Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Second War 1940 ‘Fort Capuzzo - night attack’ M.M. group of five awarded to Corporal L. F. Edmonds, 6th Royal Tank Regiment, attached 7th Hussars for the action. He was subsequently taken P.O.W., and killed when his Italian transport Sebastiano Veniero was attacked by a British submarine whilst travelling from Tripoli to Italy, 9 December 1941

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (7886393 Cpl. L. F. Edmonds. R. Tank R.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine (5) £1,200-£1,600

M.M. London Gazette 29 November 1940:

‘On the night of 29th June, 1940, this N.C.O. was in command of a Light tank attached to “B” Sqdn, 7th Hussars for a night attack on Capuzzo.

He used his searchlight on the Fort at close range enabling the other tanks to obtain observation until ordered to put it out. Owing to a failure of the inter-communication in the tank his driver failed to retire with the rest of the tanks when ordered to do so. The tank was struck by a small shell knocking out the driver and dazing the gunner. The suspension of the tank was also damaged by the shock. Cpl. Edmonds managed to revive the driver and ordered him to continue to drive on, urging his gunner to keep firing on the guns which were on three sides of him. He succeeded in penetrating the defences, and when almost clear the tank failed to negotiate the barbed wire defences on the opposite side. Although being shown up by Verey lights and the Fort searchlight, he dismounted and cut through the wire with wire cutters and succeeded in making a path through which the tank could pass.

Later he managed to rejoin his own Squadron which was acting as rearguard, and remained on patrol under fire until the Squadron returned to laager. In addition to the above he has always shown zeal and dash beyond the normal when engaged on operations in the Capuzzo area.’

Lionel Frank Edmonds served during the Second War with the 6th Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps. He was attached to the 7th Hussars for the night attack on Fort Capuzzo, Libya, 29 June 1940. Edmonds was subsequently taken prisoner of war, and was killed with over 500 other POW’s , when being transported aboard the Sebastiano Veniero from Tripoli to Italy, 9 December 1941. The latter was torpedoed by the British submarine Porpoise. Edmonds is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt.