Award MiD Lt-Col. H.S.K. Mainwaring, Royal Artillery H.Q. 8th Army Camp 49 Italy

brithm · Aug 25, 2022

Award Mentioned in Despatches Lt-Col. Hugh Salisbury Kynaston Mainwaring, D.S.O. (30735) R.A., H.Q. 8th Army

ESCAPES FROM CAMP 49 (FONTANELLATO). ITALY

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AWARDS

(1) After the Armistice with Italy, the Italian Commandant of this camp handed over to the Senior British Officer, who organised P/W into companies and ordered them to be ready to march out at five minutes’ notice on the sounding of the alarm by the camp bugler. The alarm was sounded at 1300 hours on 9th September 1943 and everything went according to plan.

(2) I recommend the following officers for the awards shown, brief particulars being given in the enclosures stated opposite their names:-

Following his capture at MERSA MATRUH on 7th November 1942, Lt.-Col. MAINWARING was imprisoned at POPPI and FONTANELLATO (Camp 49).

Whilst at the latter camp he was in charge of its organisation for any emergency and another senior officer has stated that Lt.-Col. MAINWARING did a great deal towards keeping up the morale of the P/W. During the evacuation of the camp on 9th September 1943, the work of Lt.-Col. MAINWARING largely contributed to the success of the enterprise.

After the dispersal of all the P/W Lt.-Col. MAINWARING travelled south with two other officers. They posed as Italian soldiers returning to their homes and as he was unable to speak many Italian words, he pretend to be suffering from a nervous breakdown. British troopers were met at CASACALENDA on 13th October 1943.
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WO 373/96/474

Foreign to British: USA Legion of Merit Degree of Officer

PROPOSED CITATION FOR LEGION OF MERIT

Degree of Officer

HUGH SALISBURY KYNASTON MAINWARING, CBE, DSO, 30735, Brigadier, British Army, Allied Force Headquarters, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services in Italy from 28th January to 16th December 1944. As Chief of the General Staff Section, Operations Headquarters Allied Armies in Italy, an integrated British and American staff section, Brigadier Mainwaring ably coordinated the activities of all the operational staff sections and advised his superiors on matters of policy in connection with operations. He displayed outstanding tactical judgement and skill and won the respect and confidence of his superiors by the soundness and thoroughness of his plans and recommendations. The clarity and conciseness with which he presented complicated operational situations and problems was of great assistance to commanders and staff officers with matters pertaining to the press insured an equitable and accurate presentation of the news without jeopardising the security of operations and by his leadership he welded the Operations section, compose of both British and American personnel, into a smoothly operating cooperative team. The results produced by Brigadier Mainwaring contributed greatly to the success of the Allied Forces in Italy.
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WO 373/148/404

Distinguished Service Order

This Officer has performed the duties of G.1 Operations at HQ Eighth Army throughout the withdrawal from GAZALA until now. He has never lost his grip during most trying and dangerous periods when situations were continually changing. In spite of changes in Army Commanders and high staff officers. Lt.-Col. MAINWARING has served in each turn wholeheartedly and with distinction. His calmness and conscientiousness has proved a most valuable example to those under him and of the greatest value to Eighth Army as a whole.

The excellent so-operation between the RAF and the Eighth Army can in no small way be attributed to his efforts in this direction. Lt-Col. MAINWARING has served on active fronts continuously for 22 months and in spite this he still shows no sign of ‘wear and tear’.

His experience has proved, and continues to prove, of the greatest value to Eighth Army.
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WO 373/23/6

Commander of the British Empire

Brigadier MAINWARING undertook the duties of B.G.S. at this Headquarters in the middle of the civil insurrection in Greece when the operational and political situation was complex in the highest degree. His very great energy and his power of rapidly grasping the essentials of a problem enabled him to play a very important part as regard both the development of the operation and the subsequent negotiations. These negotiations were of a most exacting nature and Brigadier MAINWARING’s keen understanding of the problem contributed greatly to their success.
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WO 373/146/212

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Award MiD Lt-Col. H.S.K. Mainwaring, Royal Artillery H.Q. 8th Army Camp 49 Italy

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Award MiD Lt-Col. H.S.K. Mainwaring, Royal Artillery H.Q. 8th Army Camp 49 Italy

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