A fine Second World War escaper’s M.M. group of six awarded to Private F. H. Hills, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), afterwards Royal Artillery: a veteran of three previous escape attempts following his capture at St. Valery in June 1940, and having gained passage in a ship to Algiers, he was finally repatriated to Gibraltar from a Civil Prison in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (6286971 Pte. F. H. Hills, Buffs); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial (6286971 Gnr. F. H. Hills. R.A.), the first with edge bruise, otherwise generally good very fine (6) £1800-2200

M.M. London Gazette 7 March 1941:

‘In recognition of distinguished services in the field.’


Frederick Harry Hills, a native of Wilesborough, Kent, was taken P.O.W. at St. Valery on 12 June 1940.

As detailed in his extensive M.I. 9 debrief, however, he and two comrades gave their German guards the slip while being marched to Renaix in Belgium on 28 June. Initially hiding up in a wood, they made off in a westerly direction towards the coast. Assisted by local villagers - who gave them food and civilian clothing - they met up with two more British escapers at Frasnes before stopping for the night at a farm - ‘here we heard the English news and the Prime Minister’s speech.’

The party having decided to make for the Franco-Belgian border - and fortunate to receive ongoing Belgian assistance - it crossed the frontier at La Plaigne, assisted by a Belgian border guard. On reaching Flines, the British party met an English-speaking Frenchman who gave them a map and further supplies, the latter advising them to make for Spain. Thus ensued some memorable encounters with the Germans. Hills takes up the story:

‘After we left here we walked-on to BUILLE ST. AMAND. Here we saw a crashed German plane and slept about 200 yards away from it at a farm. The next day, as there was a curfew, and everybody had to be indoors at 8 o'clock French time, we could only walk during the day. Leaving this farm we were given a lift in a lorry to AIX and eventually slept at a farm in the village of BERSEE. The next morning our two other pals decided to get a job and work in the Occupied Zone until after the War. Wishing them the best of luck we continued on our way South. We passed a lot of deserted villages, and could get no food during the day. At night, hungry and cold we had to sleep in a hay field. Waking early, we passed through CAMBRAI, and while we were resting, a German Officer came up to us and started talking to us in French. I managed to tell him we were refugees, and we quickly got away from him. The next day we passed ST. QUENTIN and were given a ride by a German soldier for about 10 kms. We carried on to VENDUILLE. Here there were plenty of Germans and we went into the Mayor's deserted house and found some good clothes.

We carried on to TRAVERCY, and SOISSONS. A German Officer in a car stopped us, and told us in French that we were English soldiers who had escaped. I told him that we were Belgian refugees. He asked me for papers, and I told him that we had none. He shook hands with me and said "It doesn't matter, Good Luck", and carried on his way. We walked on to CUCY-LA-CHATEAU and here were given food by some Polish refugees, and slept in a deserted house a few kms away. The next morning we crossed a canal and went on to a village overlooking SOISSONS. Successfully passing SOISSONS, we got a boat and crossed over the canal. We were now fairly near to CHATEAU THIERRY. We crossed the canal the next day and stopped the night with an ex-soldier near CHATEAU THIERRY.

Then we went through a lot of woods and came to L'ECHELLE.  The next day we passed a lot of German troops and slept at a farm a couple of kms from the main road. Later we slept at a farm about 10kms from PROVINS. Early next morning, while going through HERME we were stopped for papers by a German Sentry.  I told him that we were Belgian refugees but we were taken to LENS Prison Camp. Fortunately for us the Germans believed our story, or else we might have been shot. This was on Sunday, the 21st of July 1940.’

One week later, Hills and his comrades managed to escape and, following further adventures, crossed the frontier into Vichy France - with the assistance of an ex-French Army officer who guided them south. Held over night by the French Police at Montlucon - who mistook them for Germans - Hills and his comrades continued on their journey and next reached Avignon, about 100 km. from Marseilles, after hitching a lift in a lorry with some Belgian refugees.

Of subsequent events - and arrests - Hills stated in his M.I. 9 debrief:

‘We left the Belgians there, and after walking 10kms were stopped by Gendarmes and put in gaol for the night. The next morning we were taken back to AVIGNON and put in gaol again. At midday we were taken to MARSEILLES and taken to FORT ST. JEAN to be interned. This was on Thursday August 14th. On September 3rd we got on to a boat and sailed on the 4th to ALGIERS.

Arriving at ALGIERS on the 6th we were stopped for papers and a ticket, and, as we had neither, were put in gaol once again. On the morning of the 10th of September, at 1 o'clock in the morning, I opened the door of our cell and we walked out. Following the coast towards ORAN, we were stopped by Gendarmes, for papers, at a town called CHERCHELL. This was on the morning of the 11th September at about 9 o'clock. CHERCHELL is approximately 100kms from ALGIERS. We were put in gaol again for 4 days and fed on bread and water. Then we were taken to the civil prison for 8 days. After that we were taken to Blida Civil Prison and were in there for almost a month. From Blida Prison we were taken (handcuffed together) to CARNOT, a village in the valley of the ATLAS MOUNTAINS (Oct 19th).

Here there were a lot of British Merchant Seamen and we were interned with them. When we had been there about 8 days, three more soldiers came to the camp. They were Sergt. Hughes, R.A., Bmdr. Hodkisson, R.A. and Pte. Ford. At 4.30am on the morning of the 8th November, we left Camp Carnot and went to ATTAFFS where we got on a train to CASABLANCA. There were about 130 of us in all. Arriving at CASABLANCA, on the 11th of November, we were taken to an Army barracks to await repatriation. We left CASABLANCA on the 28th November at 2.15pm on a trawler of about 900 tons called the "VICTORIA OF BORDEAUX" and arrived in the straits of Gibraltar at about 2pm and then we were taken off this boat onto a smaller craft and then transferred to the Cunard White Star liner "FRANCONIA" at about 7.30pm.’


Hills was awarded the M.M., which distinction he received at a Buckingham Palace investiture in September 1941, when ‘accompanied by his proud mother and his fiancee, Miss Joan Long.’

Sold with a copied newspaper report and two copied letters to the recipient’s parents from the Infantry Records Office, these latter informing them that news had been received of their son’s escape.