare and differently engraved War Medal, copy CFM not with the group and a copy GSM with the group!
Ancestry, Forces War Records, Google and the commemorative medals all helped piece together a fairly detailed service biography and the fact he died only a few months before their sale aged 94 – seemingly with no relatives or family as a public notice was placed asking for anyone with claims on the estate to make contact.
A pity that for such an extensive set of original and commemorative medals, that the recipient took time to have named, there is little corroborating information or paperwork and were most likely part of a hurried house clearance.
Alick Sturt's commemorative medals, all named.
Named 14483409 GNR A W STURT RA .
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Copy named C00484 SMI A.W.STURT ACF.
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Medal Details:
- War Medal 1939-45: 14483409 PTE A W STURT G.S.C.
- General Service Medal (copy): 22207580 GNR A W STURT RA
- Efficiency Medal 'Territorial' 22207580 SGT A.W.STURT. R.SIGNALS.
- Efficiency Medal 'T&AVR': 22207580 SGT A W STURT R SIGNALS
- Cadet Forces Medal: A STURT ACF
- Suez Canal Medal: 22207580 SNR STURT A W 1952 RA
- British Forces Germany Medal: 22207580 SGT A.W.STURT 1974 & 1978 ROYAL SIGNALS
- The Cold War Medal: 22207580 SGT A.W.STURT RCS
- TA Centenery Medal: 22207580 SGT A.W.STURT ROYAL SIGNALS
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This page last updated 2 Jun 25
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