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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 305

'As we were going into the attack he got a beastly wound in the leg below the knee and a bullet through his thigh. When he was hit he said to me and the others, "Here you are, take these, I won't be needing them," and handed over the Bren gun magazines he was carrying. After this he could not be evacuated as the stretcher bearers could not get up to him owing to the heavy enemy fire.

We were later forced to withdraw and he could not be carried back. I was left unwounded on the position when the enemy reoccupied it and saw your son and another wounded soldier. The enemy withdrew and said they were sending up an ambulance for these two. I managed to walk out to our own lines, and we sent up a Bren carrier, which picked up both the wounded.

Your son was very plucky when being moved, and never complained once. He was sent back in an ambulance, but had not the strength to stand the journey and died on the way. The M.O. said that his wounds were so bad that they must have been numb, so that he would have felt little pain, thank God …

I can only finish by saying what a fine example he was to everyone. When badly wounded, he never complained. It was one of the bravest things I've ever seen.'

The fate of Private Edwin Thompson, 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, as described by his Company Commander, Captain P. H. M. May, M.C., in a letter to Edwin's father; the original letter is included.

A poignant Second World War campaign group of three awarded to Private E. Thompson, Durham Light Infantry, who died of wounds during the 1st Battalion's costly assault on Fort Capuzzo in the Western Desert in May 1941

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, extremely fine (3)

Edwin Thompson was born in May 1921 and was educated at Craven Street School, Hull, prior to working for Pearce's Sawmills.

In early 1939, however, he enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry and was posted to the 1st Battalion, which unit disembarked at Port Said in March 1940.

Having already seen action in the Western Desert, the Battalion was assigned to Operation "Brevity", namely an attack on enemy held territory between Sollum and Fort Capuzzo.

Going into action alongside elements of the 22nd Guards Brigade and 4th Royal Tanks Regiment on 15 May 1941, the 1st Durhams captured the fort at the point of the bayonet but suffered heavy casualties to heavy machine-gun and Breda fire in the process.

Here, then, the moment when Thompson was mortally wounded. Five hours later, a counter-attack by eight Panzers compelled the Durhams to retreat with a loss of 11 officers and 185 other ranks killed or wounded.

The son of Brian and Maude Thompson, of Hull, Edwin is today buried in Halfaya-Sollum War Cemetery.

An indication of the gallantry displayed by the Durhams is reflected in the recommendation for the Military Cross (M.C.) awarded to Captain P. H. M. May, Thompson's Company Commander:

'During the initial attack on the Customs House area on 15 May 1941, Captain May's company came under heavy machine-gun and Breda fire and all his Platoon Commanders were killed. Captain May at once took control and led a bayonet attack on the Customs House, where a number of the enemy were killed with the bayonet, onto a position 500 yards beyond his objective which was captured again. His personal courage and example were largely responsible for the capture of the objective, which was held in the face of intense machine-gun and Breda fire for five hours. It was [only] given up in the face of a strong counter-attack with tanks.'

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including:

(i)
Durham Light Infantry Depot 'Permanent Pass' in the name of '4453566 Pte. Thomson, E.', dated 24 March 1939.

(ii)
An Infantry Record Office communication addressed to the recipient's father, confirming his loss to wounds on 15 May 1941, in the Middle East.

(iii)
The above cited letter from Captain P. H. M. May, M.C., dated 5 June 1941, as sent to the recipient's father from the Western Desert.

(iv)
A War Office communication confirming the recipient's burial at Halfaya-Sollum War Cemetery, dated 20 May 1944, together with a copy of the Imperial War Graves Commission's burial register for the cemetery (Part II), this last in its original O.H.M.S. envelope addressed to 'Mr. & Mrs. F. B. Thompson, 32 Whitworth Street, Holderness Road, Hull, S. Yorks.'

(v)
One or two documents relating to the recipient's brother, Frank, who served in the 6th Battalion (Royal Welch) Parachute Regiment, 2nd Parachute Brigade, M.E.F.

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Sold for
£70

Starting price
£70