Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Legion of Merit attributed to Colonel H. E. De Lee, Ordnance Department, U.S. Army - involved in ‘Exercise Tiger’, off Slapton Sands, 28 April 1944

Legion of Merit, Legionnaire’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, unnamed, with full wrap brooch numbered, ‘7655’, in damaged case of issue, nearly extremely fine £160-200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of American Medals.

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The Headquarters detachment of the 101st Ordnance and Ammunition Battalion and attached medical detachment was activated at Fort McCleland, Alabama on 27 August 1942; at the time, the unit was assigned to H.Q. 16th Detachment, Special Troops, Second Army. In September 1942 the Headquarters detachment was commanded by Major De Lee, who in March 1943 was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. The unit was posted to England in November 1943. In April 1944, Lieutenant-Colonel De Lee and others from his unit served in ‘Exercise Tiger’. As part of a rehearsal for the Normandy landings, on the night of 28 April 1944, eight Landing Craft Tanks with their lone escort, H.M.S. Azalea, were en-route to Slapton Sands. They were attacked by nine German E-Boats, which sank two L.C.T’s. and damaged a third. Of the 4,000 men involved in the exercise, nearly a quarter were killed. Lieutenant-Colonel De Lee was one of the lucky ones to survive the debacle. Such was the secrecy and embarrassment at the losses, the casualties were not linked to the exercise but were included amongst those of the Normandy Landings instead. On 3 June 1944 he and others sailed from Cardiff aboard the U.S.S. Susan B. Anthony. On 7 June 1944 the unit was offloaded to a British destroyer and thence by landing craft to the coast of Normandy, the U.S.S. Susan B. Anthony being sunk soon after all personnel had been removed from her. Once landed their prime function was the organisation of ammunition dumps on the beach and inland. On 30 July 1944 De Lee was assigned to the 71st Ordnance Group.

Lieutenant-Colonel De Lee of the 71st Ordnance Group was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with gilt star in January 1945. Colonel De Lee (Army Serial No. 0476916), Ordnance Department, U.S. Army, awarded the Legion of Merit, Legionnaire in June 1945, for service in the European theatre of operations during 25 July 1944-15 April 1945.

With official copied papers re the award of the Croix de Guerre; official copied papers re the award of the Legion of Merit; papers re the unit history of the Headquarters, 101st Ordnance Ammunition Battalion in which De Lee is several times mentioned, and a group photograph, taken 23 April 1944, including De Lee.