Description General Service Medal, EIIR, bar Canal Zone, T/22549472 Driver B.G. O’Leary, Royal Army Service Corps. Officially impressed: “T/22549472 Dvr B G O’Leary, R.A.S.C.” An earlier issue with officially impressed naming. The Canal Zone clasp to the medal was not instituted until October 2003, 50 years after it had been earned, by Prime Minister Tony Blair following a long campaign by veterans. It was to be awarded for 30 days of continuous service between 16th October 1951 until 19th October 1954, during the lead-up to the “Suez Crisis” of 1956. The only likely man we can find would be Bryan G O’Leary 1933-2014. Born on 21st April 1933 in Stepney, London he would have been the right age of about 18 years old to be on his National Service during the qualification period, and would also happen to have lived to see the medal decades later. His service number corresponds to Mid 1951 enlistment at which time he was just turning 18.
