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Auction archive: Lot number 1194

A fine Second World War escaper’s M.M

Estimate
£1,800 - £2,200
ca. US$2,991 - US$3,656
Price realised:
£2,200
ca. US$3,656
Auction archive: Lot number 1194

A fine Second World War escaper’s M.M

Estimate
£1,800 - £2,200
ca. US$2,991 - US$3,656
Price realised:
£2,200
ca. US$3,656
Beschreibung:

A fine Second World War escaper’s M.M. group of five awarded to Private J. S. K. Davis, New Zealand Military Forces - taken P.O.W. at Sidi Rezegh in November 1941, he undertook a remarkable journey to freedom in 1943-44, from Italy to Gibraltar, via Occupied France Military Medal, G.VI.R. (40825 Pte. J. S. K. Davis, N.Z. Mil. F.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; New Zealand War Service Medal 1939-45, good very fine (5) £1800-2200 Footnote M.M. London Gazette 1 March 1945. The original recommendation states: ‘Davis was captured at Sidi Rezegh on 30 November 1941 and, at the time of the Armistice with Italy, he was imprisoned at Camp 52 (Chiavari). The Senior British Warrant Officer forbade any attempts at escape by P.O.Ws and the entire camp was taken over by the Germans after the Armistice. Davis took advantage of the confusion caused by the P.O.Ws discarding baggage to break away from the column of prisoners being marched to the station for entrainment to Germany. He avoided detection by the three guards and was sheltered by a local family. At Gavi, he met a Sergeant and together they travelled north. With the assistance of Italians they successfully crossed into France and proceeded alone to Nice, from where their journey was arranged for them. His companion was left behind in France, but Davis was taken over the Pyrenees into Spain, and Gibraltar was reached on 12 March 1944. The journey over the Pyrenees was carried out under very difficult conditions and when the leader of the party collapsed, Davis assisted in carrying him.’ John Shelly Kennard Davis was born in April 1915 and enlisted in the New Zealand Military Forces in January 1941. Posted to the 24th Battalion, N.Z.E.F. in North Africa, he was captured at Sidi Rezegh in November of the same year. Suffering from dysentery and double pneumonia, he was not released from hospital until February 1942, when he was sent to Campo 66 at Capua, and thence to Campo 52 at Chiavari. A far more detailed account of Davis’ remarkable journey was submitted by him to M.I. 9 on his return to the U.K. in March 1944, from which the following details have been extracted: ‘After the column had passed [on its way for entrainment to Germany], two young girls found me lying in the ditch. I asked for civilian clothing and they took me across a river, one of them remaining with me in a field of maize, while the other went home and fetched me a shirt and trousers. They explained that they were living with an uncle who could speak English, and invited me to go to their uncle’s house, which was quite near the camp. I remained at the house until 4 October 1943. Unfortunately the servant girl in the house knew that I was English and talked about me to an admirer. As a result of this, the news of my presence reached the Carabinieri. My host was warned of this, and on 4 October sent me to his native village in Cavi. The day after I had left his house, he was visited by the Gestapo. The house was searched but no trace of me was found. From Cavi a young Italian took me to a small cabin in the mountains, where three Italian Officers were living. At first I was the only British P.O.W. with them, but later my original Italian helper met two other escapers from Campo 52, Chief Petty Officer Cantle, R.N. (in hospital in Spain), and Sergeant J. G. Langdon, Royal Artillery (last heard of in France). These two had been hiding near the camp and were brought to the cabin in the hills by one of the Officers. The three Officers had with them at the cabin a supply of revolvers and hand grenades and also had machine-guns hidden in the hills. The local peasants knew about this and also knew that the Officers were sheltering British ex-P.O.Ws. This made me consider our hiding place too dangerous, and Langdon agreed to my proposal of trying to reach Spain via France. The Italian Officers reluctantly agreed to let us go, and before we left they gave each of us a revolver, a Beretta and 2000 lire. On 1 Nove

Auction archive: Lot number 1194
Auction:
Datum:
25 Mar 2014 - 26 Mar 2014
Auction house:
Dix Noonan Webb
16 Bolton St, Mayfair
London, W1J 8BQ
United Kingdom
auctions@dnw.co.uk
+44 (0)20 7016 1700
+44 (0)20 7016 1799
Beschreibung:

A fine Second World War escaper’s M.M. group of five awarded to Private J. S. K. Davis, New Zealand Military Forces - taken P.O.W. at Sidi Rezegh in November 1941, he undertook a remarkable journey to freedom in 1943-44, from Italy to Gibraltar, via Occupied France Military Medal, G.VI.R. (40825 Pte. J. S. K. Davis, N.Z. Mil. F.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; New Zealand War Service Medal 1939-45, good very fine (5) £1800-2200 Footnote M.M. London Gazette 1 March 1945. The original recommendation states: ‘Davis was captured at Sidi Rezegh on 30 November 1941 and, at the time of the Armistice with Italy, he was imprisoned at Camp 52 (Chiavari). The Senior British Warrant Officer forbade any attempts at escape by P.O.Ws and the entire camp was taken over by the Germans after the Armistice. Davis took advantage of the confusion caused by the P.O.Ws discarding baggage to break away from the column of prisoners being marched to the station for entrainment to Germany. He avoided detection by the three guards and was sheltered by a local family. At Gavi, he met a Sergeant and together they travelled north. With the assistance of Italians they successfully crossed into France and proceeded alone to Nice, from where their journey was arranged for them. His companion was left behind in France, but Davis was taken over the Pyrenees into Spain, and Gibraltar was reached on 12 March 1944. The journey over the Pyrenees was carried out under very difficult conditions and when the leader of the party collapsed, Davis assisted in carrying him.’ John Shelly Kennard Davis was born in April 1915 and enlisted in the New Zealand Military Forces in January 1941. Posted to the 24th Battalion, N.Z.E.F. in North Africa, he was captured at Sidi Rezegh in November of the same year. Suffering from dysentery and double pneumonia, he was not released from hospital until February 1942, when he was sent to Campo 66 at Capua, and thence to Campo 52 at Chiavari. A far more detailed account of Davis’ remarkable journey was submitted by him to M.I. 9 on his return to the U.K. in March 1944, from which the following details have been extracted: ‘After the column had passed [on its way for entrainment to Germany], two young girls found me lying in the ditch. I asked for civilian clothing and they took me across a river, one of them remaining with me in a field of maize, while the other went home and fetched me a shirt and trousers. They explained that they were living with an uncle who could speak English, and invited me to go to their uncle’s house, which was quite near the camp. I remained at the house until 4 October 1943. Unfortunately the servant girl in the house knew that I was English and talked about me to an admirer. As a result of this, the news of my presence reached the Carabinieri. My host was warned of this, and on 4 October sent me to his native village in Cavi. The day after I had left his house, he was visited by the Gestapo. The house was searched but no trace of me was found. From Cavi a young Italian took me to a small cabin in the mountains, where three Italian Officers were living. At first I was the only British P.O.W. with them, but later my original Italian helper met two other escapers from Campo 52, Chief Petty Officer Cantle, R.N. (in hospital in Spain), and Sergeant J. G. Langdon, Royal Artillery (last heard of in France). These two had been hiding near the camp and were brought to the cabin in the hills by one of the Officers. The three Officers had with them at the cabin a supply of revolvers and hand grenades and also had machine-guns hidden in the hills. The local peasants knew about this and also knew that the Officers were sheltering British ex-P.O.Ws. This made me consider our hiding place too dangerous, and Langdon agreed to my proposal of trying to reach Spain via France. The Italian Officers reluctantly agreed to let us go, and before we left they gave each of us a revolver, a Beretta and 2000 lire. On 1 Nove

Auction archive: Lot number 1194
Auction:
Datum:
25 Mar 2014 - 26 Mar 2014
Auction house:
Dix Noonan Webb
16 Bolton St, Mayfair
London, W1J 8BQ
United Kingdom
auctions@dnw.co.uk
+44 (0)20 7016 1700
+44 (0)20 7016 1799
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