Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

‘Your husband was admitted here on the 19th, and I am sorry to say is on the Dangerously Ill List. He is suffering from a fracture of his left leg, head injuries, and many small shot wounds. I do hope to soon be able to send you better news. Be sure that every care will be taken of him for you.’

A letter to Corporal Elsmere’s wife from Matron M. Irving, Q.A.I.M.N.S., written at 92 British General Hospital, C.M.F., in July 1944, refers. He died four days later.


A well-documented and poignant Second World War Italy operations M.M. group of six awarded to Corporal E. V. Elsmere, Rifle Brigade, a gallant stretcher bearer who saved many lives prior to his death from wounds in July 1944

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (6921293 A. Cpl. E. V. Elsmere, Rif. Brig.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine or better (6) £1600-1800

M.M. London Gazette 7 December 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘For showing the utmost gallantry and devotion to duty in the attack on Monte Malba on 20 June 1944, and during subsequent counter-attacks.

On 20 June 1944, Corporal Elsmere acted as stretcher bearer to the company detailed to capture Malba. Under intense mortar and machine-gun fire in an exposed position, he personally carried in two men who had been wounded. Throughout the action, he was continually tending the wounded in the most exposed positions.

By this complete disregard for his own safety, and great skill and determination, Corporal Elsmere undoubtedly saved the lives of many wounded and enabled them to be safely evacuated. His courage and devotion were an inspiration to all.’

Edward Victor Elsmere was born in October 1912 and, prior to his enlistment in the Rifle Brigade at Winchester in May 1941, was employed as a First Aid worker for Wandsworth Borough Council.

North Africa - baptism of fire

Posted to the 7th Battalion as a Medical Orderly in North Africa in 1942, he quickly saw action, a letter sent to his wife in June 1943 describing a number of occasions when he came under fire:

‘The evening of the afternoon we joined the Battalion, we started off for the front line. We travelled all night through minefields and passed the guns of the famous Alamein Barrage, through a sector that had been taken by the H.D. two hours previously, and dug ourselves in at first light with everything Jerry had whistling about our ears. We had hardly got a foot down when a first class tank battle started and “Dante’s Inferno” would seem like a Curate’s tea party compared to it - when getting out of your slit trench to relieve yourself was as dangerous as going over the Niagara Falls in a barrel, and by way of variation we were dive-bombed by Stukas, and our own Bostons pattern bombed some Jerry tanks within 300 yards of our trenches. The same night it was a case of swords in the moonlight. We went in but were pinned to the ground by a terrific crossfire from the machine-guns, and as I lay flat the moon shone on my steel helmet and lit up that shiny patch that Michael and Graham [his young son and a friend] rubbed on it when I was on leave, and as I lay there with the tracer whizzing about six inches from my nut, I could have spanked the hide off them both. Anyway, we had to withdraw, taking our wounded with us ... ’

His extensive letter also describes some memorable scenes of coolness under fire:

‘The things I most remember are my first dive-bombing - you can see the bomb falling towards you ... an English officer who jumped out of his tank which had a hole knocked it, waved his hat towards the Jerry gunners who fired it, and shouted “Jolly good shooting”; also one of our tank lads leaning out of the turret of his “General Lee”, having a smoke, shells whistling all round him, and saying by way of conversation, “These 88s are hot mate, ain’t they?”. And he just carried on smoking as casual as you like.’

Italy - M.M. - mortally wounded

Elsmere’s determination to evacuate the 7th Battalion’s wounded continued apace in Italy, a case in point being an incident that occurred near Arezzo prior to his M.M.-winning exploits at Monte Malba, near Peruga, in June 1944. As per his own words quoted in a newspaper feature:

‘Our positions were just below the summit of the hill and the Jerries were just over the other side. I took three stretcher bearers with me, and walked up the hill. We found one of our Sergeants, who had been pinned down in a slit trench all night. He was all right and we went on to what had been our forward positions the night before. All of a sudden, someone said, “Hands up!” and I saw two Germans seven yards away in a well camouflaged slit trench. I was looking straight down the muzzle of their machine-gun. I raised my hands instinctively. To my surprise I found I wasn't as scared as I should have been. I turned and pointed to the Red Cross flag saying, “You can't do that to us, we're under the Red Cross flag.” I suppose I must have said it confidently enough to impress them, for they lowered the gun and allowed us to carry on with our work.

I went back to Battalion H.Q. and collected some burial parties. We made twelve trips to the hilltop, and the Germans did not interfere with us. Four of them in another slit trench were not as friendly as the ones we had met, and kept us covered with their guns the whole time. I think they were itching to find an excuse to shoot us. We buried several enemy dead as well as our own, and the two Germans pointed out where some of the bodies lay.

One of them asked me in German if I had found all my comrades. I told him there were two unaccounted for and he said that two had been taken prisoner. I said, “Danke schon,” and went back to our lines. As we had seen the German positions we made it a point of honour not to shell them for the remainder of the day.’

This remarkable incident is also recounted in a letter from Major Fyffe of ‘C’ Company, 7th Battalion, who wrote to the recipient’s widow in August 1944. The same letter refers to Elsmere’s subsequent gallantry at Monte Malba - ‘it was quite one of the best deserved M.Ms it has been my privilege to see’ - in addition to lamenting his loss:

‘I’m afraid all this can do nothing to make up for your loss of such an exceptional person as your husband was. But at least you will know what I and the whole company thought about him. I may say that we have lost a number of valuable men in this campaign, but that the Company was more upset about Corporal Elsmere than any other individual man. You see they had such absolute confidence that if they got hit, he would be sure to see them through.’

On which date Elsmere was wounded remains unknown, although he was admitted to 92 British General Hospital on 19 July 1944. Sadly, however, as confirmed by a second letter from Matron M. Irving, Q.A.I.M.N.S., he died of his wounds a few days later:

‘As you know, he had so many injuries due to gunshot wounds, the worst of which were head injuries. He was in a good deal of pain and could only be kept moderately comfortable by means of drugs. I think, in time, you will come to agree that he has had a merciful release from constant suffering and with a brain injury it is difficult to know what the future would have held for him had he lived ... He was only with us for five days and we made him as comfortable as possible and he had constant care and attention from highly skilled doctors and nurses in a modern British hospital ... He was buried this afternoon in the Allied Cemetery where his grave will be carefully tended for all times.’

The Naples War Cemetery, which was established in November 1943.

His children, Rosemary and Michael, subsequently attended a Buckingham Palace investiture with their mother, Myra.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Soldier’s Service and Pay Book, with opening endorsement, ‘Old book lost. New book issued 25.3.44’, together with the above quoted letter to his wife, sent from North Africa in July 1943, 7pp.; the letter from Major Fyffe of ‘C’ Company, 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade, as also partly quoted above; another letter, from a comrade who saw him in No. 92 British General Hospital, namely Rifleman R. Duke, this dated 5 October 1944, 6pp. (’Ted deserved more than the M.M. ... ’); two letters from Matron M. Irving, Q.A.I.M.N.S., of 92 British General Hospital, as partly quoted above; and official letters from Rifle Records, Winchester, dated 22 September 1944, and the War Office, dated 13 February 1945.