Medals to The Gordon Highlanders and Associated Units from the Collection of A.J. Henderson

An unusual Second World War aircraft rescue incident G.M. group of four awarded to Private W. Crease, The London Scottish (The Gordon Highlanders)

George Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (14219750 Pte. William Crease); 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, these last three privately inscribed ‘14219750 Private William Crease, G.M., Gordon Highlanders’ the first with contact marks and edge nicks, otherwise good very fine and unique to the Regiment (4) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to The Gordon Highlanders and Associated Units from the Collection of A.J. Henderson.

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G.M. London Gazette 15 September 1944: ‘In Italy, on 4 May 1944, a bomber, which took off on an operational flight loaded with explosives, failed to gain height and crashed in flames. Private Crease was the first on the scene and, despite the fact that the petrol tanks and the whole aircraft were blazing, he, with the help of an Italian, and entirely regardless of his own safety, plunged into the wreckage to search for the captain and the crew who were in the aircraft and probably injured. He helped to save the life of one of the crew who was injured and, in order to do this he and the Italian had to dig into wreckage with their bare hands, with the fire spreading. Private Crease’s action called for a high degree of courage.’

William Crease was on detachment from the 1st Battalion of the London Scottish, serving with Military Establishment No. 54 at Brindisi in Italy at the time of the above incident. Another G.M. was awarded to Gunner H. Walker, R.A. on the same occasion, his recommendation revealing that the aircraft in question was a Halifax of No. 148 Squadron, piloted by Group Captain L. Rankin. Interestingly, No. 54 Military Establishment was a secret organisation with S.O.E. connections, a good deal of explosives and other supplies being flown out of Brindisi to partisans in the Balkans at its behest. No. 148 Squadron, moreover, had been reformed as a ‘special duties’ unit back in March 1943, and arrived in Italy in January 1944 as part of No. 334 Wing under Rankin’s overall command.

Crease was killed in a car crash in Edinburgh in January 1980, aged 53 years, a local newspaper report stating that he had served in the S.A.S. in the last War, an observation worthy of further research given the activities of Military Establishment No. 54, but more probably in S.O.E. sources. The same report also states that he ‘was wounded several times and was eventually invalided from the Army’. And a family biographical note included with the Lot states that Crease was captured in Italy by the Germans and handed over to the Italians, but managed to escape from a train which was being attacked by the Americans and find refuge with a sympathetic Italian family.