Orders, Decorations and Medals

A particularly fine Second World War Italy operations M.M. group of six awarded to Private E. Davies, Essex Regiment, who displayed courage of a high order after being severely wounded by an anti-personnel mine - notwithstanding ‘a broken arm and many other wounds in the body and legs’, he remained on his wireless set for four and a half hours, thereby ensuring the safe evacuation of his patrol.

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (3532485 Pte. E. Davies, Essex R.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, generally extremely fine (6) £1200-1400

M.M. London Gazette 21 September 1944. The original recommendation states:
‘On the evening of 18-19 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 F.D.Ls, he sprang 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 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 H.Q. 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 a 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.’

Emlyn Davies was from Monkseaton, near Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.