Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The unique ‘Palestine 1945-48’ M.M. group of seven awarded to Sergeant D. K. Ritchie, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, who, armed only with a Tommy-gun, single-handedly repelled a concentrated attack by at least 20 terrorists of the Irgun Zvai Leumi on the Armoury of the R.E.M.E. Depot, Tel-Aviv, 27 December 1945. Ritchie was subjected to attack by hand-grenades, and successfully fought off a Bren-gun during the action against the terrorists who were dressed as British soldiers

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (83216 Cfn. D. K. Ritchie. R.E.M.E.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (83216 Cpl. D. K. Ritchie. M.M. R.E.M.E.); Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial (83216. Cpl. D. K. Ritchie. M.M. R.E.M.E.) mounted as worn, generally good very fine (7) £3,000-£4,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

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Provenance: Glendinings, June 1987.

M.M. London Gazette 18 April 1946.
The original recommendation (for a B.E.M.) states: ‘On 27 Dec 45 No 83216 Craftsman Ritchie D.K. was sentry on the Armoury of his unit at Tel Aviv, Palestine. At 1920 hours a raid by armed men with Rifles, TSMGs & Grenades was made, and the door adjoining the armoury blown in immobilising the guard. Craftsman Ritchie alone under heavy fire of small arms and grenades advanced & engaged the attackers with his TSMG at close quarters, causing casualties to the raiders. It was entirely due to the sole efforts and gallantry of Craftsman Ritchie that an attack by approximately 20 armed men was repulsed and the attackers failed in attaining their objective.
Very strongly recommended as it was entirely due to this one man that that this attack was defeated.’

The above event, which was featured in the newspapers including The Times, is additionally recorded:
‘At about 7.30 in the evening on the 27th December, 1945, some 40 or 50 Jews, members of a terrorist organisation known as Irgun Zvai Leumi, and armed with automatic weapons and explosives, cut through the perimeter wire of a British Army camp. They were dressed in British battledress and wearing steel helmets. After they had entered the camp they encountered several British soldiers, one of whom, a lance-corporal, was killed, the rest being taken prisoner. The terrorists then split into two groups, one group entering billet, into which they threw a bomb. The second group made for the primary target, the armoury, which was situated inside the Q.M. Stores. They attached explosives to the large sliding doors of the stores, which blew them open. The explosions and gunfire had, of course, alerted the one-man guard inside the armoury, and when they entered the building he had no difficulty, fortunately, in identifying the raiders, despite the fact that they were wearing British battledress, for the British troops never wore steel helmets on the camp. He immediately opened fire on them with his Tommy-gun to which the raiders replied from several quarters, and, whilst avoiding the effects of at least two grenades which were thrown at him he carried on a duel with a Bren-gun which was being used against him, in addition to other types of weapons. After some time the terrorists withdrew from the building, and, after the “retreat” (the British Army call) had been sounded by one of their men on a bugle, they also withdrew from the camp, taking an estimated 5 or 6 dead or wounded with them (they also took the mortally wounded British lance-corporal with them, whom they left on an adjoining football ground, the Maccabi Stadium).’

9 servicemen were killed during the attack.

1 of only 7 M.M.’s awarded for Palestine 1945-48, and unique to the R.E.M.E.

David Keith Ritchie was born in Dundee, Scotland in September 1921. He enlisted in the Territorial Army in May 1939, and initially served with the Royal Army Service Corps prior to transferring to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1942. Ritchie advanced to Acting Sergeant in January 1946, and was discharged in November 1950. After service he was employed as a Secondary School Teacher, and he died at Glenrothes in December 2006.

Sold with copied research.