Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Good Second War ‘Tunisia’ M.C. group of seven awarded to Major G. A. Bouch, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Military Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse dated 1943, additionally inscribed ‘Major G. A. Bouch, Tunisia’; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; together with original documentation, including, named Buckingham Palace letter; Soldiers Service and Pay Book; Warrant Officers commission certificate (16 April 1929; National Registration Identity Card; Army Certificate of Education, 1st Class, etc., generally nearly extremely fine (7) £600-800

M.C. London Gazette 8 July 1943. ‘On 21 April 1943, Major Bouch commanded ‘C’ Company during the counter attack on Point 250 of the Kesskisse feature. His fine leadership enabled his company to capture its objective in spite of heavy opposition. For two hours while his company was under heavy fire from tanks and machine gun posts overlooking the feature, Major Bouch held on, encouraging his men and manoeuvring his Ccompany into a position to attack. It was Major Bouch’s example and disregard for personal safety which inspired his men to go for the enemy and clear him out.’

Sold with copies taken from the regimental history in which Bouch is mentioned several times, one paragraph states ‘on 30 March 1943 Major Bouch and a daylight patrol surprised a party of five Germans at Red Roof Farm, a mile in front of C Company’s position. One of the enemy was killed and another taken prisoner, the first to be taken by the 1st Division.’

The action for which Bouch was awarded his M.C. is described thus in the regimental history: ‘C Company under Major G. A. Bouch moved to the attack at 10:45am, and within the next half-hour made steady progress taking 25 prisoners. Point 250, the summit of Djebel Kesskisse, was carried at the point of the bayonet just before midday; but half an hour later C Company came under heavy fire from eight enemy tanks on the eastern spur of this hill, and from a machine gun post on the high ground north of the Basin. At 12:45pm tank support was called for, as the troops were pinned down by fire, and were running out of ammunition. An hour and a half later some tanks and the carriers came up, and by 3pm the enemy had been driven off Djebel Kesskisse. In their counter attack C Company took 62 prisoners, besides inflicting other casualties on the enemy; a successful operation for which Major Bouch was awarded the M.C. and Corporal Leyland who had displayed great gallantry the D.C.M.’