Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War 1943 ‘North Africa’ M.M. group of four awarded to Private L. A. Jones, 2/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, who was severely wounded at Oued Sedjenane, Tunisia, 10 February 1943

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (4862721 Pte. L. A. Jones. Leic. R.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, light contact marks, very fine (4) £1,000-£1,400

M.M. London Gazette 8 April 1943, the original recommendation states:

‘At Oued Sedjenane on Feb. 10th 1943 Pte Jones was badly wounded in the leg while accompanying his platoon commander Lieut. Dumenil in an attack on a strongly held enemy position. Although the remainder of the platoon was pinned down by fire, he crawled forward to his platoon commander who had advanced to the objective. Pte Jones, although injured and in great pain, crawled for a distance of over 200 yards carrying a wireless set in an attempt to re-establish communication. On reaching Lieut. Dumenil he collapsed.

There can be no question that his devotion to duty was of an exceptionally high order.’

Leonard Arthur Jones was born in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire in 1932, and enlisted in the Leicestershire Regiment in June 1940. He served with the 2/5th Battalion in North Africa as part of 46th Infantry Division, and distinguished himself at Sedjenane, Tunisia, 10 February 1943 - his M.M. being the first won by the Battalion during the North African campaign. Jones was severely wounded during the action, and was discharged as no longer physically fit for war service, 15 August 1943. He died in Rochester, Kent in 2009.