The Ron Penhall Collection

The Second World War “behind enemy lines” D.C.M. group of six awarded to Corporal J. Almond, Durham Light Infantry, who, having been taken P.O.W. at Cos in November 1943, jumped from a train destined for Germany and fought with a British Military Mission and the Partisans in occupied Greece - ‘on one occasion, he had to escort arms and explosives through enemy held territory; to do this he wore civilian clothes and ran great personal risk’

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R. (4451276 Cpl. J. Almond, Durh. L.I.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Greek War Medal 1941-45, a later Republican issue, contact marks and edge nicks, very fine and better (6) £3500-4000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection.

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D.C.M. London Gazette 18 October 1945. The original recommendation states:

‘In November 1943, Corporal Almond, then a Private, was taken P.O.W. on the island of Cos, together with the remnants of his Battalion.

After some time in a prisoner of war cage in Athens, he was put on a train destined for Germany. Before the train left, Corporal Almond decided to try and escape and asked for volunteers to join him. Corporal Nutbeam, who had been captured in 1941, with four others, volunteered. Corporal Nutbeam was a very sick man after many months in a concentration camp but was fortunately able to speak Greek. A workman on the station told him that the best place to jump was after the sixth station between Thebes and Levadhia, as he would then find himself in an area where he could contact the Partisans and eventually a British Mission. A British Senior N.C.O., being informed of the intention of the little party, asked them not to jump, as their escape would prejudice the others who remained behind. Despite this they broke the wire which covered every compartment window, and was examined at every station, and jumped successfully at the right place.

For three weeks they marched from village to village, vainly searching for the British Mission. The rest of the party wanted many times to give up what looked like a hopeless task, but Corporal Almond’s personality and leadership held them together until at last they found the British Mission camp.

On hearing that a second W./T. operator was required, Corporal Almond, despite nine years foreign service, volunteered to stay behind and refused to be evacuated with the others. Soon after his arrival, the leading W./T. operator was evacuated to the Middle East for reasons of health and Corporal Almond, although not a trained signaller, was left alone to run the station signals. This he did cheerfully and efficiently under most dangerous circumstances, working long hours, often 18 hours a day, without complaint or lack of efficiency.

On several occasions he was left in command of the station, a task which he carried out tactfully and efficiently. On one occasion, he had to escort arms and explosives through enemy held territory; to do this he wore civilian clothes and ran great personal risk.

Corporal Almond showed powers of leadership and determination quite above the average and by his example largely contributed to the efficient running of the station under difficult circumstances. He was evacuated to the Middle East from Athens on 20 December 1944.’

James Almond was born in the parish of Dunston, Gateshead in July 1917 and enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry in August 1935. Having enjoyed several postings overseas pre-war, he was embarked for the Middle East in January 1940, in which latter theatre of war he served as a regular soldier until his capture at Cos in November 1943. Thereafter, of course, as cited in the recommendation for his D.C.M., and having made his escape, he served with distinction as a Wireless Operator for a British Military Mission and E.L.A.S. partisans in Greece, finally returning to the U.K. in early 1945 - officers with whom he served in this latter period included Major Brian Dillon, D.S.O., M.C., Major Francis Macaskie, M.C. and Captain Derek Dodson. A local wartime newspaper cutting adds a little more background to Almond’s capture, escape and subsequent work “behind enemy lines”:

‘James Almond, veteran of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Malta, Tobruk and Sicily, was serving on the Greek Island of Cos when the Germans invaded on 3 October 1943. The invasion came as a surprise and the Germans quickly succeeded in splitting the defending forces before the danger was fully realised, and on the fifth day of the fighting Corporal Almond was wounded in the leg. Taken prisoner soon afterwards, he was moved from Cos to a hospital in Athens and four weeks later packed into a goods train with 33 other prisoners en route for Germany. A thorough search left the prisoners with only food supplies and Red Cross parcels, but together with two members of the Royal Corps of Signals, he escaped - the day 11 November 1943 - and the three made straight for the mountains. Found by E.L.A.S. guerilla forces, they were imprisoned in a hut until their nationality was established. The mountain hideout to which the Corporal was subsequently taken was a G.H.Q. from which operations against the occupying forces were directed by several British officers. Accepted as a member of the guerilla forces, Corporal Almond took an active part in sabotage against the Germans. Of this chapter in his experiences he says little, but a significant factor is that for seven weeks before he left Greece, the enemy was denied the use of the main railroad. During one visit to Athens, he sat in a car while Germans in another car opposite packed their kit. The German officer walked across to the guerilla’s car, clicked his heels, gave the Nazi salute and drove away - a narrow escape.’

Almond was discharged in February 1946 as a result of being found permanently unfit for any form of military service, but was able to attend a presentation ceremony in November of the same year to receive his D.C.M. from the King’s hands; his Greek War Medal remains unverified, but it is not without interest that he was also mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 1 November 1945).

Sold with a quantity of original documentation and photographs, the latter (approximately 25 wartime images) being a most interesting record of Almond’s “Greek sojourn”, and all of them with informative captions; while the accompanying documentation includes a false I.D. card in the name of “Nicos Ntolos” (the one he must have used during the perilous mission he undertook in civilian attire, as per the above recommendation), an Infantry Office letter reporting him as a P.O.W., dated 25 November 1943 and a War Office letter regarding a forthcoming ceremony for the presentation of his D.C.M., this dated 1 July 1946.