Medals 17-18 May 16

GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 139

A fine Second World War North Africa operations M.M. group of five awarded to Sergeant W. Bacon, 2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, attached 9th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade, who was originally recommended for a D.C.M. for his close range encounter with enemy armour and artillery at Charruba in January 1942

MILITARYMEDAL, G.VI.R. (1069150 Sjt. W. Bacon, R.A.); 1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR; DEFENCE ANDWARMEDALS 1939-45, good very fine (5)

£1100-1300 M.M. London Gazette 23 April 1942. The original recommendation - for a D.C.M. - states:

‘On Saturday 31 January 1942, Sergeant Bacon’s gun with one other were part of a small forward column, with one company of the 9th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade, at Charubba. Here they were cut off from the rest of the British Forces by an enemy column. No R.H.A. officer was with this party. The enemy was encountered as they endeavoured to rejoin the main force. Without further orders, Sergeant Bacon at once brought his gun into action in the open and knocked out an enemy armoured car. With the assistance of the other gun some tanks were driven off. It was then decided to split the Company, one gun going with each half. Sergeant Bacon’s party was to give covering fire while the other half advanced. When the advance began an enemy gun opened up. Sergeant Bacon’s gun at once silenced it, thus preserving the half-company which was then out in the open. Throughout there was considerable enemy machine-gun fire and Sergeant Bacon showed great coolness, dash and initiative. The following extracts from the Company Commander’s war diary refer to this action:

‘The fire of the 25-pounders forced the enemy armoured cars south, but not before one had been put out of action by a direct hit.’ ‘The remaining gun knocked out the enemy field gun.’

‘The winch gear of the Quod was continually being used to drag out trucks from the mud.’ ‘The 25-pounder got into action very quickly.’ ’

William Bacon, who was born in March 1907, enlisted in the Royal Artillery at Newcastle in August 1926 and served in the R.H.A. until placed on the Army Reserve in September 1933.

Called-up on the outbreak of hostilities, he was appointed a Lance-Bombardier in April 1940 and saw action with the B.E.F. in France in the following month. He was next embarked for the Middle East but also saw action in the withdrawal from Greece in March-April 1941. Back in Egypt, where he was advanced to Sergeant in July 1941, he went on to win his M.M. for the above cited deeds in 2nd Regiment R.H.A. but was wounded in action in July 1942, when he was admitted to hospital with a ‘bomb wound in the back, perforated’. Nonetheless , he remained employed in Egypt until September 1944 and was released from the Service in December 1945.

Sold with the recipient’s original Soldier’s Service and Pay Book, Regular Army Certificate of Service and Soldier’s Class ‘A’ Release Book, together with Buckingham Palace investiture tickets (2), dated 6 February 1945, a War Office letter confirming his medal entitlement and a Concert Programme for ‘I’ (Bull’s Troop) R.H.A. on 5 May 1932.

www.dnw.co.uk

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