Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An outstanding and rare Second War ‘Dieppe Raid’ M.M. group of seven awarded to Corporal C. H. Blunden, No. 4 Commando (The Rifle Brigade) who, in the final assault on the “Hess” Battery, despite being wounded, ‘continued to destroy the enemy until there were no Germans left alive.’

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (6905806 Cpl. C. H. Buunden. Rif. Brig.) note spelling of surname; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (5349 Pte. C. H. Blunden. Rif. Brig.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; France, Croix de Guerre, reverse dated 1939, mounted as worn, nearly very fine or better (7) £8,000-£12,000

M.M. London Gazette 2 October 1942: ‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the combined attack on Dieppe.’

The original recommendation submitted by Lt. Col. Lord Lovat states:

‘6905806 Corporal Blunden, No. 4 Commando.
OPERATION JUBILEE, DIEPPE AREA, 19th August 1942.
Cpl. Blunden was the Section Leader in Captain Webb’s Troop which played a conspicuous part in the final assault on the Battery. Cpl. Blunden set a high standard of leadership and showed a great example in house-to-house, and hand-to-hand fighting through the Battery buildings. He was wounded, but refused to receive medical attention and continued to destroy the enemy until there were no Germans left alive.’


Orange Beach, the Plan

1. No. 4 Commando, under the command of Lt. Col. The Lord Lovat, were charged with disabling Batterie 813, otherwise known as Hess Battery. Its six 150mm guns were sighted to 8,500 yards and capable of firing 36 rounds at a time, making them very effective for coastal defence. These guns actually had a maximum range of up to 17 miles. They were surrounded by a minefield, anti-aircraft guns and light machine guns and manned by about 100 men.
2. 265 officers and men of No. 4 Commando plus a few US Rangers and Free French troops would attack Hess Battery from the front and rear in two groups.
3. Major Derek Mills-Roberts' team would land on Orange I beach at Vasterival, clear the area of defensive positions and then provide covering fire for the other team.
4. Lord Lovat's group were to land at Orange II beach at Quiberville. He and 164 men then assault Hess and enable accompanying engineers to demolish Hess using explosives.
5. Both teams would then withdraw to the beaches and safety.


The Assault

Orange I: Mills-Roberts' 88 men landed at the right place only 3 minutes behind schedule. Using 2 Bangalore torpedoes, a path was blown through the barbed wire up the gully through the cliffs. When they heard Hess's guns start firing on a convoy of ships out to sea, Team 1 decided to abandon the defence-clearing part of the mission and make their way straight towards the target, the Battery itself. On reaching the Battery, Team 1 took cover in a nearby barn and started sniping at the Germans using rifle and mortar fire. One lucky shot landed in one gun's ammunition dump and destroyed the gun. Despite having lost radio contact with Lord Lovat, Team 1 was softening up the target in preparation for Team 2's assault.

Orange ll: Lovat and his men were spotted as they landed but were able to disembark safely being shielded from the air by 3 Spitfires who kept the German defenders pinned down. They had also landed at exactly the right place and time. Despite a handful of light casualties, Lovat's men knocked out the machine guns in pill-boxes on the cliff-tops and broke out from the beachhead through the barbed wire. Trooper Finney would win a Military Medal for bravery as a result of his part in the cutting of telephone wires which successfully sabotaged German communications. Consequently, the Germans were unable to organise themselves properly and mount a decent counter-attack. On the way to Hess Battery, Team 2 became confused in a smokescreen and some 'Friendly Fire' casualties were sustained. Once radio communications were restored, this problem was quickly solved. No. 4 Commando then mounted a bayonet charge on the Battery's defences, during which a number of individual acts of heroism occurred. Major Pat Porteous, despite being wounded in the hand and arm, disarmed and bayoneted a German who was about to kill a comrade. Sgt. Major Stockdale continued to lead his men in a charge under heavy fire despite having part of his foot blown away. Wounded Corporal Blunden led his men in difficult hand-to-hand fighting in surrounding buildings and refused medical attention until the job was complete. For these actions, Porteous would go on to be awarded a Victoria Cross (V.C.); Stockdale won a Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.); and Blunden a Military Medal (M.M.). Hess Battery was captured and the guns were destroyed as planned under a defiant Union Jack flag that had been raised. Then, carrying the wounded, No. 4 Commando withdrew using well-practised 'fire and manoeuvre' drill and re-boarded their landing craft. They took with them several German prisoners. Their casualties were: 2 dead and 3 wounded officers; 9 dead, 13 missing and 19 wounded other ranks.


Charles Harold Blunden was born in 1899 and enlisted into the Rifle Brigade at Portsmouth on 15 January 1914, a school-boy musician. He served in the U.K. until January 1919 when he went to France for four months before returning to the U.K. He then served in Iraq from 15 September 1919 to 11 January 1921, and afterwards in India until 20 November 1925. He was discharged at Winchester on 14 January 1926, on termination of his 12-year engagement with the Colours. Blunden re-enlisted into the Rifle Brigade on 5 February 1940, and joined No. 4 Commando at its inception on 4 March 1941.


Sold with the following original documents:

i. Signed letter of congratulations on award of M.M. from Louis Mountbatten, Combined Operations Headquarters, 2nd October 1942.

ii. Printed extract from 4 Commando Regimental Orders listing ‘Awards for gallantry on the Dieppe Raid’ viz one V.C., one D.S.O., one Bar to M.C., two M.C.’s, one D.C.M., seven M.M.’s, and five Mentions; also giving dress instructions for the Investiture at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, 27th October ‘42, including ‘Green Berets with the appropriate Regimental Badge, and No 4 Commando shoulder titles which will be new or spotlessly clean.’

iii. Letter from Captain & Adjutant No. 4 Commando to Mrs Blunden enclosing a third class return Railway Warrant in order to attend investiture, together with Buckingham Palace admission ticket.

iv. Farewell letter of thanks from French H.Q., No. 4 Commando on behalf of the French troops who joined No. 4 Commando before D Day, thereby taking their part in the landing in the Normandy campaign and the liberation of France, dated 18 June 1945.

v. Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Dawson, O.C. No. 4 Commando, enclosing a testimonial for Corporal Blunden, dated Recklinghausen 10 Oct 45.

vi. Testimonial on Headquarters No. 4 Commando headed paper, from Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson as referred to above, dated 11 Oct 45.

vi. Letter from French Naval Attache enclosing Croix de Guerre with Star, ‘in acknowledgement of your gallant part in the events which led to the liberation of France and Europe’, dated 20 May 1952.