Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Korea Medal awarded to Lance Corporal W. D. Pugh, 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, who was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry as a signaller at Naeoch’on in October 1951, when a comrade of his - Lance Corporal E. W. Poole - was recommended for the Victoria Cross, ultimately leading to the award of the Regiment’s first D.C.M. of the campaign
Korea 1950-53, Canadian issue, silver (B-800203 W. D. Pugh) good very fine £400-£500

M.M. Canada Gazette 29 December 1951.

The original recommendation states: ‘Private Pugh, 2nd Battalion, the Royal Canadian Regiment, showed initiative and extreme courage far beyond the call of duty, on 3 October 1951. Private Pugh, a Signaller with ‘B’ Company, was left at the Company Firm Base during an attack on a strongly held enemy position on the Naeoch’on Feature, Korea. He listened to the messages being passed by his company in the early stages of the battle. Shortly thereafter, the Company came under intense mortar and shell fire and he heard no further messages being passed. Private Pugh, rightly assuming that the Signaller with the Company Commander had become a casualty, without waiting for instructions, proceeded forward under intense enemy fire to join his Company Headquarters. On arrival, he quickly located the company 300 set which had been damaged by shell fire and endeavoured to re-establish communications in order that the hard-pressed company could call for supporting fire. However, the aerial had been blown from the set. Private Pugh ascertained the approximate area where the Signaller had been wounded, and without thought of his own safety crawled forward two hundred yards under intense fire to search for the aerial. Finding the spare aerial, he returned quickly, adjusted the aerial, netted the set and re-established communications. By his action it was possible for the Company Commander to call down tank and artillery supporting fire which silenced an enemy tank and enabled the company to move again. Private Pugh’s resourcefulness and devotion to duty under fire was an important factor in the success of the company attack and an inspiration to all ranks of Company ‘B’.’

Wilfred Denis Pugh was born in Toronto, Canada in November 1926. He enlisted in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment in August 1950, and served in the Far East from April 1951. Pugh advanced to Lance Corporal in October 1951, and was discharged in August 1952.

The Regimental History gives the following additional detail behind his gallantry at Naeoch’on:

‘On the late afternoon of October 4th [sic] C Company of Second Battalion passed through D Company on Hill 187 and thrust on for about 500 yards to another crest. Here artillery fire was encountered. B Company, in similar fashion, having passed through the Patricias, began to work forward along a spur of high ground. It was pinned down and it owed its extrication to the gallantry of the attached artillery observer, his bombardier and Pte. W. D. Pugh, a company signaller who continued in the open after his officer was killed, relaying orders to the guns. The mortar and tank protective fire enabled the Company to withdraw from an untenable position. B Company incurred 13 casualties and the energy and courage of Cpl. E. W. Poole [recommended for the Victoria Cross] of the stretcher bearers, who searched the undergrowth for wounded and undoubtedly saved a number of lives, was recognised by the award of the first Distinguished Conduct Medal of the campaign.’
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