A Second World War ‘North Africa’ M.M. awarded to Corporal L. F. Edmonds, Royal Tank Regiment, killed by ‘friendly fire’ whilst a prisoner of the Italians, 9 December 1941

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (7886393 Cpl., R. Tank R.) nearly extremely fine £1000-1200

M.M. London Gazette 29 November 1940. Recommendation reads, ‘On the night of 29th June, 1940, this N.C.O. was in command of a Light tank attached to “B” Sqdn, 7th Hussars for a night attack on Capuzzo. He used his searchlight on the Fort at close range enabling the other tanks to obtain observation until ordered to put it out. Owing to a failure of the inter-communication in the tank his driver failed to retire with the rest of the tanks when ordered to do so. The tank was struck by a small shell knocking out the driver and dazing the gunner. The suspension of the tank was also damaged by the shock. Cpl. Edmonds managed to revive the driver and ordered him to continue to drive on, urging his gunner to keep firing on the guns which were on three sides of him. He succeeded in penetrating the defences, and when almost clear the tank failed to negotiate the barbed wire defences on the opposite side. Although being shown up by Verey lights and the Fort searchlight, he dismounted and cut through the wire with wirecutters and succeeded in making a path through which the tank could pass. Later he managed to rejoin his own Squadron which was acting as rearguard, and remained on patrol under fire until the Squadron returned to laager. In addition to the above he has always shown zeal and dash beyond the normal when engaged on operations in the Capuzzo area’.

Corporal Lionel Frank Edmonds, 6th Royal Tank Regiment, attached “B” Squadron 7th Hussars, was awarded the M.M. for his bravery in the attack on Fort Capuzzo, on the night of 29 June 1940. Later taken a prisoner-of-war by the Italians, he was killed when the Italian S.S. Sebastiano Vernier, in which he and other prisoners were being transported, was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine Porpoise, on 9 December 1941, five miles south of Navarino. His body was never recovered and his name was commemorated on the Alamein Memorial. See also ‘No Known Grave: Commemorated on the Alamein Memorial’, by Bill Green, O.M.R.S. Journal, Winter 1999. Sold with journal extract and copied research.