Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War evader’s M.M. group of four awarded to Private E. D. Harwood, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, who, seriously wounded and surrounded by the enemy in a burning house on the Albert Canal in Holland in September 1944, nonetheless made it back to British lines after evading capture for nine days

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (14433425 Pte. E. D. Harwood, K.S.L.I.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, the first with minor edge bruise, generally good very fine (4) £1800-2200

M.M. London Gazette 26 July 1945. The original recommendation - with three other soldiers from his battalion - states:

‘Privates H. Leay and E. F. Bates found they had been left behind on the roof of a house, after an attempt to form a bridgehead on the north side of the Albert Canal, Holland, on 6 September 1944.

Through their house being set on fire they were compelled to take shelter in another house, where they found Private E. D. Harwood, who had been badly wounded and Private B. K. Rigden who had remained behind to help him.

Although they had exhausted all their ammunition and were surrounded by Germans, these four men never thought of surrender, even when this house was in turn set on fire by the enemy. For 36 hours it burned, but rain eventually put out the fire, which by that time had gutted the two lower floors of the building. Driven out by hunger after five days, they left the building by a blanket rope; Rigden went in search of food, whilst the others explored routes to the canal. A close study of the enemy’s movements enabled them to get through the area of a guarded ammunition dump. Their journey of approximately one mile took ten hours, during which they narrowly escaped capture on many occasions.

A heavy morning mist enabled them to cross a railway bridge and to reach Allied lines, where they were able to give valuable military information.

These four Privates showed, individually and collectively, a fine fighting spirit during nine days of encirclement by the enemy, during which time they were without ammunition and had practically no food or water.’

Edward Desmond Harwood was serving in the 4th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, part of 11th Armoured Division, at the time of the above cited deeds. The Division landed on Juno Beach on D-Day plus 8 and was subsequently deployed in all major operations of the 2nd British Army, including Operations “Epsom”, “Goodwood” and “Bluecoat”, much of the time fighting elite S.S. Divisions. And throughout this period Harwood and his fellow Shropshires were much to the fore, the above action on the Albert Canal taking place shortly after the relief of Antwerp - an action which had to be called off owing to the scale and ferocity of the enemy’s fire.