Auction Catalogue

25 & 26 March 2014

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

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Lot

№ 1202

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26 March 2014

Hammer Price:
£1,950

A rare Second World War Greece operations M.M. group of six awarded to Corporal J. Kenyon, 46th Royal Tank Corps, who was decorated for his gallantry in action against elements of ELAS at Piraeues in December 1944

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (7949695 Cpl. J. Kenyon, R. Tank R.), with the lid of named card box of issue; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine (6) £1200-1500

M.M. London Gazette 15 March 1945. The original recommendation states:

‘At Piraeues on 14 December 1944, ‘D’ Company of the 3rd Baluchis was held up by heavy machine-gun fire coming down a side street. In spite of every effort, the post could not be located and the advance could not proceed.

Corporal Kenyon drove his tank into the street and, with complete disregard for his own safety, deliberately stood up in the turret to attract fire. The machine-gun opened up on him immediately, narrowly missing him. Not, however, till he has discovered the exact location of the gun did he get back into his tank. He then drove up and silenced the gun.

His gallant action was an inspiration to all who witnessed it and his complete disregard for his own safety saved the lives of many others and allowed the advance to proceed and the objective to be taken.’

And of Kenyon’s unit’s part in the campaign, the following extract is taken from a Short History of the 46th Royal Tank Regiment:

The 23rd Armoured Brigade, now designated “ARKFORCE” and commanded by Brigadier R. H. B. Arkwright, landed in Greece on 16 October 1944, to find that the Germans had departed a few days earlier and that the country as a whole, and Athens in particular, were in pretty chaotic state.

As far as the 46th were concerned (and perhaps the whole British force as well) the most important happening during the seven weeks before the Communist revolution was the arrival in Athens of 24 Sherman tanks; ‘C’ Squadron reverted to command 46th immediately and with some assistance from ‘A’ were just about able to find sufficient crews to man the whole lot. The revolution lasted a month and for the greater part of this time virtually the only armour available was the armoured car squadron and this one large tank squadron.


The course of the Athens revolution was made up largely of a long series of alarms and false alarms punctuated by some bitter fighting with at least one major enemy attack which came perilously close to success. Reference to this siege of Athens would not be complete without mentioning the extremely skilful manner in which Brigadier Arkwright kept the enemy at bay with just a handful of troops. As the port of Piraeus was cut off from Athens proper, it was necessary for many days to convoy all vehicles between the two points. This work was largely carried out by ‘A’ Squadron who, in addition, were often required for other offensive operations. The tanks were in constant demand and it was no unusual thing to find five or six troops operating simultaneously on different parts of the front; it was quite a common practice to employ tanks singly with a section of infantry in street fighting. Owing to the enemy's lack of armour-piercing weapons, the chief danger to the crews was from sniping, and a number of commanders became casualties in this way.

‘B’ Squadron's activities with 50th Tanks were crowded with incidents. When the revolution began two troops were guarding the Marathon Dam, about 10 miles north of Athens, and most of the rest of the Squadron were guarding the Pallini wireless station about the same distance away in an easterly direction. Both parties were cut off but were supplied at intervals by the R.A.F. On 28 December the Marathon troops decided to make the journey on foot over 15 miles of mountains and rough country to join the Pallini party and this was carried out without serious incident after an arduous 12 hours’ march. Three days’ later the Pallini station was subjected to a fierce night attack by the enemy which the Squadron, fighting as infantry it should be remembered, successfully repelled. It was decided, however, to make an attempt to evacuate the Squadron on 31 December and this was accomplished, without opposition, by mobilising most of the armoured vehicles available in Athens (recently augmented by the arrival of the K.D.G.).

The enemy now saw that the British meant business and with the arrival of still more reinforcements it was only a question of time before the revolt collapsed. The rebels finally withdrew during the night of 4-5 January, some to the mountains, but a great many just mingled back into the crowd and a few days later joined in the great parade of thanksgiving to the British for the part they played in liberating Athens. The whole operation certainly had its humorous side; nevertheless the casualty list of the 46th alone, amounting to nearly 60, will emphasise that for the most part this had been war in earnest with little quarter given by either side.’