2007744 Sapper Richard Frederick Ellis MM, Royal Engineers

Sapper Richard Frederick Ellis MM, 246 Field Company, 3rd British Division, 1 Corps, Royal Engineers.

Awarded Military Medal.

On 6 Jun 44 Spr Ellis was one of an assault mine clearance team of 3 men attached to A Coy 1 Suffolk who were ordered to capture the heavily defended strong point Hillman.

The perimeter was protected by a minefield. Accordingly A Coy Comd ordered the assault mine clearance team to search and mark an infantry lane through the belt in accordance with the assault technique of the division.

The belt to be searched was about fifty yards deep over ground which provided no cover. It was under fire from concrete emplacements within two hundred yards and from manned weapon pits even closer.

Under cover of the fire of A Coy the mine clearance team crawled forward. Spr Ellis with a mine detector was in the lead supported by a mate for taping the path and a reserve detector man to give local smoke cover with grenades. The latter was severely wounded by machine gun bullets during this action.

Working with the utmost coolness and total disregard for his own safety Spr Ellis successfully took the lane through the minefield, a distance of about 50 yds and enabled the infantry to enter the position. The Coy Commander and the leading Section Commander were amongst the several casualties incurred during this breaching operation.


Dated 31.8.45

 

Sapper Ellis of my company. 246 Field Company RE. With L/Cpl Boulton MM and Lt A Heal RE C de G. all being part of my company. 246 Fld Co RE.

These three small Sapper companies. 17. 246. and 253. won more gallantry awards than any other regiment or Corps. 43 to be precise, and with a lot less man than the battalions.

I am justly proud of my company, that took part in every battle that took place, and for their great deeds.....

Eighth Brigade always led. With 246 RE up..... They were the very best. The Very very best. To such a degree, they earned a special mention in the RE History. I make no apology for singing their praises.... The record of this Company was something special.
Sapper

 

Cheers Brian,

Can you add anymore to the citation, were you with Spr Ellis, is the citation accurate, what was Ellis like as a man? The idea of this 'project' for want of a better word, is to bring more information/detail to these men that were awarded medals for their efforts who you, the veterans served with.

Regards
Andy

 

No I was not with that small team. In practice, the RE are spread far and wide at times, ans rarely get together as a complete unit. Some with the infantry, some with Recce... tanks... all over the place. All though I can recall events with great clarity putting dates and sequences together is quite beyond me.

When I write about happenings.. Don't ever ask me why I get them in the wrong order I could not tell you... The only reason that I know when I was wounded the first time, on the 8th of August, was because I saw it in the company war diary.
Sapper