Calling all the British and Commonwealth Veterans of this Forum

Did you ever take part in any specific action where someone you was fighting alongside was awarded a medal or indeed yourself?

The reason I ask is, as some of you may be aware one of my areas of interest is citations from WW2. I would like to look up and post the citation(s) (assuming I can find it/them) and then for you to add anymore personal information to the citation to give it a bit more than what was written some 70 odd years ago.

Regards
Andy

 

Drew -
as luck would have it - I got in the way of a couple of 88mm shots to MY side of old Decisive a Churchill IV Tank which sent me to various hospitals for a few months - consequently I missed a great deal of fun - one of which was the awarding of the V.C. to Pte. Ernest Alva(Smokey) Smith of "C" company The Seaforth Regt of Canada at a place called the Savio River, near Cesena in Northern Italy on Oct 22nd 1944.
We had been supporting the 2nd bde of the 1st Canadian Div - Princess Pats - Seaforths and Loyal Eddies all through the Gothic line and beyond in which at some point no doubt Smokey would have ridden on the back of my Tank. We had enjoyed a two day rest with them at Cattolica - two days before I bought it in support of both "A" and "C" companies.

The main reason that we were so close when he did his derring deeds was that my Squadron was bogged down in the swamp like area and his C.O. Budge Bell-Irving a real estate executive from Vancouver - decided to make up Tank buster sections with PIAT's and Tommy guns. Smokey's section leader was wounded by a Panther PzV Tank - and as his citation states - he got rid of three of them and a few PG's !

The next morning one of the PzV's was hauled out of the ditch - checked - cleaned up- and presented to Major Lyall Lusted of Dorking who was C.O. of the "A" sqdn 145th RAC and my friend Walter Pollard of Yorkshire had great fun in stonking the German 1st paras with their own long barrelled special 75mm, until on the 11th November '44 he sadly stood on a schu mine and died in agony two hours later.
Smokey Smith enjoyed representing Canada all over the world as a member of various overseas delegations led by Prime Ministers and Governor Generals until he too died in Vancouver in 2005 -at the age of 91 !
Smokey was a true character...

Cheers
Cheers

 

Drew -
Further to my tale above - this is wot i rote - for the BBc series around five years ago....

BBC - WW2 People's War - Two Great Men

 

Andy

I'm going to grab your kind offer while I can and see if you can solve a 65 year old mystery for me.

The event happened sometime between March and May 1945.

I was with "A" Squadron of 4th QOH and we were up North chasing the Jerries in the closing stages of the war.

As night fell it was the normal practice to cease proceedings and collect in what was referred to as a "lager" where we would re-fuel with ammo, petrol/diesel & then eat, wash and generally catch our breath.

It was on one of these occasions when one of the Sqdrn. Troops came back into camp with everyone on the tanks cockahoop because they had had a lively skirmish with the enemy that had resulted in young Bob Jefford being told that he was being put in for an immediate award.

He was later awarded the MM and I'd love to know the details.

Young Bob can be seen on the top row, 6 chaps to the right from me and to the right of Hewitt, who was the driver on my Honey tank.

Thanks again

Ron

 

Drew - then there was our Paddy from Ould Ireland...

Paddy Quinn, from the South of Ireland, was a lance corporal in"A" squadron of the 145th regt R.A.C. during the fighting in North Africa and close to Medjez el Bab. On a day of "rest", Paddy was sitting on top of the turret of his Churchill Tank cleaning his Besa machine gun, when a German ME109 had a go at strafing the whole squadron . Knowing there would be another pass, Paddy inserted a belt of ammo into his newly cleaned gun, leaned back on the turret, jamming the gun into his side and as the ME109 came over on another strafing run, Paddy fired off half a belt of ammunition at the plane. Some of the bullets damaged the controls in the tail assembly and the plane came down about 200 yards past the camp and killing the pilot

Paddy was awarded the M.M.

Then we had our M.O. Capt.Jack Webb being awarded the M.C.for bringing in some wounded under fire, he just died last year.

Also Major A.G.Kempster awarded the G.C. for saving some of the lads when a grenade fell into the trench...so all in all for a Territorial mob - the 145th RAC did a fine job....
Cheers

 

Cheers Gentlemen,

I'll start work on posts 4 and 5 today and will let you know if I find them and I'll start a thread for each award found.

Regards
Andy

 

In the Autumn of 1944 at the SS training camp North of Venraij. Lt Boyce MC RE, too me to one side and informed me that I had been awarded the C in Cs commendation. Known as "Monty's Certificates"

Shortly after I was wounded again, but this time severely. I was flown back to the UK. I am still waiting for that award. I have approached the MOD, and others They told me that there was no such an award... So I sent them a picture of one.

I am still waiting 65 years on.... That patriotic 19 year old earned it.. Not for bravery, but for service above the level that could be expected... Was I ever? Seems daft now...But not then!
Sapper
PS I am still waiting !

 

Hi Tom,

I searched for Quinn and Military Medal, that returned 7 men with none in the RAC, one was 3 RTR called James Graham Quinn though. I then searched Royal Armoured Corps, Africa, Military Medal and returned 36 men but again no match.

Any further clues on this man?

Ref Webb, I've found a listing for a Captain John Francis Webb MC, Royal Armoured Corps awarded North Africa (Algeria/Tunisia) - Is this the man?

Regards
Andy

 

Hi Drew – I don’t know if this is what you are after, but the old chap I am helping with his memories showed me a photo of one of his Indian Army ORs from when he was a Captain with the 4th Field Regiment, Indian Artillery in Burma 1945.

On the back of the Indian soldier’s photo was written “Naik Bandu Jadhao - decorated for extreme gallantry (in my presence) in mid 1945 in Burma”

Richard vividly remembered the Naik and following Richard’s report on the incident the fact that the Naik was decorated with a MM. Unfortunately he couldn’t remember at all what transpired to make him worthy of being recommended for a medal. Richard’s memory comes and goes – some things he remembers in vivid detail and others are a complete blank.

I pointed out to him that if the Naik did something brave in Richard’s presence then maybe he was in danger at the time too, but he swears he never did anything of great importance.

Anyway, after much searching I found a gazettal for an MiD for the Naik (10.5654 MID - Mentioned in Dispatches – gazette August 1945) - as the war came to a close units were shuffled around and Richard believed his recommendation for a MM was followed through.

Is it possible to find out the actual citation that led to this honour?? If so it might give me some more memory prodders for Richard.

 

Drew - thought I had answered you - don't know too much about Paddy Quinn but he wore his ribbon just about every day except on his denims - he came from SOUTHERN Ireland but that shouldn't make any difference - the 145th RAC came from the 8th Batt Dukes so perhaps he is listed there ?

Capt Webb sounds about right ...
Cheers

 

Hi Tom,

Posted Capt Webb for you.....quite a citation. As for Quinn no joy I'm affraid.

Dave........Sent you a message ref the Indian chap.

 

In the Autumn of 1944 at the SS training camp North of Venraij. Lt Boyce MC RE, too me to one side and informed me that I had been awarded the C in Cs commendation. Known as "Monty's Certificates"

Shortly after I was wounded again, but this time severely. I was flown back to the UK. I am still waiting for that award. I have approached the MOD, and others They told me that there was no such an award... So I sent them a picture of one.

I am still waiting 65 years on.... That patriotic 19 year old earned it.. Not for bravery, but for service above the level that could be expected... Was I ever? Seems daft now...But not then!
Sapper
PS I am still waiting !

Hi Brian,

Only one Boyce listed with a Military Cross and that was in Italy in 1945, he was Royal Artillery.

I did a search of your unit - '246 Field Company RE' and there are eight members who received awards and they are as follows:

Lt. John Sparks

Maj. Nigel Gell

Maj. David Willison

Lt. Charles Fotheringham

L/Sgt James Levio

Cpl. George Hall

Lt. Arthur Heal

Sgt William Bohlen

Were you with any of the above at the time they earned their medal?

Cheers
Andy

 

...Bob Jefford being told that he was being put in for an immediate award.

Sorry to butt in, gents, I was bored...

Here's Tpr Jefford's citation:

 

Then we had our M.O. Capt.Jack Webb being awarded the M.C.for bringing in some wounded under fire, he just died last year.

Found him:

(No joy with Paddy Quinn, though. Maj Kempster is listed but I haven't downloaded WO 373/68 yet)

 

In the Autumn of 1944 at the SS training camp North of Venraij. Lt Boyce MC RE, too me to one side and informed me that I had been awarded the C in Cs commendation. Known as "Monty's Certificates"

Not sure what prompted me to try 'Boyse', but it worked:

 

On the back of the Indian soldier’s photo was written “Naik Bandu Jadhao - decorated for extreme gallantry (in my presence) in mid 1945 in Burma”

His MiD citation seems to have survived but I haven't downloaded this series yet. Might be worth reiterating that they can be got for free - details here.

Edit: It's not a clean copy but here it is.

 

Idler

Many thanks for the pdf file.

Ron

 

As a matter of general interest, 65 years after the event and, until I saw the actual commendation record, I was firmly convinced that Jefford's first name was Bob.

I now see from his records that he was actually Philip Raymond.

There are a couple of options open here.

It could be a simple matter of my memory playing me false, equally it could have been that he used neither the name Phil or Ray but preferred to be known as Bob.

I found, in my own case, that only a few personal friends knew me as Ron, most of the chaps knew me as "Goldy" ,based on my surname.

 

Drew Mate.That list is short of a few others That I know for certain... We had men with MMs. Sorry about the mix up with Boyse and Boyce.

Boyse is correct. Where are Sapper Ellis and L/Cpl Boulton of "Hillman fame" among others that won awards.
Sapper

 

Brian were you with any of them when they earned their medals - As much as I love ya I'm not searching for all of them unless you was there at the time to add some more to the citation


Cheers
Andy