Medals from the Collection of Peter and Dee Helmore

Six: Lance Corporal R. L. Allsford, Devonshire Regiment, and No. 3 Commando, who took part in the Dieppe Raid and the Commando raids in Sicily; was wounded in action during the capture of Ponte dei Malati Bridge; and later took part in the successful amphibious landings by British Commandoes behind enemy lines at Termoli, Italy in October 1943

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Efficiency Medal G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial (5619290 Pte. R. Allsford. Devon) mounted as worn, good very fine (6) £160-£200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Peter and Dee Helmore.

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Richard Lewis Allsford was born in Ilfracombe in 1922. By trade a Plumber he attested for the Territorial Army giving his age as 17 at Ilfracombe on 15 April 1937, his true age at the time being 15. Posted to the 6th (Territorial) Battalion Devonshire Regiment he attended annual camp in both 1937 and 1938 and was appointed Lance Corporal in April 1939, going on to win the welterweight contest at the Ilfracombe Boxing Tournament held on 21 June 1939. Posted to the newly formed 9th Battalion he was embodied for War service on 2 September 1939 and was promoted Acting Corporal on 11 September 1939. Volunteering for commando training he was posted to No 10 Troop, No 8 Commando Training Regiment at Windsor on 31 October 1940 before being posted to No 3 Commando at Largs, Scotland, on 5 March 1941.

Allsford embarked with No 3 Commando (under Lieutenant-Colonel J. Durnford-Slater) at Newhaven aboard LCPs for Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid, on 18 August 1942, tasked with landing on Yellow Beach to silence the battery near Berneval-le-Grand to the east of Dieppe. He disembarked at Weymouth from the operation on 19 August 1942; the fact that his service record states he returned to Weymouth and not Newhaven indicating he may possibly have been with Major Peter Young’s group that successfully engaged the Berneval-le-Grand battery (see Dieppe, a Necessary Failure by Henry Buckton) and as such was fortunate to return to Weymouth, the remainder of No 3 Commando engaged at Dieppe being either killed or taken prisoner of war.

Allsford embarked for Gibraltar on 28 February 1943, and thence to Algiers and Egypt, prior to seeing further active service with No. 3 Commando during Operation Husky, the Invasion of Sicily, and landed at 0300hrs near Cassible, where they successfully captured and destroyed the guns on 10 July 1943. Next embarking with No 3 Commando on H.M.S. Prince Albert they landed behind enemy lines at Agnone on 13 July to capture the Ponte dei Malati Bridge over the River Leonardo on 14 July 1943. It was during this action that Lance Corporal Allsford was wounded in action and admitted to S.A. 106 General Hospital.

Discharged back to his unit Allsford was sufficiently recovered to land with No. 3 Commando at San Vanere, Italy on 8 September 1943 and then to proceed to Bari, arriving on 19 September. The final operation for No. 3 Commando in Italy commenced when they embarked at Manfredonia for Operation Devon, the successful amphibious landing by British Commandoes behind enemy lines at Termoli on 3 October 1943. Termoli was held against repeated infantry and armoured counter-attacks until the arrival of the Eighth Army on 6 October 1943. No. 3 Commando received orders to prepare to return to UK and finally disembarked at Liverpool on 4 January 1944. Granted leave he was posted to Holding Commando at Hexham relinquishing his Lance appointment on 31 March 1944. Posted to 30th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, having been medically downgraded to B5 on 25 January 1945, he returned to the 6th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment on 23 November 1945. Finally released to the Army Reserve on 21 May 1946 he was awarded his Efficiency Medal in July 1946. He died at Combe Martin, Devon, on 3 March 1991, aged 68.

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