*Australian, WW2 1939–1945, Australia Service Medal, Named NX9624 A. McD. Byers*
Original Second World War Australia Service Medal 1939–1945, complete with ribbon and officially impressed naming to the rim:
NX9624 A. McD. BYERS
The medal displays the crowned bust of King George VI on the obverse, with the reverse bearing the Australian Commonwealth coat of arms flanked by kangaroo and emu above the dates 1939–1945. Suspended from the correct ribbon with central sand stripe flanked by narrow red stripes, dark blue to one side and light blue to the other.
History Note: The Australia Service Medal was instituted in 1949 to recognise service by members of the Australian armed forces who served within Australia or its territories during the Second World War. Eligibility generally required at least 18 months full-time service (or shorter qualifying periods for certain operational or hazardous postings).
Private Allan McDonald Byers (Service No. NX9624) was born on 19 May 1918 at Paddington, New South Wales, and enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on 2 January 1940 during the early expansion of Australia’s wartime army. His service number prefix “NX” confirms enlistment through the New South Wales district. He served as a Private with the 2nd/3rd Infantry Battalion, remaining on strength until his discharge on 9 October 1945, indicating continuous service throughout the majority of the Second World War.
The 2/3rd Infantry Battalion was one of the early Second AIF infantry units raised in late 1939 and formed part of the 16th Brigade, 6th Division. During the period of Byers’ service, the battalion’s movements and campaigns are well recorded. After initial training in Australia and Palestine, the battalion saw active service in the Middle East, taking part in operations during the North African campaign against Italian forces in 1940–41. It subsequently participated in the Greek campaign of 1941 and the fighting on Crete following the German airborne invasion.
Following evacuation and reorganisation, the battalion was later committed to operations in the Syria–Lebanon campaign in 1941. After returning to Australia in 1942 as the strategic focus shifted to the Pacific, the unit was redeployed to New Guinea, where it took part in fighting along the Kokoda Track and subsequent operations against Japanese forces. In the later stages of the war, the battalion was involved in further campaigns in the Aitape–Wewak area, contributing to the final Australian offensives in the South-West Pacific.
As Byers is recorded as serving with the battalion from early 1940 through to October 1945, it is highly likely that his wartime service coincided with several of these major deployments, meaning he belonged to the cohort of Australian infantrymen who experienced both the Middle Eastern and Pacific phases of the war. His qualifying length of service resulted in the award of the Australia Service Medal 1939–1945, recognising sustained wartime duty.
His full personnel dossier, held by the National Archives of Australia, would provide the precise record of his individual postings, movements, and any overseas service, but even the surviving summary confirms that he served within one of Australia’s most heavily engaged frontline infantry battalions across the principal theatres of the conflict.
*Condition* Good original condition with light surface wear and contact marks consistent with age. Naming remains clear and fully legible. Ribbon is present but shows folding and light service wear. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
