Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Burma Immediate M.M. group of four awarded to Corporal H. Kelly, 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (3599479 Cpl. H. Kelly, Bord. R.); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; War Medal, nearly extremely fine (4)

M.M. London Gazette 5 October 1944.

‘At M.S. 18. IMPHAL- UKHRUL road on 12/13 June 1944, Corporal Kelly, with a sec of six men was on patrol in the Thawai area. After investigating Upper Thawai village, the patrol withdrew a short distance from the village, when the leading scout was sniped and killed. The remainder took up a defensive position, and, with the help of two Nagas, two men tried to bring in the body of the scout. This party had moved but a few yards when shots rang out from all around and the four were killed. Meanwhile Kelly and the remaining three men returned the fire of the enemy who appeared from all sides. The patrol were covering the dead body of the scout and when a Jap came down to search the body, he was shot. Kelly, though shot through the arm from behind and the Bren gunner, badly wounded in the back, continued to fire their weapons and killed five more Japs who made several attempts to recover the body of the dead Jap. The patrol, now reduced to two wounded and two unwounded men, formed a box in the thick undergrowth and lay low. The Japs were laughing and shouting all around them, and Cpl Kelly and his men laughed and shouted back. A Jap LMG opened up an hour after the action started, but, although firing about a dozen magazines, failed to inflict any further casualties. Several grenades were also thrown at the party without effect. The last shot was fired at 1830 hrs after two and a half hours of fighting. Cpl Kelly decided to lie low until 2345 hrs when he pulled out during a rain storm. Removing their boots, they crept out and hit the Thoubal River at 0730 hrs next morning. Throughout the two and a half hours action Cpl Kelly showed courage and leadership of an extremely high order, fighting his depleted section with complete coolness and resourcefulness. By his cunning and steadfastness, he was able to disengage his section from the enemy net, and returned to his base with a badly wounded comrade.’