WW2 Italian Campaign Salarola May 1944 Minefield Rescue Military Medal (Immediate) Group of Six – Pte. E. Davies, 1st/4th Bn. Essex Regiment

A second world war Italian Campaign, Salarola May 1944 Minefield Rescue ‘immediate’ MM group of six awarded to Private Emlyn Davies, 1st/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment, who distinguished himself during the Italian Campaign, when a wireless operator serving with a fighting patrol beyond Tank Hill near Salarona on the night of 18th to 19th May 1944.

George VI Military Medal named to 3532485 Pte. E. Davies. Essex R. 
1939-45 Star unnamed as issued 
Africa Star unnamed as issued 
Italy Star unnamed as issued 
WW2 Defence Medal unnamed as issued 
War Medal 1939-45 unnamed as issued 

The medals are in good condition and are mounted court style for display.

London Gazette: 21st September 1944 (M.M.)
The recommendation reads as follows:

  ‘On the evening of 18th/19th May 1944 Private Davies, equipped with a No.38 wireless set, was a member of a fighting patrol working beyond Tank Hill, Salarola. At about 2200 hours the patrol entered a minefield and exploded an Anti-Personnel mine, with the result that four men were wounded. Whilst the patrol commander was leading the patrol back to our Forward Defence Lines he sprung a tripwire attached to another Anti-Personnel mine and exploded it also. The patrol was somewhat bunched, as the first lot of wounded were being carried. Casualties were now increased to: the officer commanding the patrol and four other ranks killed and ten other ranks wounded. This left only four men unhurt. =

  Private Davies was among the wounded, having suffered severely with a broken arm and many other wounds in the body and legs. The noise of the exploding mine had been heard by our forward troops, but the exact position of the patrol could not be ascertained from this sound. The use of the wireless set was therefore essential in order to inform battalion headquarters of the patrol’s whereabouts, to warn the rescue party of the possibility of more mines and to report the extent of the casualties. Private Davies at once realised this and, although suffering severe pain, continued to transmit concise and lucid reports for a period of approximately four and a half hours. As the result of his cool directions the rescue party, led by a mine detecting party, arrived on the scene. There is no doubt that, but for the staunch courage displayed by Private Davies and the confidence he bred by telling the wounded of the progress of help, further deaths would have resulted from loss of blood and possibly more mines would have been exploded by the rescue party or by men of the patrol trying to get out of the minefield.’