A remarkable and historically important British military father-and-son medal collection spanning pre-war service, the Second World War in the Far East, and Cold War post-colonial campaigns. The group represents two lifelong regular army careers, uniting a documented Japanese prisoner of war officer of the Royal Engineers who endured captivity from Singapore to Mukden, and his son who passed through the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to retire as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Corps of Transport.
The father’s group consists of a swing-mounted five-medal set awarded to Captain Frederick Arthur Arnold, Royal Engineers. It comprises the 1939-1945 Star, the Pacific Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-1945, and the King George VI Regular Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The Long Service and Good Conduct medal is officially impressed around the rim to Lieut. F. A. Arnold, R.E., while the accompanying campaign stars and war medals are issued unnamed as standard.
Born in Usk, Monmouthshire, in 1902, Frederick Arthur Arnold enlisted into the Royal Engineers as a regular Sapper in February 1922. Over a distinguished non-commissioned career, he qualified as a Clerk of Works, served overseas in Iraq, and by 1938 had risen to Warrant Officer Class I (Serjeant-Major). In late 1937, he was posted to Malaya on special engineering duties, accompanied by his wife and young son. He received an emergency commission as a Lieutenant in January 1940 and sometime later, a further promotion to Captain. Captured on 15 February 1942 at the Fall of Singapore, he survived over three and a half years of harsh Japanese captivity. His route of internment took him from Changi to the gruelling camps of Heito and Shirakawa on Formosa (Taiwan), onward to the Miyata coal mine camp in Japan, and finally to the Hoten / Mukden camp in Manchuria, where senior officers were segregated until their liberation in late August 1945. During these movements, he was subjected to transport aboard "Hell Ships" such as the England Maru 2, which he was transported aboard as part of the "Special Party" from Singapore (as an aside, I highly suggest looking into this if you are not familiar with this aspect of the war - it is as interesting as it is disturbing).
The son’s group consists of a court-mounted trio awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Francis William Arnold, Royal Corps of Transport. It comprises the General Service Medal (1918-1962) with rare Canal Zone clasp officially named to Lt. F. W. Arnold, R.A.S.C., the General Service Medal (1962) with Borneo clasp officially named to Major F. W. Arnold, R.C.T., and the official Malaysian commemorative Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal.
Having grown up on military postings and attended Taunton School while his father was captive, Francis entered Sandhurst and was gazetted to the Royal Army Service Corps in February 1950. He served through the Suez crisis period—later claiming the elusive Canal Zone clasp—and the Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo, progressing through the ranks until his retirement on retired pay as a Lieutenant-Colonel in July 1975.  
Fast dispatch.
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