Awarded to Mr Sidney Alfred Edward Benns. Obverse: head of King George VI. Legend: 'GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX : F : D : I NDIAE : IMP'. Reverse: A lion standing (left) on a prostrate dragon, its right paw resting on the latter's head. Inscription above: '1939 1945'. Fitted with a bar and blue ribbon with wide red borders and a narrow central red stripe with white borders.

Sidney Alfred Edward Benns (1901-1985) was born in Acle, Norfolk the son of James Alfred Benns, a carter. He joined the Royal Navy in 1917 and worked as a steward in HMS ‘Alecto’ - a base for H and C Class, submarines and from 1919-1926 in HMS ‘Maidstone’ - the depot for the submarine force at Harwich. Between the wars he was with the Royal Army Medical Corps until 1930, serving at Colchester, where he had married Edith Marshall in 1925, after which he worked as a male nurse at St Mary’s hospital, Sidcup. By then the couple had moved to Woolwich. He was called up in 1943 and served with the Royal Engineers and the Royal Army Medical Corps. After the war he worked as a security officer until his retirement in 1966. He died in Haverhill, Suffolk.