Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Squadron Sergeant-Major H. L. Dolding, 3rd Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C., who was taken prisoner by a Panther tank group in France in 1944, but ‘changed his role from captive to captor and witnessed the surrender of some 240 Germans who had been cut off by our advancing forces’: he subsequently received a 21st Army Group commendation

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, generally good very fine, together with original 21st Army Group commendation certificate in the name of ‘7880525 W.O. II H. L. Dolding, R.A.C., 3 R. Tks.’, with facsimile signature of Montgomery and dated 4 February 1945, and related wartime newspaper cutting (5) £200-250

The accompanying wartime newspaper cutting states, under the heading “Charlton Sergeant-Major’s Exciting Adventure”:

‘An adventure crowded with incident will live in the memory of Squadron Sergeant-Major H. L. Dolding, of 50 Mayhill Road, Charlton, who in a comparatively short space of time, changed his role from captive to captor and witnessed the surrender of some 240 Germans who had been cut off by our advancing forces in France.

The Sergeant-Major, with a Lance-Corporal, and a Trooper, members of a well known tank regiment, were out on reconnaissance patrol when they encountered four German Panther tanks and were forced “with odds a bit on the side of the enemy” to accept the inevitable. They were motioned to get on the leading tank, but as they were about to obey the command, British tanks were heard proceeding up a parallel road. Without bothering to get the range, the Germans opened fire, and within a few minutes armour-piercing and H.E. shells were falling around. “Jerry” found discretion the better part of valour and promptly withdrew, taking their prisoners with them. While they were making their way through rain sodden cornfields one of the Germans, who could speak broken English, started raving about Hitler, Bolshevism and “how stupid the English were in not being friends with Germany”. While the man was ranting others more genial were offering them cigarettes.

British tanks again engaged the Boche, and machine-gun bullets by the thousand were now whizzing past. After a conference between the Panther commanders it was decided to make for Bailleul. But they had not gone far when there was a terrific flash and explosion. The tank had struck a mine. The Trooper was blown 30 yards and sustained a broken leg. Some hours later they got into Bailleul after passing scores of German tanks and lorries that had been knocked out on the way.

In the town they were lodged in a chateau with a number of French women and children, who made a great fuss of them. Some Frenchmen who, as it turned out, were members of the Maquis, gave them the “V” sign behind the backs of the Germans, and the time lagged until about six o’clock in the evening, when, in wandering into the garden, quite unmolested, Sergeant-Major Dolding was quite surprised to have four Nazis come up to him, shake his hand and say “Kamerad.”

“I was pretty certain that Bailleul was surrounded and they were trying to ingratiate themselves,” Sergant-Major Dolding said. “It was later proved that they were in the bag all right. They even gave me cigarettes, wine and food, and showed me R.A.F. pamphlets they had picked up.”

He hurried back into the chateau with the good news, and at eight o’clock the first troops arrived in the town amidst great rejoicing.’