Medals to the Royal Tank Regiment from the Collection of Bill Green

A superb ‘Prisoner of War’ M.M. group of six awarded to Warrant Officer Sydney Perry, 7th Royal Tank Regiment, whose persistant escapes led to his imprisonment in Colditz Castle

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (7879018 W.O. Cl. 2, R. Tank R.) in named card box of issue with named Buckingham Palace letter; 1939-45 Star; France & Germany Star; War Medal, these three in named card box of issue; Regular Army L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (7879018 W.O. Cl. 3, R. Tks.) in named card box of issue; Meritorious Service Medal, G.VI.R., 2nd issue (7879018 W.O. Cl. 2, M.M., R.A.C.) in named card box of issue, together with three Soldier’s Pay Books, extremely fine (6) £1400-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to the Royal Tank Regiment from the Collection of Bill Green.

View
Collection

M.M. London Gazette 20 June 1946. No recommendation survives but awarded for “gallant and distinguished services in the field as a P.O.W.”

M.S.M. awarded under terms of Army Order 98 of 1953 without annuity. L.S. & G.C. awarded in A/O 133 of 1946.

Sydney Perry was born in 1908, and enlisted into the Royal Tank Corps in January 1927. He was posted to No. 10 Armoured Car Company in India and, by 1933, was a Corporal in the 4th Battalion. In 1935 he was posted to Egypt with Vickers Mk.III tanks and was promoted to Sergeant in 1937. As Troop Sergeant-Major (W.O.3) he went to France with the 7th Battalion in 1940, and was captured in the retreat to Dunkirk, near Arras, on 21 May 1940, having been shot in the stomach whilst attempting to disable his tank.

Interned in Stalag VIIIB, he escaped on 26 October 1940, from a working party but was recaptured after 36 hours. He escaped again from another working party on 25 August 1941, this time evading capture for 17 days. In June 1942, he was sent to Oflag VIB at Warburg, in charge of Other Ranks in No. 5 Battalion, but in September 1942, he was transferred to Oflag VIIB at Eichstatt. Here, he was put in charge of the security branch of the whole of the Other Ranks in the camp, collecting information from the working parties who went on outside tasks. He also collected material which greatly assisted escapes and was in charge of security measures for the distribution of B.B.C. news.

As reward for this important work he was invited to join with 64 officers in what was to be the largest tunnel escape of the war. The escape took place on 3 June 1943, but sadly no one made a “home run” and it took a very large number of German troops many weeks before the last escaper was caught. Because the authorities guessed that it would not be long before some tried to escape again, they sent them all to Oflag O4C at Colditz Castle, including Sydney Perry - quite an accolade for a warrant officer to be held in an officers only camp. His name appears in Appendix 1 of the book on Colditz written by the late Major Pat Reid, M.C., which gives a nominal roll of officers and staff, although he is wrongly given the rank of Staff Sergeant.

His stay at Colditz lasted for only two months before, on 8 August 1943, he was moved back to Stalag VIIIB at Lamsdorf. Thirteen days later he made yet another escape, but was recaptured near the Swiss border having travelled some 450 miles in just five days. He made another unsuccessful escape from Lamsdorf before the camp was finally liberated by American troops on 22 April 1945, and he was repatriated to England.

Promotion to WO II followed in July 1945, and was made substantive in May 1946, and Perry left the Army early in 1948 on completion of 21 years’ service. Sold with further research, including several copy photographs and letters from old comrades.