A Taunton Somerset / Architect interest Second World War & Indian Independence medal group of 3: Major Stuart Henry Sprankling, Royal Engineers

Stuart Henry Sprankling, son of Ernest Sprankling (a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects L.R.I.B.A., 19 December 1910) and Mabel Beatrice Sprankling (nee Pope) was a native of, Taunton, Somerset, England, where he was born on, 26 May 1907. At the time of the compilation of the 1911 National Census for England & Wales, Stuart was living with his parents and older sibling sister Dorothy Muriel Sprankling (5), at their residence located at, Brookland, South Road, Taunton, Somerset, England. During the inter-war years, Stuart followed in the footsteps of his father, and pursued a career as an architect & surveyor (later becoming a Member of the Institute of Registered Architects). In the years receding the Second World War, father and son worked together in the same family business

Stuart Sprankling was granted an emergency commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 20 March 1942. His subsequent promotions were; Temporary Captain, 20 January 1944; Appointed Staff Officer, Royal Engineers, 3rd Grade (SORE3), Directorate of Works, Engineer-in-Chief's Branch, HQ Staff of the Army in India, on 4 September 1944. Following the independence of India on 14 August 1947, he accepted an appointment to remain in India on an 'attached' appointment basis, and it was for his services in India from 1 January 1948 - December 1949, that he qualified for the India Independence Medal - a scarce award to a British Army officer. Extant immigration records (passenger shipping manifests held at The National Archives) show that Major Sprankling - together with his wife- returned to the United Kingdom from India in January 1950, having prior embarked at the port of Bombay, India, aboard the P & O Steam Navigation Company liner S.S.'Strathmore', disembarking at the port of London on 14 January 1950. Start Sprankling relinquished his commission on 16 December 1953, at which time he was granted the honorary rank of Major

In 1951, Stuart Sprankling and his wife Mary Sprankling (nee Rushton) relocated to East Africa, the couple embarking at the port of London on 24 April 1951, aboard the P & O Liner  S.S. 'Leicestershire' for destination. Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika. In later years, the Sprankling's relocated to the Republic of South Africa, where Stuart is recorded to have died  on, 12 April 1981

See item code 25924 for the Special Constabulary Medal awarded to the recipient's father

Condition: EF

Code: 25962