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Auction: 22133 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 969

Three: Private M. J. Morley, 8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, who was taken a Prisoner of War at the Battle of Tretten, Norway on 23 April 1940

1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., Territorial (4976486 Pte. M. J. Morley. Foresters.), very fine (3)

M. J. Morley was taken a Prisoner of War with the 8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters in Norway on 23 April 1940.

The Brigade (Brig H de R Morgan), consisting of the 8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (TA) (Lt Col T A Ford) and 5th Leicesters (TA), was at half strength on sailing for Norway with only two companies of Leicesters embarked and the third battalion (4th Lincolns) deployed with 146 Brigade for the direct assault on Namsos. The merchant ship Cederbank carrying the anti-tank artillery, communications equipment, Bren carriers, motor transport, and most of the ammunition and food was torpedoed and sunk during passage.

The Brigade disembarked at Andalsnes on 18 April with the battle dress, rifles and personal ammunition they stood in and with no transport. During passage, Brigadier Morgan had received 3 signalled changes to his orders, the final one being to turn south at Dombas and assist the remnants of the Norwegian Army to stem the advance North from Oslo of the German army spearheaded by the Armoured Division "Pellengahr". Relying on Norwegian trains as a means of reaching the front, the Brigade moved south to Lillehammer in the Gudbrandsal valley.

On 19 April, 148 Brigade made contact with German forces in the open valley south of Lillehammer and staged a fighting withdrawal north to allow the remnants of the Norwegian army to pass through their positions and regroup. After four days of constant fighting in Arctic conditions and with very little food or sleep, the brigade made a stand about a mile south of the village of Tretten, to prevent the road bridge falling into enemy hands and thus cutting off the Norwegian "Dahl Force" which was retreating on the opposite side of the valley.

The Vardekampen Hights was chosen as a defensive position as it protruded into the valley at a farmhouse called Rindheim and descended steeply to the valley road which in turn had a steep gorge dropping away from it to the valley below. It was hoped this narrow front would prevent Austrian ski troops from turning the Brigade's left flank which had been a feature of all previous engagements further south. British troops, with help from Norwegian civilians, hastily prepared rock defensive positions in the pine forests, as it was impossible to dig trenches in the frozen grounds.

The battle at Tretten commenced early on 23 April and lasted all day. Subjected to continuous mortar and machine gun fire (the Foresters mortar platoon only had smoke ammunition), the hungry and cold Territorial soldiers, armed only with rifles and limited ammunition, attempted to stem armoured and ski troops overrunning their positions and taking the strategically important bridge at Tretten. These forward positions were eventually overrun as tanks and supporting infantry passed through them and continued north to take the village of Tretten where hand to hand street fighting took place between the Germans and Brigade rear echelons/reserve companies. At about 2100hrs, after a day of constant fighting, detached Brigade staff volunteered to form a rearguard to the north of the village to allow the remnants of the Brigade to withdraw. Pockets of Sherwood Foresters continued to fight on the slopes of the Vardekampen Heights until nightfall but all were eventually silenced.

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Sold for
£210

Starting price
£100