Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Second World War Italy operations M.M. awarded to Naik Samer Singh, 3rd Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment - during the crossing of the Senio river, ‘his action in wiping out the flanking posts undoubtedly saved many casualties’

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (12711 Nk. Samer Singh, 15 Punjab R.), officially impressed naming, nearly extremely fine £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bahadur Collection of Medals to Sikh Regiments.

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M.M. London Gazette 23 August 1945. The original recommendation for an immediate award states:

‘During the attack on the Senio on 9 April 1945, this N.C.O. was the junior Section Commander in the Reserve Platoon of the leading assault company, ‘C’ Company. The enemy started firing machine-guns from a post at the bottom of the bank 50 yards to the right flank. This fire was delaying the following companies and, realising the danger which this post was to the advance, Naik Samer Singh, on his own initiative, took his section off and attacked and cleared the post killing one enemy and taking two prisoners. Having eliminated the post, he returned to his platoon and found that the Platoon Commander, Platoon Havildar and two Section Commanders were casualties. He immeditaely re-organised the 12 men left in the Platoon and led them across the river. He again mopped up a post on the far bank to a flank and then led his platoon forward to the Company’s objective. The leadership, initiative and personal courage shown by this junior N.C.O. were of an exceptionally high order. His action in wiping out the flanking posts undoubtedly saved many casualties to his comrades crossing the river and prevented what might have been a serious check to the advance.’