The Collection of Medals formed by Dr A W Stott

A Normandy M.M. group of five awarded to Fusilier Colin Lees, 2/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
Military Medal, G.VI.R. (14422342 Fsr. C. Lees, Lan. Fus.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, nearly extremely fine (5)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals Formed By Dr A W Stott.

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M.M. London Gazette 19 October 1944.

‘At TESSEL WOOD, Normandy, on 16th July, 1944, for volunteering to help his Platoon Commander (Lieut. J. Walsh who was awarded the Military Cross) to rescue a wounded man who was lying out in the open under intense mortar fire. Whilst doing this he was himself wounded by a mortar bomb, but completed the rescue and immediately went forward again to rescue another wounded man. After this he refused to go back to the Regimental Aid Post to have his wound attended to but stayed with his Platoon throughout the action. His courage and disregard for his own safety were an inspiration to every member of his Platoon.’

The 2/5th Battalion had a very short active service history in the Second World War, having spent most of the war on the East Coast as a defence Battalion. In June 1944 the Battalion landed at Courcelles-sur-Mer, and on 8 July it began its first attack on the villages of Malon and La Folie. On the 16th July the battalion was supporting the 5th East Lans. who were attacking the village of Vendes, east of Tessel Wood. The Germans counter-attacked with tanks and the 2/5th Battalion’s positions around Tessel Wood were saturated with shell and mortar fire all night, causing heavy casualties. This was the only Military Medal won by the 2/5th Battalion during the war.