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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 41

The campaign group of six to Lance Corporal W. C. Kenna, Special Air Service, late Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, a veteran of the North Africa campaign and who was a member of the Special Raiding Squadron during the Termoli Raid, being wounded in the action on 5 October 1943

General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (2928328 Pte. W. C. Kenna, Camerons.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine (6)

William C. Kenna - or Paddy to his friends and comrades - was born at Birkenhead, Merseyside on 7 August 1914 and originally enlisted into the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, seeing service in Palestine with the 1st Battalion. With the outbreak of the Second World War he was still serving with the Camerons but was to join the Special Air Service, prior to serving in the Italian campaign he was to serve in North Africa, the exact date he joined the SAS is not confirmed.

In April 1943 the 1st S.A.S. Regiment was restyled as the Special Raiding Squadron alongside the 2nd Special Air Service, which came into existence in May 1943 in Algeria. The Special Raiding Squadron was commanded by the legendary Major Robert Blair 'Paddy' Mayne.

The Regiment was to be involved in several famed attacks on Italy, these having been recently portrayed in the hit BBC television series SAS Rogue Heroes, including the Cape Murro di Porco Raid and that onto Bagnara.

Operation Devon, the Termoli Raid, formed part of the attack on the Volturno Line. The line ran from Termoli in the east, along the Biferno River through the Apennine Mountains to the Volturno River in the west. Following the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943, the German forces set up a series of defensive lines across Italy, intended to delay the Allied advance. The Volturno Line was the southernmost of these.

The following is an 'Extract of Private Papers of notes relating to Special Raiding Squadron, 1st S.A.S. Regiment, Operations, July - October 1943' and covered the action at Termoli in October 1943.

'Operation "DEVON":


OBJECTIVE. To land at TERMOLI 822784, with objectives bridges at 852737 and 822698.

METHOD landing from LCIS and LCAS with SS. Bde.

STRENGTH 207 all ranks

PRELIM. MOVEMENTS.

2nd Oct. 1943.

1200 hrs. SS Bde sails from MANFREDONIA. SRS in LCI 179.

EXECUTION of OPERATION

3rd Oct. 0245 hrs LCI 179 signalled in from shore at 805789 by 3 Commando forming bridgehead, but goes aground 50 x from shore.

0300hrs. Sqn lands from LCAS and advances to top of beach ridge over rlwy; No3 Tp leading and to left of remainder. All Tps advance through 3 Commando and over TERMOLI-VASTO road.

SUBSEQUENT MOVEMENTS OF INDIVIDUAL TPS.

No3 Tp. advance across country towards TERMOLI-CAMPO-MARINO road with No1 Tp behind and slightly north.

0530hrs. B Sect (Lt Tonkin) captive 3 Germans walking up wadi at Bridge 828765, but section sniper ambushed and captured. Engage troops in 5 trucks. 2" Mortar sets fire to one truck but is knocked out. Germans surrond section and capture them. 6 men in wadi escape with the prisoners previously taken. Enemy har firing and abandon 3 trucks, striking across country west. Enemy casualties 3 killed, 4 wounded.

A: Sect advance to wadi at 820760 and advance down line of wadi on hearing firing from B. Sect.

0615hrs. Engage fresh party of enemy in wadi and around farm buildings. 822763, and advance scouts fire on enemy farther down, killing one and wounding another. Result: 9 prisoners, 5 killed, 4 wounded. Ours: One officer, one man wounded.

0800hrs. Move down wadi to bridge 828765 and find B. Sect equipment. Contacted at bridge by advance Sect. No.1. Tp.

No.1 Tp. 0530hrs Strike TERMOLI - CAMPOMARINO road at 823769 and advance down towards CAMPOMARINO. At next bend small tracked vehicle (HK 101) with short barrelled 10.5 cm gun, is ambushed. Germans in farm buildings around bend give battle. Part surrender and house is mortared at 0600 hrs. either from 3 Commando, or Germans later engaged by Sqn. HQ. Germans withdraw to next house, finally surrendering at 0700 hrs., when flanked by two sections. Some MT found in these houses. Enemy casualties 14 prisoners, 10 dead. Ours: one man wounded.

0730 hrs. C Sect patrol down wadi to culvert 828770.

0800 hrs. Advance to bridge 828765 and contact A Sect No 3 Tp.

No.2 Tp. 0530 hrs. A Sect take up position on high ground at 813750 B Sect take up position on rising ground east of road junction 803766.

0615hrs. C Sect with mortar det. are fired on from farm building at 816738, and mortar and take this area with nine prisoners.

0900hrs. C Sect. withdraw and take up position on high grund west of farm.

POSITION AT 0900 hrs.

No1 Tp in position at bend of road 828765 with B Sect recce-ing toards road junction 833749.

No 3 Tp. A Sect with No.1 Tp.
No 2 Tp. A Sect in position at 813750
B Sect in position at 803760
C Sect covering mortar det. around 816738

Sqn HQ located at 815775 near road.

FURTHER MOVEMENTS

1100 hrs. No 3 Tp advance down CAMPOMARINO road and contact advanced elements 11 INF Bde, at Rlwy-road bridge 838753, and remain there No1 Tp, C Sect leading, advance along TERMOLI-LARINO road to within 1 kilo of bridge 822698. Bridge blown and no sign of enemy. Halt and take up defensive position.

1300hrs. No 2 Tp. A Sect observe about 200 Germans moving along tracks S. in DIFESA GRANDE. and mortars from 40 Commando area knock out one tracked vehicle. Patrol go forward and find one German, wounded, left behind with the sniper captured from No.3 Tp earlier.

B Sect move South and contact 40 Commando at 790754. Then commence to patrol S. to S. GIACCOMO, but are wirelessed to return as it is to be shelled. Move east to 813765 and remain in position till dark, moving in to TERMOLI next morning, 4 /Oct

C Sect move west to head of wadi 795742 and observe enemy digging in on ridge 800 x west of S. GIACCOMO. Move on to edge of wood 806717, and observe German DR on road to GUGLIONESI, moving up and down between pillboxes on the road. Also observe 1 German fighter plane, probably crashed, at 799698.

1630 hrs. Move back to A Sect at 813760, contacting 11 Bde en route.

Sqn HQ engage a party of Germans, including mortars, about 40 strong, in wadi at bend of road 820775, who evacuated up wadi. A party first attempts to surrender but are fired on by remainder. Whole party captured in wadi by 40 Commando

1100hrs Move up to road junction 833748.

FINAL POSITIONS when relieved by Lanc. Fus. 11 Bde 1630hrs.


No 1 Tp. On CAMPOBASSO-TERMOLI road at rlwy station 817703.


No 2 Tp. A + C Sect in position at 813760
B Sect east of road junction at 804766

No 3 Tp. A Sect on high ground at rlwy junction 838753

Mortars at road bend 823769

Sqn HQ at road junction 833748

Sqn moves into billets at TERMOLI at 1700hrs.

RESUME

Our casualties: 1 killed, 3 wounded, 23 missing

L/C J. Fassam Killed in action 3/10/43. Buried at road junction 833748

Capt. R. Melot MC. wounded 3/10/43.

Ptt O'Gorman "

Ptt Singer "

Missing. Lt. Tonkin; Sgt. Markham; Sgt. McEvoy; L/Cs Cordoner, Swann, Wood, Ainsley, Buckley, Cummins, Brundel, and Vidler; Pcts. Commerie, Masker, Mcbeth, Lea, McKenzie A., Winn, Asquith, Finnimore, Judge, McDonald, and Griffiths.

German Casualties
39 Prisoners, 23 killed and 17 wounded.
Total: 79 Casualties, but one more prisoner taken during the subsequent fighting.
No. 1. Tp.

14 prisoners (5 wounded pris). 10 killed.

No. 2 Tp. and Mortars.

11 prisoners (2 wounded)

No. 3 Tp.

12 Prisoners 8 killed 8 wounded.

Sqn HQ.

2 Prisoners 5 killed 5 wounded.

SUBSEQUENT FIGHTING.

Oct 4th. 1730hrs. A and C Sects No 2 Tp, with C Sect No1. Tp under Major Poat, take up position along east ridge at TORRENTE SINARCA from beach to 797786 to hold a gap in our general front line.

Night 4/5th No activity.

Oct 5th.1000hrs A German group is seen near railway on west ridge.

1300hrs. Heavy shelling mortaring and small arms fire commences.

1400hrs. C Sect No 2 Tp ordered to withdraw into wood 803780 to bolster Recce Regt personnel. On arrival in wood find that they are leaving, abandoning their carriers and A/T guns. Asked to man A/T guns further left, but find that they have been taken out. Advance down into valley in order to cover dead ground in front of 3 Commando.

1700hrs. C Sect closes in to A Sect No 2 Tp., still in original position and whole party commences to withdraw. A Sect No 2 Tp is pinned down in culvert 900x east of bridge 796788, and is unable to get out till dark

Casualties: 1 killed, 4 wounded, several missing from sections.

Meanwhile, heavy shelling of town has commenced and remainder of Sqn, No3 Tp, + B Sect, No2 Tp, about 60 strong, take up position between road and wadi at 823785, facing South, against attack from left flank. Suffer 18 casualties almost wiping out remainder of No.1 Tp, whilst leaving town. In this position till evening.

1 Bofors gun and 6 A/T guns placed under our command during afternoon, and 2 A/T guns move up later to support Major Poat's party.

1730hrs. As the threat, from left flank, lessens except for desultory shelling, No 3 Tp, and B Sect No 2 Tp (Capt Lepine) move across to right sector in position between beach and railway at 820783.
HQ and mortars remain near railway at 825786

1900hrs. Major Poat's party contact 2 SAS in position around goods yard 819785, and takes up position in front and to left of goods yard for the night.'

Kenna is confirmed has having been wounded on 5 October 1943 in this report as well as the official records, in addition to the full listing of those involved in the attack which also confirms his original service number.

At Termoli he was shoulder-to-shoulder with household names like Reg Seekings and with Captain Harrison. Paddy's Men - The Special Raiding Squadron adds more narrative to the events in which he was wounded:

'It was becoming very obvious to everyone that large numbers of German troops had been deployed around Termoli, as there had been a very noticeable increase in their levels of activity and resistance since the landings. C Section had just started a westward move towards the head of a ditch when they observed a group of enemy soldiers who were hastily digging in on a ridge about 800 yards west of San Giacomo. It was decided that the Section should move into a wood where they would have a better vantage point and it was also hoped that this move would afford them better protection. From the cover provided by the trees they would also be able to observe and supply more information on enemy movements.

It proved to be a good move; they were able to watch as some German motorcycle despatch riders moved back and forward between the pillboxes on the road to Guglionesi.

In roughly the same area as the pillboxes, they spotted what appeared to be the outline of a German fighter aircraft that had been camouflaged very roughly and looked as though it might recently have been damaged in a crash. Derrick Harrison ordered four of his men, Bob McDougall, Darkie Rogerson, Paddy Kenna and Bob Seekings, to carry out two-man reconnaissance patrols to determine the strength and movements of the enemy forces.'

It was to be the unit’s last operation in this theatre of war, and a very costly one, for a day or two after the port had been taken, the Germans mounted a serious counter-attack. Ordering his men into a captured enemy truck, to make haste to the main trouble spot, Seekings was just fastening the tailboard when a shell landed right in the middle of the men in the back. He takes up the story:

‘We were smothered in bits of flesh. It was hanging on the ’phone wires, on the roof, a helluva a mess. There was a whole family that had been doing a bit of washing for us - they were just standing there waving us off. They were dead, lying in a heap. The woman must have been split open. The man was blown apart, disembowelled, and a young boy, about twelve years old. One of my men was burning. It was the first time I had seen a body burning and I didn’t realize how fast a body can burn. That was Skinner. He was dead. I was stepping over bodies to get to some water to pour on Skinner, and this young boy was lying on top. His guts were blown out like a huge balloon. He got up and ran away screaming. Terrible sight. I had to shoot him. There was absolutely no hope for him, and you couldn’t let anyone suffer like that.’

The unit took a D.S.O. and 8 M.M.'s for their efforts, in what was to become a Battle Honour for the Special Air Service.

Kenna was to return home, being discharged from on 23 August 1944. He claimed his Second World War Medals in 1958 and died at Wallasey, Cheshire in November 1985.

Sold together with the following archive:

i)
A letter from the MOD Medal Office, dated 11 January 2024, confirming Kenna's Medal entitlement.

ii)
Two paper printouts of photographs of Kenna and his compatriots, both appear to be taken whilst on leave in Palestine in 1943.

iii)
A copy of privately written notes relating to Special Raiding Squadron, 1st SAS Regiment, Operations, July - October 1943 (extracts taken above).


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Estimate
£3,000 to £5,000

Starting price
£2500