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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 91

A scarce 'Saboteurs' campaign group of five awarded to Sergeant F. Tibbets, 4/1 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, who was taken prisoner of war during the Fall of Kos and was later punished for sabotaging Focke-Wulf engines during his work detail

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Korea 1950-53 (1438983 Sgt. F. Tibbets. R.A.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, light pitting, very fine (5)

Frank Tibbets was a native of Birmingham, born on 26 February 1918 and enlisted in March 1939, listing his address as 3 Stewart Road, Blackheath, Birmingham. Seeing service in North Africa he notably received training from his section officer on escape, evasion and how to behave after capture. Later Tibbets was part of the British forces posted to the Island of Kos in October 1943 when their Italian Garrisons joined the Allies.

Unfortunately for the British Garrison there the Germans were able to respond quickly, they hammered the British airfields, preventing them from resupplying. Paratroopers were landed in bulk and, unable to resupply, the British were pushed back to the town of Kos itself, eventually being forced to surrender.

Tibbetts went in the bag on 7 October 1943, being initially held at Mooseburg before being transferred to Mullberg in November. From there he joined a work camp at Zwickau and was set to coal mining later being set to paper making at Crossen in March 1944. Returning to Zwickau after this he gained access to a number of Focke Wolfe Engines in August 1944, his Liberation Questionnaire goes into detail stating:

'At Zwickau, during the month of August 1944 I pushed into the river Mulde [Zwickauer Mulde] 28 twenty eight [SIC] Focke Wolfe 190 aeroplane engines and lots of spares for same.'

He notes for this that he was punished with 14 days of detention and was repatriated, eventually being posted to the Reserve in July 1946. Re-joining in September 1950 he embarked for Korea on 11 October 1950 with 8/11 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery. Posted to a Depot on 11 December 1951, this was the last active service Tibbets was to see; sold together with copied research.

Further entitled to an Italy Star, as commonly seen with groups to men stationed in the Aegean.

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Estimate
£240 to £280

Starting price
£190