Auction Catalogue

25 February 2015

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations and Medals

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Lot

№ 619

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25 February 2015

Hammer Price:
£1,800

‘In a Normandy meadow they are painting four swastikas on a 17-pounder anti-tank gun, a gun that made a name for herself overnight. The two men who shared her moonlight adventure told me their story yesterday, writes a military observer ... ’

A newspaper feature sets the scene.


A fine Second World War Normandy operations M.M. awarded to Bombardier J. Campbell, Royal Artillery

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (866797 Bmbr. J. Campbell, R.A.), in its named card box of issue and forwarding box, extremely fine £1000-1200

M.M. London Gazette 21 December 1944. The original recommendation for an immediate award - approved by Montgomery - states:

‘On the evening of 4 August 1944, Bombardier Campbell, who was 2nd-in-command and layer on a 17-pounder Anti-Tank gun, gave his No. 1 all possible help in getting his gun forward under fire to consolidate the position about Maisoncelle, captured by the Scots Guards’ company attached to 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards.

At 0100 hours on 5 August 1944, the position was attacked by enemy infantry with tanks. Acting as loader to Lance-Sergeant Harris, Bombardier Campbell gave him every possible assistance. As the leading enemy tank approached their position, Lance-Sergeant Harris layed on and with his first shot scored a direct hit. This shot, however, revealed their position and the two following tanks immediately opened fire on them at close range. Lance-Sergeant Harris laid on each of these in turn, firing one round at each tank, scoring direct hits which caused both tanks to burst into flames. Bombardier Campbell then continued to engage the enemy with small arms fire. A few hours later these two N.C.Os scored a hit on one of six other enemy tanks which approached their position, and caused the others to disperse.

Throughout the night Bombardier Campbell showed the greatest bravery and enterprise thoigh under fire from enemy tanks at 100 yards range. The very able assistance he gave Lance-Sergeant Harris and the splendid team work of these two N.C.Os on the gun, played a very large part in preventing the Scots Guards’ company from being overrun.

Stanley John “Jock” Campbell, who was from Restalrig Square, Edinburgh, was serving in ‘G’ Troop, ‘Z’ Battery, 21 Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A., at the time of the above cited deeds. The following extracts have been taken from a copied newspaper feature, which is included:

‘The gun, known as G4 was supporting an attack. A Nazi sniper, who managed to crawl up to within three yards of G4 and wounded a Guardsman, was killed at point-blank range by the wounded Guardsman’s mate a moment later. Then came the rumble of tanks to the right. It happened that when the first tank appeared only the Sergeant and Bombardier [Campbell] were on the gun, for two of the crew were firing the machine-gun at a score of enemy infantry who had shown themselves, and the remaining two had gone to the assistance of a wounded Guards Sergeant. The first German tank rumbled into G4’s arc of fire from the right, only 40 yards away, and Sergeant Harris leapt into the layer’s seat. Bombardier Campbell seized one of the heavy armour-piercing shells ready to reload as soon as the Sergeant fired ... ’

‘no sooner had the Bombardier loaded again than tank No. 3 appeared. G4 fired, and, in a second it, too, went up in flames. And hardly had the second muffled cheer gone up from our infantry than tank No. 1, which had rumbled on for 200 yards apparently undamaged, suddenly ‘brewed up’ as well. Inside a couple of minutes G4 had made a name for herself, and her three victims were blazing luridly in the moonlight ... ’

‘That was the end of G4’s big night. Sergeant Harris and Bombardier Campbell had fired four rounds of ammunition. Their score with those four rounds was three enemy tanks killed, one fatally wounded. Several enemy tank men had been killed but none of G4’s crew had suffered a scratch. The Anti-Tank Regiment in question has made an impressive reputation for itself in fighting on three sectors of the British front, but Sergeant Harris and Bombardier Campbell have no rivals to date ... ’