Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second War ‘Anzio Campaign’ M.M. group of six awarded to Lance-Bombardier L. T. Nurse, Royal Artillery, later Lieutenant, Royal Pioneer Corps, a West Indian from British Guyana, for his gallantry in single-handedly repelling a force of over 20 Germans when the convoy he was in came under automatic and mortar fire south-west of Rome on 4 June 1944

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (750487 L.Bmbr. L. T. Nurse. R.A.) in named card box of issue; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 1st Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with Army Council enclosure, extremely fine (6) £3,000-£4,000

M.M. London Gazette 26 October 1944.

The original Recommendation, for an Immediate award, states: ‘On 4 June 1944, this N.C.O. was riding in his troop commander’s armoured car which was following the battery commander’s armoured car down a narrow lane in the woods south-west of Rome. Both vehicles were caught in an ambush and came under automatic fire from the front and both sides, and mortar fire from in front. At one time as many as twenty Germans were visible simultaneously and the battery commander ordered both vehicles to reverse down the lane. The armoured car could do nothing but fire smoke, and seeing that the Germans were closing Lance-Bombardier Nurse stood up and started firing his rifle. This checked the enemy who replied with over twenty mortar bombs and renewed automatic fire. With complete disregard of his own safety this N.C.O. remained unprotected by the armour of the vehicle in order to keep up his fire and although his vehicle was repeatedly struck did not desist until it had reversed for over half a mile. To his offensive action his battery commander attributes the failure of the enemy to close to grenade throwing distance.
This N.C.O. has served as O.P.A. throughout the operations at Anzio and has twice taken control when his officer has been wounded. His work has been remarkable for its efficiency in the face of enemy action and his troop commanders have found his behaviour first class under fire.’

Laurie Thomas Nurse was born in George Town, Demerara-Mahaica, British Guyana, on 18 October 1905. His father was Richard David Nurse from Barbados (1865-1928), a building contractor by trade almost certainly working on St. George’s Cathedral at George Town, and his mother was Francina Gertrude Nurse, née MacDonald (1863-1928), a native Creole. The family’s fortunes clearly changed and they show at Marchmont Road, Edinburgh from 1919-1923, with Laurie Nurse being educated at the fee-paying George Heriots School. He excelled at sports and was in the 2nd XV for rugby and was heavyweight boxing champion; however, he was asked to leave Heriots in July 1922 on account of his bad influence over the other boys, his report at the time stating:
‘A boy with ability who lacked applications. His size, his age and his colour caused him to be idolised by the boys in his class. His influence became more and more hurtful.’

Nurse attested for the Royal Artillery (Territorial Army) in May 1923 and served for four years. He re-joined the Army on 27 November 1939, interestingly then as a British citizen, his parents both declared as ‘British’ on his attestation form. He served with the 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, with the 1st Army in North Africa, at the assault landings at Pantellaria and at Anzio, and also at the Gothic Line and into Northern Italy. Ubique by A.M. Cheetham, M.C., describes him thus:
‘Bombardier Nurse was a large West Indian and a very cheerful character. He was quite artistic and was very good at drawing the panorama view from the O.P. This was a sketch of the area we were observing, on which were marked salient features... Unfortunately, he sometimes let his poetic licence overcome his factual vision. Once he drew a panorama which included Rome, sitting on its seven hills, when the eternal city lay twenty miles away obscured by a couple of intervening ridges. He could see enemy moving, smoke from mortars and gun flashes that were invisible to the rest of us... he was a great asset in that he always managed to acquire some extra rations for us, especially what was known as the 'makings', namely tea, sugar and powdered milk.’

Awarded an Immediate Military Medal for the Anzio Campaign, Nurse was subsequently commissioned into the Royal Pioneer Corps. He resigned his commission, with the rank of Lieutenant, in February 1962, and died in Birmingham in October 1984.

Sold with the recipient’s riband bars; Certified copy of the recipient’s birth certificate; the recipient’s Certified Copy of Attestation into the Territorial Army; an original postcard photograph showing the recipient as part of the George Heriots 2nd XV, 1922, the reverse written from the recipient to his father: ‘5/5/22. Dear Father, this photograph will show you that I have a lot to do in sports. I have also recently won the heavy-weight championship of the School in boxing so you see I need a lot of cash. Yours, Laurie.’; and copied research.