WW2 Group to Captain Harrison-Austin RHA KIA Italy 1945.

A very sad WW2 group comprising of the 1939-49 star, Africa star, Italy star, Defence medal and 1939/45 War medal all in the box of issue with some original paperwork and condolence medal slip to; 134775 Captain Robert Antony Harrison-Austin.
Robert Harrison Austin was born in Birmingham in 1918 into the Austin Motors family. I haven’t gone into his early history to much; this area needs more research, but he must have gone to a very good public school as he was past out of officer cadet training in June 1940.
He was made 2nd Lieutenant and then Lieutenant very quickly with the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery and was probably deployed to Northern Africa in late 1940, where he arrived with the Middle East Command and took a large part in Wavell's campaign which opened on 9 December 1940. The most notable actions were those during the Siege of Tobruk and all the batteries fought during the fierce fighting just before El Alamein and then the First and Second Battles of El Alamein itself.
The 1st RHA then joined 10 Armoured Division in Aleppo and spent the next year training all over Syria, Palestine and the Suez Canal Zone with the Sexton 25pdr self-propelled gun. the 1st RHA then landed in Italy from Palestine in May 1944 at Taranto, and were in action south of Rome on 15 May 1944. Robert was now Captain and in the action near the Senio River on the 8th of April 1945, here the regiment was part of the advance to break the gothic line and link up with the US army. Sadly, Captain Robert Harrison Austin was killed or died of his wounds on 10th April 1945. He is now remembered with honour at the Faenza War cemetery, Italy; he was 27 years old. His medals were sent to his mother Mrs Agnes B Austin at Ten Ashes, Cofton Hackett, Worcestershire.
This lot also includes a certificate awarded to Agnes B Austin for her first aid work at Cofton Hackett during WW2 by the Bromsgrove Civil Defence Service.
Also, with his medals comes various copied research including entries from the London Gazette and Commonwealth war graves etc.
His medals are in perfect condition and look as if they have never been out of the box of issue. The original paperwork is a little tired but readable.
This lot would benefit from further research and there is much to be found out about his relationship to the Austin family and an accurate timeline relating to his service history. Also included is an original officer movement order where he is ranked as a Major of the Royal Artillery, but the commonwealth war graves certificate and other information he is ranked as Captain. The former may have been a temporary post, this all-needs sorting. What is clear is, this man saw a lot of action in the western desert, at Tobruk and El Alamein. A true Desert Rat.

Code: 29447