GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY
1338
A fine Second World War Italy operations group of six awarded to Lance-Corporal J. E. B. Green, 6th Royal Tank
Regiment (R.A.C.)
MILITARY MEDAL, G.VI.R. (5575589 L. Cpl. J. E. B. Green, R. Tank R.), in its original named box of issue, and forwarding
box; 1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR; ITALY STAR; DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS 1939-45, together with Buckingham Palace forwarding
letter for the M.M. and a wartime copy of the original recommendation, generally extremely fine (6) £1200-1400
M.M. London Gazette 5 July 1945. The original recommendation for an immediate award states:
‘On 10 April 1945, ‘B’ Squadron was in action between the Senio and Santerno rivers with the 4th Carpathian Battalion. The country
was close and flat. The Squadron was advancing along one road towards the Lugo Canal. Lance-Corporal Green was driving the Troop
Sergeant’s tank. On approaching position 286337, the tank was fired on by a SP 75mm. gun 400 yards to his left front. The tank was
negotiating a difficult ditch at the time and Lance-Corporal Green had the visor open. The tank was hit by a solid shot on the visor. The
shot was deflected and did not penetrate, but broke the visor and temporarily blinded the driver. A piece of the visor hit Lance-Corporal
Green’s left leg and damaged it. The tank commander ordered the tank to move to cover of a house and to fire the rear smoke. Lance-
Corporal Green, although temporarily blinded, found the smoke switch and drove the tank on instructions from the tank commander.
The tank was again hit but not damaged and was able to reach cover from where it engaged the enemy. On returning to night leaguer,
Lance-Corporal Green, although suffering from blast and a damaged leg, refused to be evacuated and worked all night on his tank,
replacing the visor and repairing other damaged parts. The tank was in action the next day. This N.C.O’s prompt action saved the tank,
and his courage and determination were an inspiration to all.’
John Edgar Brian Green was serving in the 6th Royal Tank Regiment (R.A.C.) at the time of the above cited deeds, a component of 7th
Armoured Brigade, 2nd Polish Corps.
1339
A rare and well-documented Second World War Italy operations Stretcher Bearer’s M.M. group of six awarded to
Corporal E. J. Slade, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
MILITARY MEDAL, G.VI.R. (13020903 L. Cpl. E. J. Slade, Bedfs. & Herts. R.), in its original card box of issue, complete with
outer packaging and registered envelope; 1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR, clasp, 1st Army; ITALY STAR; DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS,
M.I.D. oak leaf, with original addressed card forwarding box for the latter, and two Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Regiment badges, the first with minor official correction to unit, extremely fine (6) £1800-2200
One of just 14 Military Medals (M.M.) awarded to men of the Bedfordshire and
Hertfordshire Regiment in the 1939-45 War.
M.M. London Gazette 8 March 1945. The original recommendation for an
immediate award states:
‘On 18 September 1944, Lance-Corporal Slade was attached as a Stretcher
Bearer to a Company attacking C. Brioli. During the assault the Company
Commander and his runner were hit by M.G. fire. By himself, with complete
disregard to his own safety, Lance-Corporal Slade went forward at once across
the open and, amidst the firing, dressed the wounds of the officer and man and
brought them back to the safety of a house. He then supervised the dressing and
evacuation of the other casualties on the bullet swept battlefield.
On the night of 30 September 1944, his Company were still holding their
position and subject to heavy shelling, which buried three men. Helping to
unearth the men with the shells still falling around him, Lance-Corporal Slade
tended to them, comforting two of them who shortly afterwards died in his arms.
This N.C.O. has been almost continually in action for eight months and these
acts of courage are merely the culmination of sustained and unselfish devotion to
duty of the highest order.’
Mention in despatches London Gazette 29 November 1945.
Edward Joseph Slade, who was born in London in November 1916, was a fish
salesman prior to enlisting for the duration of hostilities in April 1940. Posted to
the 2nd Battalion, the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment in October of the
same year, he went on to serve in North Africa and in Italy, mainly as a Stretcher
Bearer, and was awarded the M.M. and a “mention” for the latter theatre of war.
He was discharged to the Army Reserve in June 1946.
Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including Buckingham Palace King’s letter for the M.M., in the name of ‘13020903 L.
/Cpl. E. J. Slade, M.M., The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment’, together with related War Office forwarding letter, dated 18
April 1945, and a copy of the London Gazette announcing the award; M.I.D. certificate in the name of ‘Lance-Corporal E. J. Slade, M.
M., The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment’, dated 29 November 1945, with envelope and related Infantry Record Office
forwarding letter, this dated 25 July 1947, and War Office communication forwarding the oak leaf; a First Aid booklet, carried no doubt
by the recipient while serving as a Stretcher Bearer; his Post Office Savings Bank book; Soldier’s Service and Pay Book; Soldier’s
Release Book, Class ‘A’; Certificate of Transfer to the Army Reserve; Record of Service card; an Army Medical Service British I.D. card,
issued in February 1945; a medical chart recording the recipient’s ‘renal glycosuria curve’, dated 8 January 1946 at No. 97 (B.) General
Hospital; several wartime photographs, and half-a-dozen or so hand drawn Christmas and birthday cards, as sent by the recipient to his
wife while on active service; and assorted cloth uniform rank, regimental and divisional insignia.
www.dnw.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259 |
Page 260 |
Page 261 |
Page 262 |
Page 263 |
Page 264 |
Page 265 |
Page 266 |
Page 267 |
Page 268 |
Page 269 |
Page 270 |
Page 271 |
Page 272 |
Page 273 |
Page 274 |
Page 275 |
Page 276 |
Page 277 |
Page 278 |
Page 279 |
Page 280 |
Page 281 |
Page 282 |
Page 283 |
Page 284 |
Page 285