The Collection of Medals to the Leicester Regiment and Yeomanry formed by the late Trevor Harris

A Second World War Italy operations M.C. group of five attributed to Lieutenant G. A. Ryland, Leicestershire Regiment

Military Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1945’ and privately engraved, ‘Gordon Ryland, 2/5 Leicesters, River Cosina, Italy, November 1944’, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals, extremely fine (5) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Leicester Regiment and Yeomanry formed by the late Trevor Harris.

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M.C. London Gazette 10 May 1945. The original recommendation for an immediate award states:

‘On the night of 22-23 November 1944, as a result of a patrol report, Lieutenant Ryland was ordered to take out his platoon as a fighting patrol to capture intact and hold the bridge at Ponticello.

At dusk Lieutenant Ryland led his platoon out towards the River Cosina and by a long crawl across country got them to the bridge unseen by the enemy who were in position in Ponticello village and had two machine-gun positions covering the approaches. He then led an attack on a house overlooking the bridge. The sentry was killed and four prisoners taken inside. He then disposed his platoon for the defence of the house. Four more prisoners were taken, approaching the house to get ammunition. From 0100 hours to 0500 hours the house was subjected to close range fire from an enemy SP gun beyond the village. The roof was knocked down and the far wall collapsed. Twelve men became serious casualties. At 0200 hours an attempt by an enemy patrol to take the house was beaten off with L.M.G. fire. At 0630 hours another company of the Battalion, working round a flank, captured the village and 34 prisoners.

Lieutenant Ryland’s courage and devotion to duty were beyond praise. His leadership in the initial approach and seizure of the vital bridge under the machine-gun positions of the enemy was an outstanding example of brilliant fieldcraft. Later, when the enemy attacks materialized, his energetic and inspired leadership undoubtedly enabled his small force, greatly outnumbered, to hold on to the bridge until relief came at daylight.’

Gordon Alfred Ryland, a native of Bognor Regis, Sussex, was serving in the 2/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment at the time of the above related action and not, as stated in the London Gazette on 10 May 1945, the East Surrey Regiment.