Auction Catalogue

25 & 26 June 2008

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

Lot

№ 1251

.

26 June 2008

Hammer Price:
£2,000

A Second World War ‘North Africa’ M.M. awarded to Lance-Serjeant Edward Maher, Irish Guards, who was killed in action in Italy on 26 October 1943

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (2721745 L. Sjt., Ir. Gds.) good very fine £2500-3000

M.M. London Gazette 23 September 1943.

Recommendation reads, ‘1st Bn. Irish Guards, 24th Gds. Bde., 1st British Division’. ‘Tunisia ... Patrol - Banana Ridge, 20/21 April, 1943. L/Sgt. Maher was in No.3 Coy. of this Bn. which was in the 5th Bn. Grenadier Guards area on Banana Ridge on 20 April 1943. He was sent out on a mixed patrol of I.I.G., and 5 G.G., on the night of 20 April to discover routes to the various positions which his Coy. was going to hold as a covering force on the night the Bde was to put in its attack. While on its way back, the party contacted the Germans, who opened fire and killed the Grenadier officer. L/Sgt. Maher, a Corpl. of this Bn., and an officer of the RTC managed to lie low. L/Sgt. Maher had strict instructions not to open fire under any circumstances, as it was extremely desirable that the Germans should not know that anything out of the ordinary was going to happen. The Patrol was then in enemy territory but L/Sgt. Maher managed with great coolness to extricate himself and his party, of which he took charge, as the RTC Officer had only just arrived in this country, and had no experience of Infantry patrol work. Having hidden themselves all night and the next day L/Sgt. Maher brought his party back through our lines the following evening, shortly before the Germans put in an attack. This N.C.O. showed throughout great calmness and power of command in emergency and it is doubtful whether without him the party would have got back. He secured the information he had set out to obtain and obeyed his orders to the last letter. He is an exceptionally fine type of N.C.O. and has proved himself on every occasion he has been committed to battle’.

Serjeant Edward Maher was killed in action in Italy on 26 October 1943. His name is commemorated on the Cassino Memorial. He was the son of Patrick J. and Elizabeth Maher. A photocopied newspaper cutting with the group states that Maher was from Kilbrogan Hill, Bandon, Co. Cork, and that his M.M. was presented to his brother and sister at a Buckingham Palace investiture.